The Experience
Move between wood-fired heat, natural spring water and the quiet moments between.
Fire
At the heart of An Sruthán is our 5m × 2.2m Thermowood barrel sauna, built to comfortably hold ten guests while still feeling intimate.
Inside, alder benches run along both sides of the room, leading the eye towards a large panoramic window at the rear. From the heat, you look directly out into the trees and across the spring-fed plunge below.
A double-door entrance helps hold the warmth within the main sauna room, while the stove is fed externally from the adjoining entrance space.
At its centre sits a HUUM HIVE Wood LS 17, surrounded by approximately 130kg of sauna stone.
We keep the room hot, generally around 90–100°C, allowing the fire and stone to build the deep, enveloping heat that defines the experience.
Because the sauna is genuinely wood-fired, the temperature breathes naturally throughout the day. The fire is adjusted, replenished and cared for by hand as each session passes.
The Details Behind the Heat
The experience is built from small details, many of which might only reveal themselves after a few visits.
A circular protective surround was handcrafted from local Irish oak, following the rounded form of the HUUM stove rather than enclosing it within straight lines.
The same preference for curves and natural form appears throughout the rest of An Sruthán.
Each day, a fresh aromatic water blend is prepared for the stones.
Eucalyptus usually forms the base, complemented by changing scents such as lavender, sweet orange and lemon.
A little water over the stone releases both steam and scent through the room, adding another subtle layer to the heat without overwhelming it.
The character of the sauna begins with the fire itself.
Different local hardwoods and softwoods are used throughout the day, including Douglas fir, ash, birch and oak.
Douglas fir helps bring the stove quickly to life, while the denser hardwoods hold and carry the heat through the sessions that follow.
As they burn, each timber brings its own subtle colour, crackle and aroma to the fire.
Water
Just beyond the sauna sits the natural spring-fed plunge.
It is continually supplied by two separate underground springs, rising from roughly 15 feet beneath the ground before flowing into the pool.
The depth of those springs keeps the water naturally cold throughout the year.
Its exact temperature shifts with the seasons, but the water remains crisp, clear and unmistakably cold.
It is simply spring water, rising through the Wicklow land and continually renewing itself.
Stepping from the heat into it brings the entire experience sharply into focus.
For a few moments, there is very little room for anything except breath, cold and the sensation of being completely present.
Between Rounds
The experience does not end when you step out of the sauna or climb from the water.
Some of the best moments happen in between.
Outdoor cold showers sit beside the plunge, offering another way to cool the body between rounds.
We encourage everyone to shower before entering the plunge. Use them on their own, before the plunge, or whenever you want a gentler transition from the heat.
Fresh spring well water is available on site when the drinking-water point is operating.
Bring a bottle, refill it between rounds and take the time to properly rehydrate.
Old granite benches, open air and the surrounding woodland create places to stop.
Sit beneath the trees.
Talk.
Listen to the water.
Nature bathe.
Or simply take a few quiet minutes before returning to the heat.
The pause is part of the ritual.
One Full Hour
An Sruthán sessions run for a full hour.
That gives you time for around three unrushed cycles between heat, cold and rest without needing to move according to a strict schedule.
There is no prescribed length of time in the sauna.
There is no required time in the plunge.
And there is no correct number of rounds.
The experience works best when you stop watching the clock and begin listening to your own body.
Good to Know
Public sessions are communal rather than silent.
Conversation is welcome, as is quiet. We simply ask everyone to remain considerate of the people sharing the space around them.
Phones are welcome too, particularly if you would like to capture and share your experience. We recommend doing most of that at the beginning or end of the hour, giving yourself the chance to disconnect properly in between.
Guests must be 16+.
Under the current operating policy, sauna and cold-water immersion are not suitable during pregnancy or while under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs.
