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Hampstead Heath has some serious standing as a wellbeing haven, with three separate ponds open for pretty chilly dips. In the summer, queues regularly snake around the water’s edge as Londoners desperate for a bracing swim flock to the north London spot.
Now, that hype might just be about to balloon as a prospective new sauna and plunge pool complex is in discussion. Planning applications have been submitted by Sauna and Soul for two timber saunas and three cold plunge baths near the car park at Kenwood House, the seventeenth century stately home near the Heath’s North Wood.
The plans would involve making temporary alterations to the Grade II-listed former dairy buildings, which were built in 1794, so that an electrical current can be routed through them. Working with English Heritage, who own Kenwood House and keep it open for free for the public, Sauna and Soul is seeking to establish the site for an initial period of 12 months.
The complex, which would include two bell tents for changing, a willow screening, a reception hut and an outdoor shower, would be run on a bookings basis with a maximum capacity of 16 people. It’ll operate during the same hours as Kenwood House, and Sauna and Soul has stated that it will be electrically heated and no music or alcohol will be allowed. It’s hoped that these considerations will limit the impact to the Heath, Kenwood House, and local residents and visitors.
If approved, the new hotspot is slated to open by the end of January 2027.
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Check out our list of London's best saunas here.
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