WORK has started on a £1.5m spa in County Durham, which will create 18 jobs.

The Garage spa at the Morritt Country House Hotel in Greta Bridge, Teesdale, which will have facilities inside and out, is on course to open for business in November.

The spa is being built in a building once used as the refuelling and repair point for some of the country’s first cars travelling between London and Scotland and will include the Shepherd’s Hut log sauna set in a Secret Garden outside.

Morritt hotel owner Barbara Johnson said: “I’m very excited about this development, which has features that are unique to this area and to the country.

“We are putting our all into making it a country-wide destination spa that will bring people into Teesdale.

“It has also been important to us to ensure we use as much local talent and materials as we can to boost the local economy.

“The hotel has been here for a couple of centuries and we are very committed to the area.”

The project, which has received funding from the Rural Development Programme for England, aims to source local produce to use in the spa.

Johnson said: “We will make use of as much locally-sourced ingredients as possible, both for the spa products and the food we will be offering, some of which will come from our own gardens.

“Our vision is to create a place where people can leave their worries at the door, relax with a partner or friend and enjoy the highest levels of comfort and service with some imaginative and unforgettable experiences.”