Mepal spa and manor: a brief History
Brad Wagstaff and Leslie Miller purchased the Manor and its
outbuildings in the fall of 2000. Fro the past thirty years
the property was a special education school for teenagers,
who lived in the manor house and attended class in what is
now the spa building. The 190 acre property is adjacent to
40 acres owned by Gedney Farm and hundreds of acres managed
The Trustees of Reservations.
The Wagstaff’s and long time friend and collaborator;
architect Bob Swain had a vision – to restore the manor
house and to create an intimate and luxurious spa. Over
the past four years, extensive renovation has transformed
the manor into an eclectic and elegant country house hotel
and the classroom / gymnasium into a world class spa.
The manor house features 12 beautifully decorated guest rooms,
and serves breakfast daily to guests in front of a roaring
fire. The 6000 square foot spa showcases the talents of architect,
Swain as he reinvented the space to create a sanctuary of
serenity centered on an outdoor hot tub overlooking 240 acres
of the Berkshires most scenic views. The spa has a retail
shop, four treatment rooms, a full-service salon, a yoga room,
and plans to add a gym in the spring of 2005.
The name Mepal is deeply rooted in the history of the house,
Hildreth Bloodgood, a Wall Street banker and sportsman built
the house in 1907. He bred and imported hackney driving ponies
from England, and his foundation sire was the Star of Mepal.
He named the manor in honor of his prize winning horse, the
first of 100 to cross the ocean and live on his New Marlboro
Farm. |
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