‘We run the country’s only heartbreak hotel’

A psychologist and barrister have joined forces to offer emotional healing to women who are struggling to deal with trauma and betrayal

- LUCY ROBINSON

Nestled deep within the Peak District, Bleaklow Farm is the ideal destination for anyone wanting to unwind and discover the national park’s rolling hills and limestone landscape. And with cashmere-filled mattresses, underfloor heating and a hot tub from where you can lie back and enjoy the view, the countryside abode is nothing short of spectacular.

But this is no average weekend spa retreat. The idyllic farmhouse has taken on a whole new identity as a refuge for women seeking a spot of TLC and emotional healing. Called The Heartbreak Hotel, it’s the brainchild of psychologist and lecturer Alice Haddon and writer, criminal barrister and coach Ruth Field, both in their forties, and is the first hotel dedicated to, you guessed it, heartbreak.

After her mum died in April last year, Alice took time away from her work as an academic and psychologist, closing down her clinic in search of a new adventure. During that time, a radio interview provided her with the light-bulb moment she’d been looking for and she connected the experience of romantic heartbreak with her own loss.

“I heard a woman talking about how she’d been the victim of romance fraud. She’d fallen in love with a guy online who took all of her money and then disappeared,” she says. “Her pain was so evident but she had nowhere to go. At that moment I decided I wanted to be the person to provide that support.”

While the concept may seem unconventional, it’s something women have long needed, says Alice.