I have a great love of history, afternoon tea, and Britain. I have discovered online several tea shops I really must visit when I go. There are teashops on every corner, but you must do some research and seek out ones that really make you feel you’ve stepped back in time. I don’t want to go to just any old tea room. I can get tea in my B&B. I can get tea at McDonalds. I want to find a tea room that makes me say to myself “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.” I want ambience. I want atmosphere. I want character. I want quirky. I want to feel I’m in England.
There are many gorgeous 4 and 5 star hotels who will serve a beautiful afternoon tea, but I don’t want to be charged an arm and a leg and most look like another fancy hotel restaurant just like I’d find in most big US cities. I love the smaller home grown tearooms or ones attached to a historic spot I might want to visit anyway.
When researching, I found a frustrating number of tearooms that don’t show any photos of the interior of their shop, or only show photos of the food they sell. My motto is, if they are afraid to show photos of their restaurant, then its probably someplace I don’t want to go. There are many more tea rooms I would love to visit, these just happened to catch my eye. I might float my way through Britain!
Some of these require reservations or 24 hour notice. A few are closed in the winter months. Check websites before just stopping by.
I want to take a tour of England and plan a route so I can stop at each of these:
Old Bakery Tea Room, Newark on Trent Now that is atmosphere!
The Swan Hotel, Wells What a view!
The Blitz Tea Room with a focus on WW2
The Apothecary Coffee Shop, Rye
Tymperleys in Colchester, Essex
The Bridge Tea Rooms, Bradford on Avon
The Slaughters Country Inn, Gloucestershire
Bishopstrow House, Wiltshire an 18th Century Manor House
Woolley Grange, Wiltshire a Jacobean Manor House
Alms House Tea Shop, Axbridge Somerset
Rydalmount Tea Rooms. Rydal Mount was the home of poet William Wordsworth
Kelmscott Manor The retreat of artist and designer William Morris
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Wow. Thanks for this. I’d love to see this post turned into a TV documentary. They’re so quaint and gorgeous and like something out of an Agatha Christie novel. Very English, as well.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Thank you Rowena! I tried to choose tea shops that looked like they really would be the image I have in my head of what a tea shop should be. I’ve probably watched too many Agatha Christie movies…
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Well I loved your choices and there’s nothing wrong with reading Agatha Christie. I read a few of them some time ago. They were great.
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May I join you?
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Oh how I wish I was able to go! Don’t they just look like lovely spots to visit? I just love England!
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Yes, indeed. I haven’t been in three decades. I’d love to go,too.
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Lovely! I live in Wales (originally from England) and often ask other half (who is the one who can drive) to take me to tearooms. It hasn’t happened yet… but I live in hope!
When I was child my parents used to take me and my sister to a place near Corfe castle. Amazing place, but haven’t been to the tea room there that I recall. Long time ago now anyway.
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How lucky you are to live in Wales! Sounds like you and your girlfriends need to go on a tea room adventure together!
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Alas no girlfriends in this neck of the woods… but I’ll find a way. 🙂
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