Britain is in the middle of a sauna revival. Cold-water swimmers built wood-fired saunas next to the sea, Russian and Eastern European banyas opened in London, and the country rediscovered the Roman bathing tradition that Bath has held continuously since the first century. Our British Curator's Picks span the historic, the seaside, and the urban banya.
"The Romans built Bath. The British are still using it."
Britain's bathing tradition runs through the Roman thermae at Bath, the Victorian Turkish bath revival, the seaside bathing machines, and now the wood-fired barrel saunas that line the country's beaches. The recent boom is driven by cold-water swimmers, who needed somewhere warm to go after.
Our gold list privileges the historically continuous (Roman Baths of Bath), the seaside wave (Beach Box, Seaside Sauna Haus), the London banya tradition (Banya No.1, The Bath House), and the new community-built saunas (Community Sauna Baths, Skuna). Each represents a different strand of the British revival.
Each card below links to a full venue page with hours, access notes, type, and editorial context. Cards are ordered alphabetically.
Banya No.1 - Hoxton is a bathhouse in London, Greater London, UK, offering a steam sauna and a cold plunge.
Beach Box Spa offers a unique sauna spa experience on Brighton Beach, based the Sea Lanes development on Madeira Drive.
Sweat, plunge, and chill at our outdoor sauna in a community garden in Walthamstow. Featuring three saunas, plunge pools, hot showers and good vibes. Book your session now.
My name is Sarah, and I am a lifelong resident of Dorset, deeply connected to our stunning coastline.
Skuna Boats - Floating Sauna Experience in Canary Wharf, London.
The Bath House - Banya London is a bathhouse in London, Greater London, UK, offering a steam sauna.
The Forest Sauna and Plunge in Wareham, Dorset, offers space to relax and unwind in nature, whilst enjoying the countless benefits of traditional wood-fired sauna and cold water therapy.
The only natural thermal spa in Britain you can bathe in, drawing 1.17 million litres a day at 46C from the same source the Romans tapped for Aquae Sulis in AD 70.
Wood-fired luxury mobile sauna touring the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Newgale, Whitesands, Porthclais, Nolton Haven, Broad Haven, Newport). Founded by Scott Chalmers and Richard Lynch.
Saunasto's gold list spans 27 countries. Browse another, or jump to the global index.
The iOS app is free. Curator's Picks are highlighted. Pro adds proximity alerts when you're near a saved venue.