The Rise of the Sauna
Studland Sauna Hut
Knoll Beach, Swanage
@studlandsaunahut
Revive Wild Sauna
Bowleaze Coveway, Weymouth
@revivewildsauna
The Forest Sauna
Happy River, Wareham
@theforestsauna
Shoreline Sauna
Marine Parade, Lyme Regis
@shorelinesauna
Seaside Sauna Haus
Seatown Beach, Bridport
@seasidesaunahaus
The Saltwater Sauna
Sandbanks Beach, Poole
@thesaltwatersauna
Discover the heartwarming resurgence of traditional sauna culture across Dorset. From standalone converted huts, horse-boxes, caravans and wagons, here's our guide to finding both physical rejuvenation and vibrant community connection on your doorstep. Words by Francesca Hughes and illustration by Izzy Weds.
There are now over 70 “authentic saunas” across the UK according to the British Sauna Society, and here in Dorset we have six of our own standalone saunas, spanning the countryside and coastline. As well as the plentiful physical and mental benefits of a wood-fired steam, the community impact of stripping down to swimwear and sweating it out with a few strangers is making saunas the new social hotspot.
Saunas have long been a feature of leisure centres and spas, but the last decade has seen a particular surge across the UK of independent, Scandinavian-style saunas in converted huts, horse-boxes, caravans and wagons popping up along waterfronts and around the woods. In Dorset, the search for a sauna could take you to some of our best beaches and natural beauty spots including Purbeck views at Studland Hut Sauna or from Sandbanks’ Saltwater Sauna, marina lookouts at Lyme Regis’ Shoreline Sauna, woodland clearings in Wareham’s Forest Sauna, or shingle beaches at Revive Wild Sauna in Weymouth and Seatown’s Seaside Sauna.
And saunas aren’t just for sightseeing; regular use can encourage improved sleep and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety and cardiovascular disease. As the health benefits of saunas are best experienced by contrasting the heat with coldness, a sauna session perfectly complements a dash to the sea-making saunas popular with the local sea swimming community as well as enticing non-swimmers throughout the colder, gloomier months with a cosy and invigorating way to warm up whatever the weather.
Sauna use achieves the same cardiovascular benefits as going to the gym but offers a great accessible option for those with less mobility, making the sauna scene particularly inclusive. Besides the copious health and wellbeing benefits, saunas are providing an important social function. In communal sauna slots, the small, intimate spaces and lack of clothing and phones creates a naturally welcoming and non-judgemental social environment. As an accessible space for all ages and body types, each stripped down to swimwear together and bonded by the intensity of the experience, saunas create camaraderie and community.
With loneliness increasing - now officially deemed a global health concern by the World Health Organisation and recognised by the NHS as especially prevalent during the cold British winters - healthy, accessible community spaces are needed more than ever. Research shows that the health impacts of loneliness include sleep problems, impaired cognitive health, depression and stress. Local, communal saunas could therefore ease both the physical and mental health symptoms associated with loneliness and also create communities that bring a variety of people together. With the various different types and locations across Dorset, and the likelihood of more to come, there is a sauna for everyone.
