Estel is a Content Editor for Bristol Live. She joined Bristol Live in December 2019 after working at WalesOnline. She was a finalist at the 2019's Regional Press Awards as well as the 2019's and 2020's Wales Media Awards. Born in Barcelona, Estel loves the countryside, yoga and a good bath.
There are many benefits to going to the gym - and one of them undoubtedly is getting tips from other people. Not just about the training itself, but also about places to go and things to do.
Recently, we were chatting about Bristol's new-found love for saunas (which I am fully embracing, from the one in a car park to one by an 'abandoned' seal pool) and someone asked if I had tried the one by a lake at a disused quarry.
I had not - so that was my goal for last Saturday when I had some child-free time. The Lake, at Cromhall Quarry, in Wotton-under-Edge, South Gloucestershire, already offered swimming, scuba diving and paddle boarding. And now visitors can also spend some time at the Embers sauna, located right by the lake.
The gorgeous location certainly makes the 30-minute drive worth it; there is something about looking at water that just makes being in a sauna even more relaxing. Powered by a wood-burning stove, the sauna was about 80/85C when we visited, which is not as hot as other saunas I have been to but plenty warm enough for me.
The amount of people in the sauna varied during my visit, from being just the two of us to up to six or seven people. At no point did it feel too crowded and, as per usual in a sauna, at some points conversation flowed among us.
It started raining while we were there, which just made the experience more atmospheric for me. I loved getting out to cool down in the shower to then feel the rain on my skin.
At present, you will need to buy a separate ticket to be able to go into the lake. Costing £7.50, we decided against doing so as we didn't feel we would spend enough time in the water itself. However, we were told a "sauna and dip" option was in the pipeline.
Another interesting feature about Embers is the pricing options (£5 for 15-minutes, £8 for 30-minutes or £12 for 60-minutes). This is the first sauna I visit to offer these, with most seeming to offer one-hour slots.
My guess would be the shorter sessions would be aimed at those who are there to make the most of the lake, rather than the sauna, and see that as an add-on. We finished off our time with a hot chocolate from the coffee van by the lake, which was the perfect ending.
The Lake was a great discovery and I have no doubt I will be back, next time not just for sauna but also to swim. I would also be curious to see what countryside walks are available nearby, as it certainly looked like a picturesque spot to me.