Peering from the panoramic windows of the chalet-style log cabins, it would be easy to mistake the hills of Yorkshire for an Alpine retreat.
The rolling, flower-dotted meadows and the gushing River Wharfe paint a picture of Switzerland and Julie Andrews twirling in the Sound of Music. But this is Olicana Park, a country haven offering a complex of five dog-friendly “ski lodges” tucked away on the edge of the Dales.
And the inventive getaway is at the front of a new vanguard – a thirst for healthy sauna stays and active walking holidays in the UK. The site has tapped into a growing trend targeting fitness enthusiasts and those wanting to escape city life with romantic breaks of weekend escapes.
Each of the five chalets is fitted with a hot tub and sauna, which The British Sauna Society (BSS) (who knew there was even such a thing?) claim clinical studies have shown it can reduce depression and even help weight loss. Fuelled by the growth in wild swimming and healthy living, thousands of Brits each year are turning to saunas to cure ailments and boost their mood.
Grabrielle Reason, director of the BSS, tells me: “They are a tonic for modern life. We are seeing people install saunas in buildings where they would once have installed hot tubs. There are physical, mental and social benefits. Purely as a cardiovascular workout, your heart rate increases as you sweat.
“It offers most of the benefits of exercise but you can sit there chatting with your mates. “There’s evidence that if you combine it with a cold plunge it can lead to a metabolic weight loss. Mentally there’s a great body of work in the US which focused on people with major depression disorder who were treatment resistant. They sauge a huge reduction in their depressive symptoms with the use of saunas. And a lot of that is because of the social aspect. People seem to become a lot more chatty with strangers when they are sitting in a sauna.”
The UK is currently in the grips of sauna fever. The number of public saunas in the UK has seen a significant rise in recent years, with the BSA reporting a doubling from 45 in early 2023 to 90 by 2024. By the end of 2025, that number will have hit 200. Popular saunas in London such as the Hackney Community Sauna are now so sought-after that weekend slots need to be booked weeks in advance.
So, as a new dad-of-two with an ever-creaking body and dwindling levels of sleep, I thought it was worth having a soak in the sauna to see what all of the fuss is about.
Nestled on the edge of the Dales, Olicana Park is a family-run business set up by graphic design graduate Ben Stewart, 29, and his mum, brandy snap basket entrepreneur Susie Stewart, 59, nearly a decade ago.
They lived near to the complex at High Mill in Addingham, near Ilkley, and always dreamed of transforming the site. Desperate for a unique concept, they set their heart on a ski-style complex of lodges. And now, 10 years on, business is booming. Nearly 80% of their bookings are return visitors, customers who were so enchanted with the getaway they keep coming back.
The mother and son duo run the entire charming operation. Ben and Susie are on-site chopping wood, operating heavy machinery and cleaning lodges every day. Many of the astonishing pieces from across the site are authentic. Ben sourced two ski gondolas from Switzerland for seating at the on-site cafe, Hamiltons.
Ben said: “We always said that we wanted to create something that we would want to visit ourselves for a holiday. It’s all about uniqueness. There’s not much like this around. We spent a lot of money and time making it what it is. We’ve got such incredible views, we knew you had to be able to look at those views from the lodges.”
Such is its growing popularity, it has a burgeoning celebrity clientele. Former Corrie star Catherine Tyldesley took advantage of the amenities in the not too distant past.
In February I checked in with my young family and set about seeing what all the excitement was about. The Farmhouse sits atop the site, with two master bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms, a modern kitchen and the most astonishing views across the River Wharfe.
There’s even a “beach” nearby – a 10-metre stretch of sand next to the river which two-year-old mini-Warburton loved splashing around in. Nestled in the heart of our lodge was the sauna, with traditional wood-panelled walls and spotless glass doors leading out into the living space.
With just a few pushes of a button of a control panel, the sauna clicked into life. And within 15 minutes it was searingly hot. Mrs Warburton and I waited for the mini-Warburtons to go to bed before stripping down and stepping into the steamy box.
I chose to keep it traditional and enjoyed a beer to keep hydrated. I’m not lying – Finnish culture dictates a glass of light, cool lager “will not do any harm” while enjoying a sauna. And for a moment it was absolute heaven. A flick of water on the hot stones was enough to send steam into the air, evaporating almost all my stresses.
Being something of a lightweight, I could only manage a paltry 15 minutes in the sweat-room before needing a cool-down. Careful not to wake the kids, we stepped outside into the icy wind and took a soak in the hot tub which is set into the decking on the cabin’s balcony.
For a brief, blissful evening, the weight of everyday life lifted. And that’s the joy of this incredible jewel in Addingham. Olicana Park is the Best of British. It is unique, combining ingenious enterprise with flawless execution, it takes you out of everyday life, as every short break should do.
During the day, I took newborn baby Warburton – the lad is just four months old – for his afternoon nap with a walk along the River Wharfe. Ilkley is a three-mile trek through the countryside, breathing in some of the most stunning scenery. Cafes, cinemas and plush restaurants make the spa town a must visit during the getaway.
We also tried the local boozers of Addingham, enjoying high-end pub grub at the nearby Fleece Inn in front of a roaring fire. So for anyone thinking they may want to dodge the winter months, think again. Next year I’ll think twice about flying off to avoid the British chill. Winter is coming and it’s looking magical.
Book it
To book a lodge at Olicana Park, log on to ToWanderUK.
All lodges are dog friendly and cabins start from £140 a night. The minimum stay is three nights.
A list of all of the public saunas in the UK can be found on the BSS’s website.