They have already transformed their ancestral home into a luxury hotel, Now the Cunliffe-Listers have added a spa. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings reports.

THERE was a great deal of work to do when Swinton Park at Masham came back into the Cunliffe-Lister family.

From 1975 to 1997, the imposing house set in acres of expansive parkland was owned and run as a management training centre by Lindley Lodge following its sale in the 1970s.

But the house and parkland in North Yorkshire returned to the family in May 2000, when Mark and Felicity Cunliffe-Lister bought back the ancestral home with other members of their family. They set about refurbishing Swinton and opened it as a luxury hotel in March 2001. Now its transformation is complete with the addition of a spa and treatment rooms.

The spa's official launch is on Monday, but Felicity says it has already proved popular with guests and locals.

"It's a nice way for people to enjoy the hotel," she says, taking me through to the spa. "We wanted to do it in keeping with what we have so we didn't want anything too wildly contemporary, we just wanted it to be light and comfortable."

It is certainly that. The spa is situated in a glass-roofed conservatory packed with lush vegetation which leads to a bedecked area featuring a Jacuzzi pool. Tropical greenery curves around the wooden banister to a relaxation area featuring sun loungers, a sauna and fluffy white dressing gowns and towels.

Guests can enjoy total privacy in the spa, with exclusive access booked by the hour. It is also subject to a maximum of four guests at a time, which means it does not become overcrowded. The spa is open to non-residents via a number of special package days, including the day package where you can relax in the spa, enjoy a treatment and have lunch in the hotel for £65 per person.

From the spa, you are collected and taken to one of four, calming treatment rooms, where there is a range of luxurious treatments for the face, body and mind, from intensive, nutrient-boosting facials to aromatherapy massages, costing from £30 to £60. There is also a comprehensive beauty selection such as manicures, pedicures, make-up, tanning and waxing.

Complementary therapies, include LaStone Therapy (£65 for 75 minutes) using warmed volcanic rocks and cool marble stones to soothe away life's stresses; reflexology, reiki and HOPI ear candles.

For the men there are treatments such as the Sportsman's Massage, Hydra Performance - a rehydrating facial - and the Anti-age Performance to combat wrinkles.

I opted for the Aromatic Beauty Touch (£50 for 55 minutes), an anti-stress oxygenating treatment which left my skin glowing thanks to a combination of essential oils and aromatic flower extracts containing lavender, iris, lily and rose. My neck and stressed shoulders were also given a wonderful massage as part of the treatment, which was carried out by therapist Jane McPherson. Jane runs the spa while husband Andrew is general manager at the hotel. The couple came to Swinton from the famous Skibo Castle, in the Scottish Highlands, where Madonna and film director Guy Ritchie were married.

Jane chose the Comfort Zone range of products from Italy for the treatments, a luxurious, wonderful-smelling range featuring a number of ingredients to combat the signs of ageing, sun exposure, pollution and the damage done by free radicals.

With the spa up and running, the transformation from its former status as a management training centre is now complete. But Felicity says they are not resting on their laurels. "Actually we're getting to the stage now where we're refurbishing," she says. "But the spa is a great addition to the hotel."

* For more information on the spa or to book a day package priced £65 contact (01765) 680900 or log onto www.swintonpark.com.