The Hidden Sauna, a pleasant surprise at the Smyth family farm
Harry Smyth, who made the best out of a bad situation creating the Hidden Sauna, fuelled by wood impacted by ash dieback at the family farm at Bridgefield, Castlemartyr.
If you go down to the woods today at Bridgefield Castlemartyr, Co Cork, you are in for a big surprise.
At the hidden sanctuary on the Smyth family farm, you will be met by welcoming committee Amy Winehouse and Rainey.
Who are the residents taking in the beautiful, tranquil surroundings?
“They are our mother and daughter Alpaca duo, Amy Winehouse and Rainey. People love to pet them!”
Harry Smyth, who decided to make the best out of a bad situation, creating the Hidden Sauna that is fuelled by wood impacted by ash dieback, has a welcome on the mat too.
“I came up with the idea of using the wood surplus as a fuel for a sauna on the family land,” says Harry, 27.
What inspired him to come up with this gem of an idea?
“I lived in Canada, in Whistler, on the mountainside famous for skiing and snowboarding,” says Harry.
“The sauna community there was like a little village where people embraced the great outdoors and the use of plunge pools and saunas.” The benefits of using a sauna are well-documented.
Getting your sweat on supercharges your cell power, promotes good sleep, reduces stress, improves circulation, and relaxes the muscles.
“The Hidden Sauna is a passion project constantly evolving with inspiration from Jeremy Clarkson's Scandinavian Spa in Canada,” says Harry, who is an animal lover as well as a nature lover.
“The spa there was also a place for rescue animals to live free with sauna bathers. It was really cool.”
Visitors to the Hidden Sauna that include families, groups of friends, GAA teams, office workers, shift workers, long daily commuters, who switch off, sweat it out and reset, love to feel the soft white woolly coats of the friendly alpacas.
“Amy and Rainey love being petted and they love the attention,” says Harry, who has recently completed a second sauna, a 30- person wood-fired sauna sitting right over the river Dower.
His original 12-man barrel sauna complete with cold plunge pool is nearly always occupied. That is no surprise, considering herbal teas are on tap and pizza delivery is on the menu.
“Soon we’ll have the 2-degree Celsius chiller cold plunges operating behind the new sauna,” says Harry.
“They can be used as hot tubs on request.”
Harry has thought outside the box.
“We host weekly sauna rituals run by sauna masters Anitta and Susu. They are trained professionals who lead sauna sessions, often called ‘steam rituals’, says Harry.
“They enhance the experience by managing heat and humidity, using essential oils for aromatherapy and employing techniques like towel waving to distribute steam.” What does that do?
“It’s like a choreographed sensory-focused and often, artistic wellness experience,” says Harry.
“Often soft music, candles, and mood lighting is incorporated.” Fun is incorporated too.
“For sure!” says Harry, laughing.
“We have a mix and gathersome bunch using the sauna regularly. Tonight, 25 spots are already booked for the sauna. It’s like a social hub, a special meet-up venue hidden in the depths of nature.”
Why is the Hidden Sauna so popular?
“Going to the sauna allows you to detach from the busy world we live in nowadays and gives you some time out,” says Harry.
“The sauna is very relaxing.”
Harry wants to capitalise further on his natural surroundings in Bridgefield, which is also his home, where he lives with his parents.
“I want to create a beautiful rustic setting, and I want to plant an olive garden,” says Harry.
“Eventually, I want to introduce glamping and hope to host small wedding parties too.” What else?
“A chicken house palace!” says Harry.
Harry, who grew up in the thick of the countryside, recalls idyllic summers.
“I was down looking at the trees in the forest in a patch I had trimmed as a child. I used to go down in summers when I was 9,10, and 12, and trim the side branches so that the trees grew better and did not grow outward and it stops them from staying shorter,” says Harry.
“My dad, John, thought it was a great idea, and he has always been very supportive of me.”
Dad rolled up his sleeves and mucked in to help his son create a little piece of heaven on the family farm.
“The ash tree forest, part of the family beef farm, was to have formed a big part of my dad’s pension,” says Harry.
“The amount of holes me and my dad dug out for everything around the site was tough going. It felt like we dug out more soil than the Eurotunnel to be honest!”
The Hidden Sauna, created lovingly from the ground up, has all the bells and whistles.
“Here, there is a coffee caravan serving Bell coffee. People take their coffee to the veranda to chat and catch up. Most of the impressive structures you can see here on-site were built by carpenter Mark Foley who is very talented and was a great help in realising my vision.”
Some people like Mondays.
“People want to sweat out the excesses they indulged in over the weekend,” says Harry laughing.
Harry, making his mark as a young innovative entrepreneur on home ground, doesn’t want to leave a carbon footprint.
“I have plans for all the electricity that will be used 100% by solar panels and so no carbon footprint,” says Harry.
“As I take the dying timber from our forest, I will be resetting other areas with native Irish trees, so we have circular economy.”
Harry is intent on promoting the wellness and the feelgood benefits of the sauna.
“The Japanese have an expression, ‘Shinrin-yoku’ which translates to forest bathing. It invites you to take a break from your busy life and connect with nature.”
Harry is keen to invite people to take a break from their hectic lifestyles, from their routine, to come and seek out his man-made wellness haven in east Cork, to be introduced to his friendly alpaca duo, and to chill out and relax, knows and likes that he is on the right track.
“What’s not to like”?
- Hidden Sauna Bridgefield Castlemartyr Co. Cork. P25 PH93 Call: 087-676 2131 Instagram: thehiddensauna
