Review: Cowshed Clarendon Cross

Cosy and peaceful with a chilled out vibe, Cowshed is the perfect place to forget urban stresses and unwind

I won't dance around the subject: my feet have issues. While one plays host to psoriasis, the other is probably entertaining eczema. It's no party being in my shoes, and feet-related treatments can provoke extreme anxiety and wincing on both my part and, I imagine, the therapist's. Nevertheless, they must be dealt with, and the lovely team at Cowshed Clarendon Cross were entrusted with this task on a sunny Sunday morning.

Tucked away in tranquil Holland Park, this branch of Cowshed's global spa collection is blissfully homey. Pedi panic fizzled away as I sipped tea at the farmhouse-style dining table, leafing through the Sunday supplements and drooling over the blueberry pancakes being flipped on the AGA. Not even the registration questionnaire could faze me; this is one seriously chilled-out spa shed.

Sinking into a huge recliner for the Ultimate Cowshed Pedicure (£55 for 75 minutes), I placed my feet into the hands of my expert pedicurist. My unkempt soles were trimmed, filed and buffed to perfection before being wrapped in a skin-softening mask.

While it worked its magic, my therapist asked me to smell both a lime and a lavender oil and tell her which one most appealed. I chose the zingy lime, and the non-greasy potion was massaged into my scalp and shoulders until I reached a stage of deep Zen. My hair wasn't looking quite so serene - but on a Sunday, who cares?

The 75-minute treatment continued with a soothing leg and foot massage, in which my therapist took care to avoid the throbbing bruise on my shin - below the knees I am, admittedly, a disaster zone.

You would never have guessed this by the end of the pedicure, however, as my feet were astonishingly smooth and my lilac toes were unrecognisable. A week on, they still are. I will certainly be returning, especially as any spa that sells muffins as well as massages is my kind of refuge.

Anna Hunter