New year, new you… New Forest? Woodland wellness wins await at Lime Wood hotel this spring thanks to a special collaboration with trailblazing nutritional therapist, Amelia Freer
Nestled deep in the shady boughs of the New Forest National Park, Lime Wood looms like a stately chalk-dusted sanctuary; a promise of inner peace, polished silverware and laid-back luxury. The hotel has long been popular with fashionable down-from-London sets seeking a chic country escape, its lure of bracing walks, roaring fires and proper Sunday roasts becoming signature snaps on our Insta feed each winter.
Now though, Lime Wood is also home to a wealth of wellbeing programmes that aim to nourish the physical self as much as the soul. And leading the charge for a weekend of wellbeing is Amelia Freer. A powerhouse nutritional pro, Freer is launching her first three-day retreat at Lime Wood in April, 2020 and guests are in for a full mind and body makeover.
‘A mix of intimate talks, interactive workshops and educational cooking demonstrations create a truly nurturing experience’
‘I couldn’t be more thrilled to offer my first retreat at the sublime Lime Wood hotel,’ Freer says. ‘After years of working with clients and witnessing the health challenges we all face, I have created a whole body, holistic, nourishing and educational three days for my guests. Combined with Lime Wood’s setting and impeccable standards, I know it will be a truly nurturing experience for all.’
She’s not wrong. Through a mix of intimate talks, interactive workshops and educational cooking demonstrations, Amelia will be tackling the holy grails of modern living - namely, how to eat well while still holding down a frenzied tangle of career, family and friends, and also reducing stress levels when the odds are clearly stacked against you.
Restorative yoga sessions, relaxing forest walks and meditative downtime will work hand in hand with Lime Wood’s luxe spa offerings, which include a selection of high-performance Skinesis treatments designed by celebrity facials Sarah Chapman. Powered by science and balanced by botanicals, this collection of expertly crafted facials promise to deliver glowing, rejuvenated complexions. Youthful radiance, finally restored.
‘Boasting an alfresco terrace for sunset yoga and flooded with natural light, this state-of-the-art space offers the ultimate workout’
Hit a personal training session at the newly appointed Herb House gym and you’re 2020 reset will be complete. Boasting an alfresco terrace for sunset yoga and flooded with natural light, this state-of-the-art space offers the ultimate workout, underpinned by celebrity trainer, Matt Roberts’ philosophy. A dedicated one-to-one session promises to be dynamic, bespoke and bloody tough, actually - but in that great-ache way. I leave the stylish studio floor feeling like I’ve done a week’s workout in just an hour.
‘The trick is to learn how to do each exercise properly, working each and every muscle in a concentrated way. That’s how you achieve maximum results in a much shorter space of time,’ my personal trainer, Justin, tells me while I’m struggling to complete my 20 ‘solid’ squats.
Back in my spacious woodside suite, I run the roll-top bath, sprinkle in a ladle of Bamford’s epsom salts and soak it all in: the truth is, I’m feeling thoroughly nourished already.
Book it: Amelia Freer x Lime Wood retreat
The Amelia Freer three-day retreat at Lime Wood hotel in the New Forest runs from Monday 27 to Wednesday 29 April. The package costs £1,650 per person and includes pre-retreat advice; a two-night stay at the hotel in a double room; all meals; six hours of sessions, talks and workshops; two yoga classes; one 60-minute Bamford Destress Massage; optional meditation and stretch sessions; guided forest walks; plus use of the award-winning Herb House Spa. See limewoodhotel.co.uk for further details or to secure your place.