Our Story
Where it began
Near Wild Saunas began the way many good things do, by accident, outdoors, and with people who didn’t realise they were about to fall in love with something for life.
Back in 2023, Joe, Alex, and Brad were on a school family camping trip. It had all the essentials of a perfect weekend, fresh air, muddy boots, tired children, and the quiet ease that comes from being outside. And then they found a sauna.
They had all used saunas before, but this was different. It felt alive. The heat was gentle and generous, the steam rose just right, and everything seemed to slow down. It was hard to put into words, but it stayed with them. Deep comfort, deep calm, and a sense of joy that lingered long after.
The LDSC
For Brad, the connection ran deeper still. Through family, friendships, and his work as an architect, he had spent years travelling regularly to Finland. His love of Finnish design, especially Alvar Aalto, kept drawing him back. Over time, those trips gave him more than inspiration. They gave him a real understanding of sauna culture, from the simplicity and respect for materials to the heart of it all, löyly, the living spirit of the steam.
The long search
As their shared interest grew, the three friends made it official and formed the Limpsfield Dad’s Sauna Club (LDSC). What began as curiosity soon became a mission. They travelled often, usually to Finland, seeking out the best sauna experiences they could find, and returning home with sharper eyes and higher standards.
Back in the UK, they searched for saunas closer to home. They found many good ones, set in beautiful places and run by thoughtful people. Still, something was missing. Again and again, the full experience eluded them. The setting, the build, the feeling, and above all the quality of the löyly never quite came together.
The Realisation
In the end, the answer became clear. If they wanted the sauna they were searching for, they would have to build it themselves.
That realisation became the spark for Near Wild Saunas — a place rooted in nature, crafted with care, and built around the things that matter most: authentic heat, beautiful surroundings, thoughtful design, and true Finnish löyly.
Near Wild Saunas exists for one reason: to bring everything the trio love about real Finnish sauna culture to the UK — and to share it properly, so that more people can step out into the air afterwards feeling exactly the way they did on that camping trip in 2023… like something has changed for the better.
Contact us
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