Champneys is an English country house and its associated estate near Tring, Hertfordshire. The mansion is run as a

destination spa A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge an ...

by a business using "Champneys" as the

brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

for a group of spa resorts and day spas.

History

The earliest record of an estate associated with the Champneys name is in 1307. It appears in the

Tring Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked to ...

manor court rolls for 1514. It was owned by successive landowning families in the Wigginton, Hertfordshire and surrounding area between the 14th and 19th centuries, although for a short period around 1535 it is recorded as owned by

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry ...

, Archbishop of Canterbury. The grounds and original house were inherited in 1871 by the Rev. Arthur Sutton Valpy. He replaced the original building by the current French Second Empire styled house built in 1874 which stood in extensive grounds. In 1900 Champneys was sold to Lady Rothschild; the family had owned nearby

Tring Park Mansion Tring Park Mansion or Mansion House, Tring Park, is a large country house in Tring, Hertfordshire. The house, as "Tring Park", was used, and from 1872 owned, by members of the Rothschild family from 1838 to 1945. The mansion and its immediate g ...

since 1872. In 1925 Stanley Lief (1890–1962), a pioneer in the field of

naturopathy Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as natur ...

, bought Champneys, converting it into a Nature Cure resort which he ran from the 1930s for about 20 years. Champneys at Tring continued as a health resort with varying degrees of success, latterly under the ownership of a Middle Eastern consortium, until it was bought by Stephen Purdew in 2002. The house with associated buildings is set in landscaped grounds of around .

The business group

Champneys is the brand name of a

group, comprising four spa resorts, two hotels and six day spas owned by the Purdew family. The first spa in the group was Henlow Grange. Others include Eastwell Manor and

Mottram Hall Mottram Hall (also known as Mottram New Hall or the Mottram Hall Hotel) is a former country house to the northeast of the village of Mottram St. Andrew, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated ...

. In 2004, £150,000 was raised for Breast Cancer Care, Tommy's Charity and the Disability Foundation were supported in 2006, raising a combined sum of £100,000. The Champneys Charitable Foundation was registered with the Charity Commission on 31 May 2006. In July 2011, Sir Paul Stephenson,

Metropolitan Police Commissioner The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service. Sir Mark Rowley was appointed to the post on 8 July 2022 after Dame Cressida Dick announced her resignation in February. The rank of Commission ...

, resigned over a stay at Champneys Tring, part of which had been a gift from Stephen Purdew, and in an interview in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' in August the same year, Purdew explained that certain clients receive discounts on the basis of their celebrity status or if they are journalists or hold high-ranking positions in public office: "These rugby players are paying but they're coming on a concession rate because it's just making the place buzz. We do that with actors and journalists and dignitaries. It makes Champneys 'The Place'." In 2020 ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'' gave Champneys an award for the year's "worst customer service" after it denied customers refunds for bookings cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, despite a contractual clause guaranteeing refunds for cancellations due to exceptional circumstances, then closed its phone lines.

Television

In 2014, Champneys Tring was the subject of an ITV documentary by Richard Macer.

References

External links

Champneys Company Website

Champneys Beauty College Website
{{coord, 51.77106, N, 0.63436, W, region:GB-BKM_type:landmark, display=title Hotel chains in the United Kingdom Hotel spas Hotels in Hertfordshire Rothschild family residences