Tucked away in a spacious back garden on the outskirts of Norwich, The Little Heat Retreat invites you to unwind in style with a private sauna. 

I tried out the new experience with my partner and the second I stepped through the side gate into host Amy's garden oasis, with the address given after booking, it was clear that it is a very professional operation.

She guided us down a path lit with fairy lights to a spacious, yet cosy, studio, which you get all to yourselves during your stay. 

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It has a chill-out zone, a bathroom with a toilet and shower and a kitchen stocked with alcohol-free beverages, including beers and kombucha in the fridge, and you just pay for what you drink at the end. 

Norwich Evening News: The Garden Studio at The Little Heat Retreat in NorwichThe Garden Studio at The Little Heat Retreat in Norwich (Image: Louisa Baldwin)

Amy then made us feel at ease as she explained the benefits of saunas and safety guidance and she then left us to experience the retreat.

Once we had changed into swimwear, we jetted up the path to the main attraction at the top of the garden.

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The dimly-lit sauna, which was built in a converted potting shed, wouldn't look out of place in a top spa.

It provided the perfect cold weather antidote and it was also great to have exclusive use of it - I often find saunas awkward with people I don't know. 

Norwich Evening News: Inside the private sauna at The Little Heat Retreat in NorwichInside the private sauna at The Little Heat Retreat in Norwich (Image: The Little Heat Retreat)

The whole retreat was spotlessly clean and there was a menu of sauna aromas you could choose from to pour onto the heat source - we chose orange and citrus. 

We had a two-hour hire and punctuated 20-minute stints in the sauna by using the outdoor cold shower, which was surprisingly refreshing after the heat, and we were also provided with cold flannels. 

It is no surprise that the retreat has turned out so well as host Amy has brought many spaces to life in Norwich, including The Gin Palace in 2014 which had the feel of a 1920s speakeasy. 

After two hours we left feeling relaxed and slept very well that night.

Prices start at £70 for up to six people for an hour, with massage and firepit packages also available.

There is an opening offer of 20pc off with discount code 'relax20', with bookings through thelittleheatretreat.co.uk