16th March 2026 - The UK could soon be rivalling Finland and Norway for their sauna culture and Kent is leading the way with the UK's largest beach spa in Folkestone opening its doors to the public on Saturday 14th March.    

According to research, the UK is on course to become Europe's largest market for saunas by 2033.1   Sea Scrub Sauna's custom-built offer at Folkestone Harbour Arm, the bustling food, drink and leisure destination less than an hour from London by train, is sure to be top of the list for sea swimming and sauna enthusiasts, on the hunt for their next experience.  

Whether you're a seasoned sauna goer or a curious novice, everyone is welcome at this state-of-the-art beach spa, which is set directly on the shingle with uninterrupted views across the English Channel.  Visitors can expect a large-scale, immersive wellness experience combining heat and cold contrast therapy, with a Japanese Onsen inspired wellness café.    

Inside the Spa  

Two eco-friendly wood-fired saunas form the heart of the spa:    

The Scandinavian Sauna: A purpose-built Aufguss sauna from one of Scandinavia's most respected makers. The U-shaped interior fits up to 16, with the bench, framed by a small window above, facing the glass front of the sauna for uninterrupted sea views.  The wood-burning stove throws a deep, even heat. This is a sauna designed to perform session after session, in all weathers, exactly as it should.  

Shepherds Hut Sauna: Built by local hands in Kent, this is a truly unique and characterful seaside sauna, wood-fired, compact, and sitting right on the seafront. The kind of sauna that feels like it was made for this exact spot.  

The Plunge Pools  

It's the two large scale, purpose-built plunge pools that are at the heart of what makes Folkestone's beach spa unique. With each pool large enough to host multiple groups of bathers at the same time, experience the shared grimace, the collective exhale & the conversation that follows - it's the oldest part of Nordic bathing culture. Both plunge pools are temperature controlled for true cold-water therapy; one pool is chilled for the adventurous and the other is ambient so that everyone can get the full experience.  

The Hot Tub  

The hot tub with jacuzzi jets rounds off the experience allowing guests to relax even further. Positioned between the two plunge pools, with panoramic views of the shoreline it is an ideal spot for a post work unwind.   

Guests can pick their preference of sauna when booking which also includes access to both cold plunges and hot tub.  

The Event Space  

With an event space built into the site, the Folkestone spa could host everything from Aufguss masterclasses and seasonal celebrations to private wellness days and yoga classes. From spacious changing rooms to warm showers, the whole thing has been designed for people who want to stay a while.   

The Japanese Onsen Inspired Menu  

A Japanese themed wellness café is part of the set-up to ensure guests who have worked up an appetite can refuel and the Japanese lunch menu is no accident. Japan and Scandinavia share more than most people realise; a deep reverence for ritual bathing, for slowing down, for the restorative power of heat and cold. The café brings those two traditions together completing the spa's holistic, restorative experience. From morning coffee to post-plunge espresso martinis, the café is open throughout the day.  

Come for a session, stay for lunch, leave feeling like a different person.  

Robin Bartlett, Co-founder of Sea Scrub Sauna, said:  

“We're seeing an exciting shift in the UK from exclusive, high-end spa, to more accessible, communal, and "wild" sauna experiences and it's brilliant to be part of this.  We can't wait to welcome new faces and grow a community of sauna enthusiasts in Folkestone, from regular locals to intrepid day trippers and holidaymakers.  The views from the sauna are simply breathtaking.”  

Paulo Kingston-Correia, General Manager at Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company, said:  

“Working with Sea Scrub Sauna, we have developed our most potent expression yet of our mission to reinvent the English seaside experience - the UK's largest beach spa has opened at Folkestone Harbour Arm. As well as returning to our roots as a sought-after destination for restorative breaks in the Victorian era, wellness experiences are now available to our visitors for the first time.”       

How to Book  

Sea Scrub Sauna Folkestone is open: Mondays: 4:30pm – 8:30pm, Wednesday – Sunday 8:30am – 8:30pm and closed on Tuesdays. One-off sessions can be booked online, priced from £20 for non-members or £17 for Annual Members for a one-hour social visit.  

To book, visit https://seascrubsauna.co.uk/folkestone/.  Children over 5 years and under 16 are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Private family sessions are available to book.  

Sea Scrub Sauna memberships offer the best value for regular visitors. Bronze Memberships start from £30 per month and include four credits for one-hour weekday sessions. Silver and Gold membership tiers as well as Annual memberships are also available.  

Follow @seascrubsauna on Instagram.  

The beach spa will be the newest addition to the popular food, drink and leisure destination at the harbour, which marked 10 Years in 2025 since it was transformed from a derelict former ferry port by Sir Roger De Haan.  It has been continuously developed to accommodate many independent businesses. Today it plays host to a large outdoor screen with regular free cinema programme and street food vendors in The Goods Yard, 11 restaurants and bars with indoor seating, a social gaming venue, a 12-hole adventure golf course on the beach and a boardwalk linking the Harbour to the Leas Lift and Shoreline Folkestone, the first phase of the seafront development.    

Ends 

For information, please contact Sam Beeny sam@sharprelations.com or  

Clare Pope clare@sharprelations.com 

Link to hi-res images: FHA Beach Spa 1MB+ for press 

Link to map: Folkestone Harbour Sea Scrub Sauna MAP.pdf  

Editors Notes:    

Source: Grand View Research 2025 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/sauna-market/uk  

About Folkestone Harbour   

Folkestone Harbour celebrated 10 years in 2025 since its transformation from a derelict ferry port under the vision of Sir Roger De Haan.  It is reinventing the English seaside experience with a beautiful, buzzing promenade, indoor and outdoor places to eat and drink, and a world class-view of the English Channel. The site boasts a rich heritage and distinctive charm and, thanks to regeneration and investment, is now home to a growing collection of independent businesses. It has become a destination for food, drink, and entertainment in Kent. Just under an hour from London by train    

Folkestone was named 'The UK's Best Place to Visit in 2025' by Time Out Magazine and 'Best Place to Live in the Southeast 2024' by The Sunday Times    

About Sea Scrub Sauna  

Sea Scrub Sauna was founded by cousins Robin Bartlett, a cold-water swimmer and volunteer for the RNLI, and Luke Sinclair, who lives in Oslo, Norway amid a recent resurgence of sauna culture.   

Their shared love of water and wild places took them far from home. They dived into Andean rivers and soaked in Amazonian hot springs across South America, before life pulled them in separate directions through Asia, Europe, and beyond. It was on the Norwegian fjords, braving icy swims and warming up in handmade floating saunas, that the idea crystallised: bring the restorative power of Scandinavian sauna culture back to the British coast.  

They have helped to pioneer Scandinavian sauna culture across Kent with a distinctly British coastal twist, in Margate, Whitstable and Faversham. The Folkestone beach spa is their largest site so far.  

Sea Scrub Sauna combines the soothing warmth of Scandinavian sauna culture with the timeless charm of the British seaside.  

Inspired by the Norwegian fjords' floating saunas and the invigorating tradition of cold-water swimming in the UK, Sea Scrub Sauna is dedicated to creating inclusive, high-quality sauna experiences in stunning coastal locations around Kent and beyond.