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Harrogate Turkish Baths

Daily

Cost: £10.50 single visit; cheaper for block tickets

Hours: Varies according to male/female days

What better place to chill out than in a Frigidarium? The Romans used to do it and it worked well for them. Make your way to Harrogate's Turkish Baths - a slice of history.

All you need to take to Harrogate Turkish Baths is your city grime and accumulated stress. Fresh, soft towels are provided when you pay your entry fee. But don't turn up in a hurry - you must allow yourself a good couple of hours to enjoy every bit of this awesome haven. After all, this is a time-honoured route to ultimate relaxation.

The idea is to shower first, then visit the Steam Room where the high humidity opens pores, relaxes the lungs and eases muscles. Then, another shower or, for the brave, a bracing dip in the Plunge Pool.

After towelling away any shivers, head to the three interconnecting Hot Room Chambers - Tepidarium (warm 120-140°F), the Calidarium (hot 160-180°F) and the Laconium (hottest 180-220°F).

It's up to you to learn the names of the rooms or not and indeed to repeat this cycle as often as you like. Once saturated in heat, its cooling down time in the wonderfully kept Frigidarium (fear not, this is a relaxation room rather than a freezing room full of meat). It's here you can treat yourself to a drink or a bite after all your hard work!

As there are different times for men and women to go and sweat, it's worth checking with the venue when to go. Ladies can also book a beauty treatment (although rest assured these have modernised from the Roman times).

Turkish Baths