Spas for summer wallets

Summer tends to leave me with a desperately minimal cash flow and, weirdly, a desperate need to unwind. Maybe it's all those long social evenings and summer weddings. Whatever it is, a spa is in order and it has to be a cheap one!

Cucumba
Being stuck in the hubub of London's Oxford Circus day in day out has a way of wearing down even the most stoic commuter. Cucumba offer a sanctuary in which to escape with 10-minute, quick fix treatments such as a relaxing hand and arm massage or 'baby skin' facial for a bargain £12.50. If you have longer, try the SuperDuper Full Body Deep Tissue Massage at £56 for an hour; or, if you're really feeling weary, a Sleeping Beauty - a treatment that combines a massage with time in the glorious sounding Snooze Booth (£56 per hour).

Alton Towers Hotel Spa
If I had kids, this is where I'd be! They can go mental on the rides while you head for the spa. A full day pamper package includes full use of the Aqua Relaxation Rooms (which comes with a Roman sauna, steam room, pool, hot tub and foot reflexology bath) one treatment and a light lunch - it all comes in at £70 mid-week, £75 at the weekends.

Harrogate Turkish Baths
This Turkish baths is council run, but utterly lovely. It's all about the ancient use of hot and cold here. The spa recommends you move from the steam room to the ice cold plunge pool before making your way through three heated rooms: Tepidarium (warm), Calidarium (hot) and Laconium (hottest). Spa sessions range from a wallet friendly £12.50 to £18.