Top outside saunas around the UK
Finnish-style saunas are popping up everywhere, promising a range of health benefits

A "sauna craze" has gripped the UK. Almost 100 "hot, sweaty saunas" have cropped up across the country in recent years – the "perfect counterpart" to cold-water swimming.
Despite having a legion of new enthusiasts, the sauna's history can be traced back thousands of years. "Sweat houses" from as early as the Bronze Age have been "unearthed" in the UK and Ireland, said the BBC. Into the 20th century they were still commonly used to treat a range of ailments from respiratory conditions to arthritis.
The "modern-day sauna movement" has been propelled by the wellness sector, with a focus on the "myriad mental, social and physical health benefits", said London's The Standard.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Regular sauna sessions are said to help boost circulation, lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and even make your skin glow, said Women's Health. Typically heated to around 70-95C, the most "traditional" sauna is a wood-burning one, but there are also infrared saunas that warm your body to a more "tolerable" temperature.
For a long time, saunas were mostly "afterthoughts in hotel spas", said The Observer. But in 2018, Liz Watson and Katie Bracher founded a "pop-up Finnish-style sauna" on Brighton beach using a converted horse box. This sparked a "wave" of saunas around the UK, often at the seaside or overlooking a lake so you can warm up after an icy dip.
Here are some of the best.
Beach Box, Brighton
The destination that "kicked off Britain's outside sauna trend" now comprises three saunas: two in converted horse boxes and a third bigger cedar sauna, said The Times. With the sea "just a short hobble across the pebbles" Beach Box is the perfect setting for a swim/sauna combo – there's also a plunge pool for cooling down afterwards.
Pool Bridge Farm, York
"Open-water swimmers will never want to leave Pool Bridge Farm", said The Observer. Two shepherd's huts have been "lovingly restored" and turned into saunas, and there are three "mirror-like lakes to paddle in". Open all year round, visitors can splash about under the farm's "strings of festoon lights" on icy winter nights.
Rooftop Saunas, London
It's a "badly kept Hackney secret" that as well as housing east London's "favourite skyward drinking den", Netil House also features a collection of private sauna cabins and cold-water plunge barrels, said Time Out. When you're finished, head next door to Netil360 for pizza and drinks.
Seaside Sauna House, Dorset
Down at the shingle beach in Seatown lies this charming wood-fired sauna, said The Observer. Consider timing your visit to coincide with the full Moon to join a "night-time sauna party on the beach" and book a room at the cosy Anchor Inn across the road.
Elie Seaside Sauna, Fife
"Perched on the dunes at Elie Harbour" in Fife, this converted horse box has floor-to-ceiling windows revealing sweeping views across Woodhaven Bay and Elie Beach, said The Times. The seaside town has a "thriving wild-swimming community" and this is a great place to "warm-up post dip".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
6 peaceful homes in farm country
Feature Featuring a two-story solarium in California and a three-season screened porch in Wisconsin
By The Week US
-
5 'slow TV' shows for overstimulated kids
The Week Recommends In an era of fast-paced content and short attention spans, the slow TV movement can be a boon to parents
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
The worst coral bleaching event breaks records
The Explainer Bleaching has now affected 84% of the world's coral reefs
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
5 'slow TV' shows for overstimulated kids
The Week Recommends In an era of fast-paced content and short attention spans, the slow TV movement can be a boon to parents
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
How to travel with your dog
The Week Recommends These tips will help both of you have a great time
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Horse around across the globe with these liberating horse-centric activities
The Week Recommends These graceful animals make any experience better
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
7 tranquil hotels worth the (sometimes extreme) trek
The Week Recommends Find serenity off the beaten path
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
6 trackers to help you find everything from your keys to your kids
The Week Recommends These devices offer accuracy and ease
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
6 stellar noctourism adventures
The Week Recommends After the sun sets, the fun begins
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
7 nightlife destinations that are positively electric
The Week Recommends Accra, Seoul, Berlin: These are a few of the cities that come alive after dark
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
The perfect picnic is a grass patch away with this collection of 8 essential portables
The Week Recommends Celebrate warmer weather by dining alfresco
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US