There is something so gorgeously self indulgent about outdoor bathing. Seriously, what can compare to slipping into a beautifully fragranced cast iron bathtub on a warm evening, while a cool gentle breeze laps your wet skin and nature chirps and rustles around you?
There is no denying that an outdoor cast iron bath is a wonderful alternative to a hot tub. Aesthetically, it’s much more appealing to have a beautifully painted claw foot bath nestled in your garden, surrounded by trees and herbs.
A glorious place to sample the delights of outdoor bathing is La Rosa Campsite Extraordinaire. As the name suggests, La Rosa is quite extraordinary. Situated near Whitby in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, it is twenty acres of vintage heaven set in an area of outstanding beauty.
Built entirely from recycled, reclaimed and found objects, the site is populated with classic, vintage and Roma caravans. Within this magical land of kitsch nostalgia, hidden in a secluded orchard, you’ll find a roll top cast iron bath.
Amanda Boorman, who runs the site in conjunction with La Rosa Hotel in Whitby, said, “We decided to put an outdoor cast iron bath at the campsite as an alternative to the more modern hot tub. As the campsite is based on vintage and reclaimed objects, we felt this was more fitting to the ethos and aesthetic.
“We also had a perfect spot for it in amongst some trees, close to the water supply and with a nice view over the valley. Guests love the outdoor bath a lot. We have fitted fairy lights in the trees above it so it is really magical at night. Its biggest fans are children who get very giddy!”
Of course, you don’t need as much space as Amanda to enjoy a cast iron bath outdoors. Your garden might be the ideal place. There are some practical considerations to work through, though it needn’t be very complicated.
If neighbouring houses overlook your garden, you may wish to position the roll top next to a wall or under some trees where you can enjoy your soak undisturbed. If neither of these options are available to you, you can construct a canopy or a partition that works with the overall design of the bathing area.
Then there is the question of filling the bath. In an ideal world, we’d all be able to collect rain water and let the sun warm it for us. However, here in the UK, if you want to use the bath more than say three times a year you’ll need direct access to a more conventional hot water supply.
Ideally you’ll have a water supply nearby, but that’s not often feasible, especially if you have chosen a spot away from the house. Fitting a hot water tap to the outside of your house and running a hosepipe from it to the bath is a simple solution.
As for drainage, there are a number of options. At La Rosa, Amanda Boorman fitted a simple underground soakaway plumbing system that directs the water to a natural reed bed. If you’re going to let the water drain away directly onto the land like this, be sure to use eco bathing products. The alternative is to channel the used water direct to a drain.
As with anything worthwhile, an outdoor cast iron bath requires some careful thought and (perhaps) some hard work. But the rewards far outweigh the graft. To be able to soak in a roll top bath, surrounded by candlelight and star light… this is romance to the power of infinity.
Photography from Houzz and La Rosa.