Below the surface
A bathhouse built for the rain
Wrenmouth sees rain on two days out of three, so we stopped waiting for it to stop. Pluvia is six waters under one stone roof, open to the weather where it counts: you float outside while it pours, then come in to the steam, the cold and the quiet.
- Waters
- 6
- From cold to steam
- 10–45°C
- A standard soak
- 2hrs
- House rule
- Hush
The waters
Six waters, four temperatures
Fed by a mineral spring under the hill and warmed by the old boiler house. Every pool is open for every session; go in any order you like, or follow the ritual below.
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37°C
The Mineral Pool
The long outdoor pool under the arches, rich in the spring's own minerals and warm as a bath. Where most visits begin and end.
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40°C
The Copper Pool
A round, deep pool lined in hammered copper, with lamps overhead and a ledge to sit on. The first heat of the ritual for most.
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10°C
The Cold Plunge
Spring water straight from the hill, chest deep, with a rail and three steps down. In for a breath or two, then out again.
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45°C
The Cedar Steam Room
Three tiers of cedar benches in a thick, soft steam, warmest at the top. Lie down, close your eyes, and count slowly.
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18–38°C
The Rain Room
Four showers that fall like four kinds of weather: a fine mist, warm summer rain, a heavy storm and a cold cloudburst. Pull the chain you want.
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24°C air
The Quiet Room
Heated stone loungers, wool blankets and a tall window onto the rain. No talking, no phones, no clock on the wall.
The ritual
Heat, cold, rest. Again.
The old bathhouse circuit, the way the town has always done it. There's no wrong way round, but this is the order the water was built for. Scroll through a round.
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01 Heat
Warm through, slowly
Ten to fifteen minutes in the cedar steam or the copper pool. Sit low if it's your first time, higher if you know the heat. Leave when you've had enough, not when the timer says so.
Cedar Steam 45° · Copper Pool 40°
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02 Cold
A short, bright cold
Straight into the cold plunge for a breath or two, or stand under the cloudburst in the rain room. Shorter is fine. Breathe out slowly as you go in.
Cold Plunge 10° · Rain Room cloudburst
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03 Rest
Lie down and let it settle
Wrap up and take a lounger in the quiet room for fifteen minutes or so. Drink a glass of water from the spring tap. This is the part people skip, and the part they remember.
Quiet Room 24° · Spring-water tap
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04 Again
Two or three rounds
Most guests go round two or three times in a two-hour soak, then finish with a long float in the mineral pool, out in the rain. Go at your own pace; the water will wait.
Finish in the Mineral Pool 37°
Sessions & prices
Choose your time in the water
Every session includes all six waters, a robe, two towels, slippers and a locker. Weekends are Friday to Sunday.
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Most booked
The two-hour soak
$48 per person
- Any time we're open, every half hour
- All six waters and the full ritual
- Herbal tea in the quiet room
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After dark
The evening session
$62 per person
- Two and a half hours from 7 pm, by lamplight
- Fewer guests, softer voices
- A small bowl of broth and bread to finish
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For two
The private bath
$180 for two
- Ninety minutes in the old boiler room
- Your own copper tub, steam and cold shower
- Then the shared waters for an hour
Memberships
For the regulars. Book up to two weeks ahead, bring a friend at half price, and skip the queue on a wet Saturday.
- Drizzle
- $120 a month
- Four soaks
- Downpour
- $210 a month
- Any session, any day
Treatments
Warm hands, slow time
Booked alongside any session, in four small rooms off the steam corridor. Prices are per person, and your soak carries on afterwards.
From the guest book
Notes left on the steamy mirror
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Walked up from the ferry soaked to the skin and grumpy. Walked back down two hours later and didn't notice it was still raining.
Ines, a Tuesday in March
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The cold plunge is a terrible idea right up until you get out. Then it's the best idea I've had all year.
Tomas, first visit
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We came for the evening session. Lamps, rain on the copper pool, nobody talking. I'd have stayed till morning.
Ruth & Ade, an anniversary
Bookings
Book a soak
Pick a day, a session and a time. Places are held for fifteen minutes after your start time, and you can move or cancel up to 24 hours before.
- Robe, towels, slippers and a locker included
- Ages 16 and up; family mornings Saturdays 8–10 am
- Walk-ins welcome when there's space
Booking for six or more? Call (555) 013-4417
Booking held
See you in the steam.
A sample confirmation: nothing was sent and no places were really held.
Visiting
Hours, house rules and the way up
Opening hours
Open daily
| Monday | 7 am – 10 pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 7 am – 10 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 am – 10 pm |
| Thursday | 7 am – 10 pm |
| Friday | 7 am – 11 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am – 11 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am – 9 pm |
Last entry two hours before closing. Evening sessions from 7 pm. Closed December 25.
Finding us
14 Cistern Lane, Wrenmouth. Five minutes uphill from the ferry pier; follow the steam. Six parking spaces behind the boiler house, and a covered rack for bikes.
House rules
- i. Shower before you step into any water.
- ii. Speak softly everywhere; not at all in the quiet room.
- iii. Phones stay in the lockers. There are clocks by the pools.
- iv. Swimwear in the pools, a towel to sit on in the steam.
- v. Drink water between rounds; there's a spring tap by every pool.
- vi. Ages 16 and up, except family mornings on Saturdays.
What to bring
- Swimwear
- A hair tie
- A water bottle, if you like
We'll have ready
A robe, two towels, slippers, a locker, shampoo, oat soap, hair dryers, herbal tea and the spring tap.
Questions
Do I need to book?
We hold about two thirds of each half hour for bookings and keep the rest for walk-ins, so you can often just turn up on a weekday. Rainy Saturdays fill early; book ahead for those.
What if it's raining?
It usually is, and the outdoor pools are at their best in it. The covered walkway connects everything, and there are dry robes waiting by the doors.
Is the heat and cold right for everyone?
Not always. If you're pregnant or have a health condition, check with your doctor before you come, and let the front desk know: we'll point you to the gentler waters. Go at your own pace, and leave any room whenever you like.
Can I come on my own?
Plenty of guests do. The quiet room was made for it, and the evening session is lovely alone.
Is Pluvia accessible?
There's step-free entry, a hoist and a sloped entry on the mineral pool, rails on the cold plunge, and an accessible changing room with its own shower. Call ahead and we'll have everything ready.
Can I move or cancel a booking?
Yes, free of charge up to 24 hours before your start time. After that we'll gladly move you to another day.
Gift cards
Give someone a rainy afternoon
Gift cards from $50, good for any session or treatment and valid for two years. Pick one up at the front desk, or call and we'll post it in a wax-sealed envelope.