Saddleworth Sauna Hut

Please arrive no more than five minutes before your session starts so you have time to change.

Check the directions and allow time to park .

Please note that we do not have an indoor waiting area for early arrivals.

Hillcrest Den Lane, Uppermill, Saddleworth, United Kingdom, OL3 6DD – View on Google Maps

There is limited parking on the sauna site. Please keep this in mind and allow time to find parking in the village if necessary.

You can drop off and collect. Parking is available in the village.

Parking is NOT permitted on the road outside the sauna site – you will be required to move your car if you do so.

You need to be 18 or over. Under-18s are not permitted in the sauna area, and we may ask for photo ID.

Saunas and cold water do not suit everyone. You should not use the sauna or cold‑water facilities, or should consult your doctor first, if you are pregnant or have:

• any heart or circulatory condition, including high or low blood pressure, heart disease, or a history of heart attack or stroke
• epilepsy or any seizure disorder
• diabetes
• asthma or any other breathing condition
• a pacemaker, defibrillator, metal implant, or recent surgery or injury
• a skin condition made worse by heat
• a tendency to dizziness or fainting
• any medication that affects your circulation, heart rate, temperature regulation or alertness
• any other condition affecting how you cope with extreme heat or cold

This is not a full list, and it is not a ban – plenty of people with these conditions use saunas safely on their doctor’s advice. However, you should make this decision with someone who knows your medical history.

Our team are not medically trained and cannot advise on individual health issues.

Do tell us on arrival if there is anything that would help us look after you. It is entirely up to you, and it will not stop you taking part.

Yes. Everyone using the sauna must read and agree to the terms of our Safety Agreement before their first visit. If you are booking for other people, give us each guest’s name and email address, and we will send them a link to do this themselves; alternatively, other members of your party can sign the waiver on arrival.

Swimwear, ideally without metal fastenings – underwires, zips and buttons get hot enough to burn.

We also suggest leaving metal jewellery and watches at home.

Nudity is not permitted.

• Swimwear
• Two towels – one to sit on, one to dry off with. The sitting towel should be big enough for your feet. Bench towels are available to hire if you forget.
• Sliders, flip-flops or sandals
• A water bottle if you want your own – we have drinking water on site
• Warm layers for afterwards
• A bag for wet clothes

We suggest leaving both behind outside the sauna. The heat can damage lenses and frames, and hot metal or plastic near your eyes isn’t worth the risk.

Standard bookings are one hour in the sauna and plunge area, with some longer sessions of an hour and a half. Changing time is included.

Sauna: we recommend 5 to 15 minutes at a time, and no more than 20 minutes in one go. Then come out and cool down properly.

Cold plunge: rinse off in the shower first, then give yourself a moment to let your body settle before getting in.

Lower yourself in slowly – never jump. Even a few seconds does the job; we suggest five minutes as an absolute maximum. Keep your head above the water. Never use the plunge unless another adult or one of our team is there.

Cycles: going between hot and cold is the best part, but two or three rounds in a session is plenty.

Above all, listen to your body. Everyone’ tolerance is different, and it changes day to day.

The sauna runs between 70°C and 100°C, and a gauge is visible inside.

The cold plunge sits at around 5-7°C, but temperatures may vary depending on weather conditions.

Up to 12 people at a time.

Yes. The steam that rises off the stones is called the löyly, and it is the heart of a Finnish sauna. Use the ladle provided and drizzle the water on slowly, a little at a time, until the heat feels right.

Drizzle, don’t dump!

Dumping water on makes the room feel briefly hotter because of the humidity, but it actually cools the stones and works against you. Pour from the back of the stones and draw the ladle towards you, so your arm is never in the path of the steam – steam burns are the most common sauna injury. Ask the others in the room before you add water.

The stove itself is operated by our team only. Please do not touch the stove, hearth, flue or stones, and don’t try to adjust the heat. If you would like the sauna to be hotter, ask a member of staff – we are happy to help.

No. Some are flammable, and others are unsafe at sauna temperatures. Our team will always ask your permission before adding oils, and won’t use them if anyone would rather, they didn’t. Tell a team member before you go in if you have an allergy or sensitivity.

Yes, unless you book a private session. Standard sessions are open, mixed spaces shared with other guests. Please keep the noise down and be mindful of other people’s space.

To keep the space calm and respectful for everyone, we ask you to follow our sauna etiquette:

• Always sit on a towel inside the sauna. Please bring two towels with you. One to sit on (which should be large enough for your body and feet) and one to dry yourself with.
• Ask others before adding water. It takes time for the heat to have an effect and too much water kills the fire.
• Be mindful of your noise levels
• Shower before you enter the cold plunge. It helps keep the plunges fresh for everyone.
• Don’t add your own essential oils to the sauna. Adding the wrong essential oils can affect customers’ safety and comfort.
• Stay sober. Entry will be refused for guests who are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other intoxicant.

Saunas can have amazing health benefits when done properly. The main things:

• 5 to 15 minutes at a time, 20 minutes maximum
• Drink plenty of water before and after
• Never touch the stove, hearth, flue or stones
• Never fall asleep in the sauna
• Walk, don’t run – surfaces around the plunge and showers may be slippery
• No smoking or vaping anywhere on site, and no alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants at all

If you feel nauseous, dizzy, faint, headachy, oddly cold, or just strange, come out immediately and tell a member of our team. Don’t tough it out.

Get out into fresh air, then call for the team member on site. Don’t try to move someone who has collapsed on your own – get help.

We have a first aid kit at the office, a defibrillator at the entrance to the property, and our team can direct an ambulance onto the site.

If someone becomes confused or can’t remember where they are or how long they’ve been in, that is a sign of serious heat illness.  Get them out, get them cool, and tell us immediately.

No – neither in the sauna nor anywhere on the sauna site. 

Alcohol and heat together cause fainting, dangerous drops in blood pressure and heart rhythm problems, and they blunt your judgement about when you have had enough heat. 

We will refuse entry to anyone who has been drinking, or under the influence of drugs, and there is no refund or rebooking if we do.

Yes. Every session is attended by a trained member of our team who manages the stove and the fire, monitors temperatures, and keeps the water clean.

They are there to help – but they are not medically trained, and they cannot judge how much heat any individual can take. That decision is yours.