Actress, hypnotherapist and life coach Gemma Merna is enjoying a long-awaited catchup with her friend Leah Hackett, whom she met on the set of soap opera Hollyoaks. They’re en route to Farlam Hall in Cumbria, the first of three hotels they will visit on a wellness break in the North of England, combining getting out and about in nature with some pampering. It’s a welcome mini retreat for them both, taking them far away from day-to-day cares.

“When you unplug, even for just a day, it does wonders for your mental health. It makes you feel like a new person,” says Gemma, who is also a yoga and meditation teacher, and who founded the online community Mind and Wellness to help women prioritise their mental and physical wellbeing.

“Normally you have to choose just one place, but on this break, we get a breadth of different experiences.”

First up is the chance to explore the beautiful Cumbrian scenery surrounding Farlam Hall, 12 miles east of Carlisle. It’s near Hadrian’s Wall, adding an historic note to a hike as well as taking in the area’s natural beauty, which really comes into its own when the trees put on a spectacular autumnal show.

“I love being outside,” says Gemma. “If you can get out into nature every single day it just regulates your nervous system and takes you away from your busy life.”

By the time they return, they’ve worked up quite an appetite, so it’s a good thing that this country-house hotel comes with a Michelin-starred restaurant: the Cedar Tree by Hrishikesh Desai. After trying some of the innovative cocktails – Farlam even makes its own gin – they head into the restaurant, named after the tree in the garden outside. The restaurant, which overlooks the grounds with an ornamental lake and kitchen garden, makes the perfect setting for the skilfully spiced Indian-influenced food they enjoy here.

“Indian is my favourite type of food,” says Gemma, who feels instantly relaxed in this former family home. She loves hearing the story about the children enjoying donkey rides round the billiards table on their birthdays.

After a comfortable night in the hotel’s contemporary rooms, it’s just a 90-minute drive to Seaham Hall in County Durham, which also has a storied past – it was where Lord Byron married Annabella Milbanke in 1815.

It’s not Gemma’s first visit; before she was an actress, she worked in the make-up department at Harvey Nichols in Manchester, and was ecstatic to be sent for training here as an 18-year-old. She returned a couple of years ago, loving the hotel’s swish rooms “with a bath in front of the window” and “absolutely exceptional food”, along with a spectacular spa. “It’s an incredible place,” she says.

Walking along the underground passageway from the hotel to the spa, she breathes in the delicious lemongrass scent and feels like she’s embarking on a journey. “That’s what’s so good about a great spa; you feel like you’re somewhere else,” she says.

In Seaham Hall’s spoiling sanctuary, she and Leah flit between the 20-metre pool, the Eucalyptus steam room with amethyst crystal, and the herbal sanarium. Outside in the Zen garden, they breathe in the sea air as they wallow in the infinity hydrotherapy pool.

There’s serious pampering, too, in the form of an Ishga five senses spa ritual: 90 minutes of bliss that incorporates several treatments, including a hot-stone massage and cold-stone eye therapy.

“The mixture of treatments is absolutely incredible, with a body and scalp massage after a foot scrub”, says Gemma. “I think it’s really important to start with the feet; as soon as you relax them, everything else relaxes.”

She and Leah stay in their robes while enjoying lunch at the Asian restaurant. “It’s great to be able to do this kind of thing with a girlfriend,” muses Gemma. “I’d much rather catch up that way than going out for drinks.”

There’s a going-out element to it, too, though, with them both showering after their treatments and getting dressed up for dinner in the evening.

The next day they’re full of anticipation for their third and final night, at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, a 2¼-hour drive away. “We’ve been wanting to go for so, so long,” says Gemma.

They’re not disappointed when they arrive to find a hotel with llamas and alpacas in the grounds, both a Michelin-stared restaurant and a casual Pan-Asian one, plus plenty of “nice places to sit with a cup of tea and chill out a bit”.

The best bit, though, is their spa suite, where the bedroom seemingly floats over the pond and has views of the mountain peaks. Outside, a stone hot tub is placed by the lake so they can lie back and enjoy the panorama in peace. “The place has such a lovely relaxed vibe,” says Gemma.

There’s a spa room with its own sauna, steam room, infrared lounge bed and massage chair, so they don’t have to stir from their suite when it comes to their treatments. While Leah has opted for an aromatherapy body massage, Gemma is instantly drawn to the Indian head massage, which she is thrilled to discover also includes a hair mask. “I get so much tension in my head,” she says. “I think my brain’s on all the time with my work, so I am very drawn to it.”

It does the trick; Gemma even falls asleep, it’s so relaxing. By the time they’re ready to leave, the two women feel completely replenished, even though they’ve only been away from home for three nights.

“I feel like I’ve filled my cup up again and am ready to tackle whatever life throws at me,” says Gemma. “It’s really important to take time out and to do these breaks. I want to do one every quarter. I’m already planning my next one.”