It wasn’t quite a lockdown project although that’s when it began. In 2020 I was in need of a creative project after a series of big life events. The idea took hold when I found myself driving for 2 hours to get to a sauna when the local baths had shut and there were no other public saunas in the Calder Valley at that time. I needed to build one!

I discussed with Jo and Jim, my oldest friends, who instantly got on board and so we began. Firstly looking for a suitable horse trailer, inspired by communities in Estonia who’d built their local saunas out of recycled materials, using anything to hand, such is the imperative need for a local sauna.

We were half way through the build, with a woodfired sauna on the way when I realised I’d never actually been in a wood-fired sauna before! Other sauna folk I’ve discussed this with say this is not so surprising – sauna is in our lineage, our ancestry and it makes sense to us on a cellular level.

I believe it. The physical health benefits of sauna are becoming better evidenced and understood but for me it’s in the emotional benefits where the deepest benefits lie.

Jo and Jim now have their own lovely garden sauna, and if you’d like one too, or one on wheels, you can contact Jim for a quote