Silverlake Unveils New Firefly Spa & Restaurant: Dorset's Ultimate Wilderness Wellness Destination

A lakeside pool, ESPA treatments, wild swimming and seasonal dining arrive on the water’s edge at Silverlake estate, Dorset

Silverlake, Habitat First Group’s award-winning private lakeside estate in the heart of Dorset, has unveiled The Firefly Spa & Restaurant, its largest investment and most ambitious wellness offering to date. Marking the  opening, Silverlake has revealed the first imagery of the completed spa, alongside its full ESPA treatment menu and seasonal Firefly restaurant menu. Set on the shores of one of the estate's freshwater lakes, Firefly will welcome the wider Dorset community to Silverlake for the first time, alongside homeowners and guests.

Inspired by the concept of "wilderness wellness," The Firefly Spa & Restaurant feels distinctly different from a traditional spa experience, centred on an alfresco approach. Guests are invited to unwind at their own pace, moving seamlessly between water, heat, cold therapy and the natural landscape. At its heart, a 25-metre heated pool stretches out along the water's edge, framed by a sauna and cold plunge, lakeside treatment rooms and a relaxation yurt - a rarely seen touch in UK spa design. Guests can also enjoy wild swimming, as well as more active watersports such as paddleboarding and kayaking.

CEO Red Paxton said: “With Firefly, we wanted to be ambitious in creating a luxury spa destination that is not only set within nature, but genuinely brings guests closer to it. A morning might begin with a swim in the lake, move into a restorative treatment, and end with a seasonal meal overlooking the water. Our wilderness wellness concept is about combining the comfort and quality guests expect from a luxury destination with the powerful restorative benefits of being outdoors. It’s an approach that is still relatively new in UK spa design and we’re so proud to be opening its doors to the community this week”.

In partnership with ESPA, the Firefly Spa reinforces the connection with the surrounding landscape. Treatment rooms overlook the lake, and the menu is built around genuine restoration that can be tailored to individual needs, rather than quick fixes. Guests can choose from treatments such as the ESPA Active Nutrients Glow Facial, ESPA Hot Stone Massage or a Pre-Natal Relax & Restore treatment for expectant mothers, alongside a range of express treatments for those short on time. Therapists always assess guests’ skin, lifestyle habits and overall wellbeing before recommending a treatment. Afterwards, guests are invited to unwind further in the relaxation yurt, a quiet, contemplative space set apart from the main spa, complete with comfortable seating and restorative refreshments to fully recover from treatment.

Overlooking the water, the Firefly Restaurant has also introduced its first seasonal menu under Two AA Rosette awarded Chef Patron Paul Clarke. Bringing a wealth of expertise to the kitchen, Paul’s cooking is inspired by both land and sea, rooted in seasonality, and centred around locally sourced ingredients - with every dish prepared from scratch. Guests can see the open kitchen from their tables, offering a glimpse into the craftsmanship, precision and care Paul and his team bring to every plate. As Silverlake is close to the Dorset Jurassic Coast, fresh, locally sourced seafood sits at the centre of the menu. Small plates designed for sharing include Portland crab crumpet and Lyme Bay scallops in shell, and signature evening dishes include a 12oz Aurox sirloin of beef and Dorset cider-steamed mussels, finished with desserts from a salted olive oil and chocolate mousse to a selection of Jude's Ice Cream.

The Firefly Spa & Restaurant is a pioneering nature-led wellness destination, reflecting Habitat First Group's wider vision across its estates - from Silverlake in Dorset to Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswolds – centred on outdoor living, wellbeing and connection to nature. Fittingly, Firefly's name is as much a reflection of Silverlake's history as it is of its landscape, paying tribute to the site's unique past. Beneath Silverlake lies the former RAF Warmwell, a Second World War fighter station once home to the Fairey Firefly aircraft. Today, where engines once hummed across the Dorset countryside, fireflies dance along the water's edge on summer evenings.

For the Paxton family, owners of Habitat First Group, the launch of Firefly Spa & Restaurant marks a significant milestone. Since Silverlake was established in 2011, it has been imagined, shaped and evolved by Red, Rory and Ruby Paxton, building on the vision first established by their father, Jeremy Paxton, with Lower Mill Estate.

Looking ahead, a second phase of the wellness offering is planned for 2027, including a dedicated gym to further enhance the estate's health and fitness facilities. Three 22kW electric vehicle chargers will also be installed on site, supporting more sustainable travel for visitors.

HOW: For more information, please visit https://www.fireflysilverlake.com / www.silverlakedorset.com / 0333 241 6616 

• Treatments at Firefly Spa start from £55 for a 30-minute express treatment

• Dining at Firefly Restaurant starts from £7 for starters and £21 for mains

• A limited number of Firefly Spa Founding Memberships are still available, starting from £1,200 per year for local residents, with exclusive pricing tiers available for Silverlake homeowners

• Holiday let prices start from £579 for a two-night stay in a two-bedroom property at Silverlake Estate

• Freehold holiday homeownership prices at Silverlake Estate start from £333,000 under the co-ownership scheme.