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Badgers Hall
High Street,
Chipping Campden,
Gloucestershire |
The Bay Tree
1, Victoria Street,
Bourton-on-Water,
Gloucestershire |
Dean Heritage
Centre Tea Shop
Soudley,
Cinderford,
Gloucestershire |
The
Haywards Coffee Shop
Nature In Art,
Wallsworth Hall,
Twigworth
Gloucestershire |
The Olde
Bakery Tea Shoppe
High Street,
Winchcombe,
Gloucestershire |
Orchard Tea
Room at Hayles Fruit Farm
Hailes Abbey,
Nr. Winchcombe,
Gloucestershire |
Tetbury
Gallery Tea Room
18 Market Place,
Tetbury,
Gloucestershire |
The Marshmallow
High Street
Moreton-in-Marsh
Gloucestershire |
Tollgate Tea Shop
Oldfield Gatehouse,
Dyrham Park (A46)
Gloucestershire |
Arthur Mee came here in 1938
and observed that nothing spoilt the harmony of its High Street; no
telegraph poles and even the petrol pump was placed decently out of sight.
Over half a century later the proud residents of Chipping Camden have
maintained its architectural purity.
Through the splendid arches of the 17th century Market hall, you can look
in every direction and find similar vistas of charming old houses with
canopied doorways, oriel windows and steep-pitched gables. Sir Baptist
hicks, 1st Viscount of Campden, endowed the lovely old almshouses, built
in the shape of an I to honour Iacobus (King James' name in Latin). Just
opposite the almshouse is the walled dipped where, in hot weather, carters
would soak their wooden wheels to prevent them from shrinking.
The town's curious name derives from the Old English word, ceapon, to
barter, or sell. In Chipping Campden what they sold most successfully was
wool
Stroll along the High Street and you cannot fail to miss the intriguing
sign for Badgers Hall, a wonderful name that conjures up images of Wind in
the Willows. This beautiful 15th century building is now owned and run by
Karen Pinfold and Paul Owens as tea rooms with bed and breakfast
accommodation. Once you step through the door, the warm glow from the
honey coloured Cotswold stone and the smell of fresh baking puts you at
ease with the world and more than ready to sample some of Paul's excellent
cooking; Karen welcomes all her guests with a big smile and keeps them
well supplied with delicious treats from the extensive menu, and almost
everything sold in the tea room is home made on the premises.
For savoury dishes there is a choice of carrot and coriander soup, cottage
pie or a delicious smoked bacon or vegetarian quiche with a salad garni
and fresh bread. The stilton cheese melted into a freshly baked jacket
potato topped with grilled bacon will certainly fill a big hole! If you
have a sweet tooth, then you will have to try an apricot and almond slice,
a delicious confection of light almond flavoured sponge, chopped apricots
topped with blanched almonds and a dusting of icing sugar. There is a
truly wonderful surprise waiting for your taste buds in the parsnip and
pineapple cake, a rich moist cake with crushed pineapple and sultanas with
grated parsnip dissolved into the mixture. As well as the usual menu,
there is also a chalkboard displaying the specialties of the day. From
October to March, Karen and Paul host tea parties on the last Wednesday of
every month, the menu has a wide selection of hot and cold savouries plus
an abundance of sweet things and changes for every party. They are very
popular and places are limited, so it is advisable to book your place well
in advance.
The hospitality at Badgers Hall extends to three delightful and very
comfortable bedrooms each with their own bathroom, and breakfast is a
substantial meal that will keep you going through the day. Although
Badgers Hall is open all year round, Karen and Paul usually take a holiday
in the off season when they close down, so it advisable to check by phone
before you visit.
Opening hours: Summer Months (May-Oct) Mon-Sat 10.30am - Last orders
4.30pm Sun 11.30am - Last orders 4.30pm Winter Months (Nov-April) Mon
10.30am - Last orders 4.30pm Closed Tuesdays Weds-Sat 10.30am - Last
orders 4.30pm Sun 11.30am - Last orders 4.30pm Closed Christmas and New
Year.
Tel: (01386) 840839
e-mail: badgershall@talk21.com
www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/badgershall.htm |
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 | The Bay Tree
1, Victoria Street,
Bourton-on-Water,
Gloucestershire
Tel: 01451 821818 |
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No Hollywood film director
could create a more charming setting for an English tea-shop than the
picture-postcard surroundings of this Cotswold village. The crystal-clear
water of the River Windrush flows through the centre of Bourton's broad
main street, its banks bordered by lawns and ancient trees, passing under
elegant low stone bridges dating from 1775.
Small though it is, Bourton is an intriguing warren of twisting lanes and
alleys, crammed with small speciality shops offering anything from local
pottery or wines from nearby vineyards to Cotswold-made perfumes.
A good place to start your visit is the curiously named Old New Inn. In
its garden you will find a meticulously precise model of the village,
scaled down to one-ninth size of the original. It shows you where to find
the Cotswold Motor Museum, (30 motor vehicles and the largest collection
of vintage advertising signs in Britain); St. Laurence's Church,
(originally 14th century but modernised in 1890); Harrington House (a
stately mansion dating from 1700) and Birdland, an extraordinary gathering
of more than 600 species of birds from around the world.
In 1956, Leonard Hill, a local builder who specialised in restoring old
Cotswold stone houses, bought Chardwar Manor, a lovely Tudor house with
31/2 acres of ground. As a child, Leonard had been fascinated by
bird-life: now, as a prosperous businessman, he could indulge his dream of
creating a sanctuary for every kind of bird.
About the same time, he bought two of the Falkland Islands just to ensure
the safety of the million penguins nesting there; the popular press dubbed
him the 'Penguin Millionaire'. Few visitors to Birdland will ever forget
these free-flying exotic birds, their multi-coloured plumage displayed as
they waft around their airy habitat.
The Bay Tree tearoom is a welcome find in amongst the honey-coloured stone
buildings on Victoria Street. A traditional tearoom in every sense of the
word, traditional cottage style furniture and an abundance of floral
prints and fresh flowers. Christine O'Neill has created a warm and
friendly atmosphere that wraps around you as you walk through the door.
The Bay Tree has a varied menu offering traditional meals throughout the
day, with the emphasis on a well-balanced healthy choice. Christine is
very proud of the fact that The Bay Tree has been awarded the 'Food Wise
Gold Award' (formerly the Heartbeat Award) for her range of low fat meals
(food cooked in cholesterol free oil) - broccoli and cheese bake, mushroom
stroganoff as well as a wide range of vegetarian and pasta dishes and many
other dishes that change on a daily basis. But teatime is never complete
without the traditional cream tea, served with fruit scone, clotted
Cornish cream and a pot of tea with a choice of speciality teas; or, The
Bay Tree Special Cream Tea that includes sandwiches, scones and a slice of
cake. If you enjoyed lunch or tea at The Bay Tree, then after six o'clock
the menu changes for dinner.
There is no way that you can leave without browsing through The Bay Tree's
shop next door where you will find the most amazing selection of
collectable teapots - fancy your tea poured out of a replica AGA, or a
thatched cottage or maybe a small wardrobe is more your style? Whatever
your taste there is a teapot to suite. There is also a selection of tea
paraphernalia, speciality teas and coffees from every part of the world.
If you are really taken with the atmosphere of this beautiful little town
and want to stay longer, Christine has some excellent bed and breakfast
holiday flats above the tea room.
Opening Times: Summer Months, Mon-Thur 10.00am - 6.00pm. Evenings
6.30pm 11.00pm Fri-Sat 09.00am - 6.00pm. Evenings 6.30pm 11.00pm, Sun
10.00am - 8.00pm
Winter months open every day - Evenings Friday and Saturday only.
Tel: (01451) 821818 |
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| Dean Heritage Centre Tea Shop
Soudley,
Cinderford,
Gloucestershire
Tel: 01594 822170 |
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Lying between the rivers Severn
and Wye, the Royal Forest of Dean is one of Britain's most attractive
woodland areas.
Great stands of broadleaf and coniferous trees cloak the rolling hills
that mark the border between England and Wales.
Dean was first claimed as a royal hunting forest by King Edmund Ironside
in 1016 - a savagely guarded privilege which did however protect the
timber from exploitation.
Then the deposits of iron ore and cola in the forest became far too
commercially attractive to ignore. The Crown leased the woods to ruthless
entrepreneurs who systematically felled the ancient trees to fuel the iron
smelters forges.
By 1668, it's said, the magnificent Forest of Dean had been reduced to a
mere 200 trees. In that year, the government cancelled the leases and
passed the Dean Forest (Reafforestation) Act. They then instituted a
massive programme of replanting which restored the sweeping stretches of
noble trees: a sterling example of conservationist thinking more than 300
years ago.
At the Tourist Information Centres in Coleford or Newent, you will find a
useful leaflet guiding you along a Scenic Drive through the Forest. During
its 25-mile course it leads you to panoramic views, picnic areas, forest
trails and the Speech House Arboretum, a splendid collection of unusual
trees and shrubs.
En route, the Scenic Drive passes the Dean Heritage Centre, near Soudley.
Here, an old Corn Mill has been converted into an imaginative complex of
craft workshops, museum displays, a Smithy and a Kitchen, recreating the
working life of the men and women who laboured in this remote corner of
England.
In the large mill-pond in front of the Centre, ducks ripple the water,
their eyes fixed on the gifts they expect from generous visitors at the
picnic tables and the barbecue hearths set bedside the pool. Children love
the challenge of the Adventure Playground nearby with its slide towers,
climbing and scrambling facilities and its breath-taking suspension bridge
over Soudley Brook.
In the Heritage cafe next to the well-stocked Shop and overlooking the
duck-pond, the menu offers some tasty fare; home-made soups such as leek
and potato, mushroom or carrot; daily specials such as chicken and
mushroom or beef pies; traditional Sunday lunches during the winter, local
fruit pie during the summer - all of it freshly prepared each day.
Particularly tempting are the giant cream scones - a meal in themselves!
Opening times:
April-October 10.00am - 6.00pm: November - March 10.00am - 5.00pm
Tel: (01594) 822170. |
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'Nature in Art' is the intriguing
sign that catches the eye of motorists speeding along the A38 two miles
north of Gloucester at Twigworth. It may be only 10 minutes from the M5
but those who turn off up the tree-lined avenue leading to this unique
museum leave all the noise behind.
Visitors could be excused for taking the fine Georgian house at the end of
the drive for a stately home. A home it originally was, Wallsworth Hall
built by Samuel Haywood (a former linen draper turned businessman,
landowner and magistrate!) as a wedding present for his wife Catherine.
The house is still very handsome for when the 'Nature in Art Trust' (a
registered charity) purchased it in 1987 they spent many months renovating
the neglected building, taking care not to disturb in the roof one of the
largest bat roosts in Gloucestershire! Many of the original features
remain - imposing fireplaces and the magnificent mahogany staircase. It's
a superb location for Nature in Art, the world's first museum dedicated
exclusively to international wildlife art of the very highest standard,
set up with the encouragement of such illustrious figures as David Bellamy
and the late Sir Peter Scott. The collection spans 1,500 years with works
from over 60 countries by over 600 artists in a variety of media. So as
you wander round the galleries you'll come across paintings by Thorburn
and Shepherd (even Picasso!) ancient mosaics and oriental carvings,
contemporary sculpture and Lalique glass. Some of the exhibits are on show
in the grounds, so you may meet a life-size giraffe beneath the trees!
Each year the museum hosts 5 or 6 temporary exhibitions as well as a
hectic artists in residence programme - your opportunity to watch
professional artists working in a range of media from decoy carving to
silk-screen printing. The new Education Centre holds a superb range of art
courses too if you want to improve your skills or learn new ones.
When you're ready to relax, make your way to the Hayward Coffee Shop on
the ground floor with its light, airy conservatory and pretty cream and
peach walls. The sheltered patio outside provides a tranquil setting for
summer Cream Teas, with only the cooing of doves as background music.
You'll find an alluring choice of cakes on the counter, all baked on the
premises by manageress Shirley Horton and her staff: carrot and walnut
cake vies with sticky gingerbread and almond slices - delicious with a cup
of speciality tea or exotic fruit varieties such as strawberry and mango!
There's always a special dessert of the day, with old-fashioned favourites
such as bread and butter pudding as well as more unusual offerings such as
apricot brandy flan. Try tasty home-made soups (Stilton and Celery,
perhaps), oven-crisp filled jacket potatoes, sandwiches, salads or
delicious daily specials such as chicken marengo - all freshly prepared
from the very best local produce.
Opening times: All year round, Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday
Mondays, 10.00 to 5.00 p.m. Groups by arrangement. Excellent disabled
access. Twice Specially Commended in the National Heritage Museum of the
Year Awards. Entrance fee to Museum but free entry to licensed coffee
shop.
Tel: (01452) 731422
www.nature-in-art.org.uk |
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The attractive mellow stone
town of Winchcombe is a favourite haunt of visitors to the Cotswold. In
Saxon times this was the capital of a separate country, 'Winchcombeshire'.
A stroll around the town today reveals many fine buildings dating from
Tudor times, and outside the Folk Museum you can see the robust stocks in
which wrong-doers were confined to repent of their sins!
A narrow lane leads off the main street down to Sudeley Castle, first
mentioned in the reign of Ethelred the Unready (986-1016). It was rebuilt
in the 15th century, dismantled in 1649, and by 1830 had degenerated into
a common alehouse, the Castle Arms. It was finally rescued and restored by
a wealthy Victorian benefactor, Emma Dent, who brought to it Europe's
largest private collection of toys, arms, antiques and Old Master
paintings.
From the castle, it's a pleasant stroll along the Pilgrim's Way to the
haunting ruins of Haile's Abbey, A Cistercian foundation where pilgrims
flocked to worship at the shrine of the boy-king St Kenelm who was
murdered by his sister in 819 AD. The closure of the Abbey in 1539 brought
great distress to the town: merchants lost the custom of the pilgrims and
the poor no longer received their 'doles' from the monks.
The towns-people tried an unusual remedy for their economic plight: they
began to grow the newly popular tobacco plant. Healthy profits were made
until 1670 when Parliament banned the home-grown weed in favour of imports
from the struggling American colony of Virginia.
American links are still being forged at the Olde Bakery Tea Shoppe where
David and Jenny Kelly and their family produce home-made waffles with
maple syrup to delight their transatlantic visitors. The old bakery closed
more than 20 years ago, but David, Jenny and their son Simon have
maintained the tradition of home baking. Their Coffee and Walnut cake,
made to a recipe they have managed to keep secret, is justly famous, and
their Fireside Tea with crumpets is a nostalgic favourite. In the two cosy
tea rooms, decorated with Jenny's jug collection, you can sample a wide
range of speciality teas from Assam to Jasmine, or you may prefer, on fine
summer days, to enjoy your Cream Tea in the small walled garden that leads
to the old bakery ovens.
Because demand for lunches at the Olde Bakery began to outstrip the
seating capacity, a splendid 30-seater vine-covered Conservatory has been
built where guests can enjoy a wide and varied menu, prepared and cooked
on the premises. The restaurant is licensed and its reputation for
excellent home-cooked food is divided between David, Jenny, Simon and a
little help from Sarah and Annie who share the cooking between them. They
also serve traditional roast Sunday lunches whose renown is such that
booking ahead is strongly recommended.
Opening time: 10.00 am - 5.00 pm
(Tuesday to Saturday); 11.00 am - 5.00 pm (Sunday).
Closed on Mondays, except Bank Holidays.
Tel: (01242) 602469. |
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| Orchard Tea Room at Hayles Fruit
Farm
Hailes Abbey,
Nr. Winchecombe,
Gloucestershire
Tel: 01242 602123 |
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Connoisseurs of early church
architecture should make their way down the winding country lanes
north-east of Winchcombe to the secluded little settlement of Hailes.
In his book 'Ancient Cotswold Churches' Ulrich Daubeney writes: 'The
Parish church of Hailes, in proportion to its size, contains more, and
more varied objects of interest than any in the Cotswolds.' Impressive
claims which are amply justified by this 12th century gem, the size of a
barn, with its rare medieval wall paintings.
It pre-dates the ruins of Hailes Abbey nearby, founded by Richard, Earl of
Cornwall on land granted by his brother, king Henry III. When the Earl
Richard's son, Edmund, presented the Abbey with a phial containing
Christ's blood (later proved to be a fake!) Hailes became one of the
greatest pilgrimage centres in England. Shattered walls and arches are all
that remain of this mighty Cistercian institution, yet the atmosphere of a
13th century monastery lingers most powerfully.
From here there are delightful walks along the Pilgrim's Way (part of the
Cotswold Way) to Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle. But if that's too
energetic, make your way to Hayles Fruit farm just a few steps away.
One of the five fruit farms planted by Lord Sudeley in the 1880's, this is
the only one to survive today. Here the Harrell family cultivate apples
and pears, soft fruits and vegetables - even the original cobnuts planted
by Lord Sudeley over a century ago! You can pick your own strawberries and
tayberries, gooseberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants
during the season (approximately mid-June to mid August). Nature-lovers
can take a gentle stroll along waymarked trails, looking out for
dragonflies and moorhens along the way, whilst anglers can enjoy a day's
coarse fishing in the reservoir nearby.
The farm shop sells the very best fruit and vegetables together with
English wines and farm ciders, cheeses, farm dairy ice cream, jams and
chutneys - even local venison and bacon.
The old tractor shed next door has been transformed beyond all recognition
into a spacious country tea-room complete with fresh flowers and picture
window looking out over the Malvern Hills. The constantly changing menu
takes advantage of the ready supply of fresh fruit and vegetables:
wholesome soups of tomato and pepper, perhaps, or parsnip and apple,
followed by crisp salads, sandwiches or tasty lasagne. Ploughman's come
with a mind-boggling choice of cheeses: Stilton and Brie as well as more
unusual varieties such as Applewood Smoked Cheddar. Moist carrot cake
compete for our attention with Cream Teas and summer strawberry meringues
whilst apple cake incorporates the juiciest of apples, straight from the
orchards outside!
There is also a secluded caravan site complete with electric hook-ups. An
ideal base for touring and walking in the Cotswolds.
Opening times:
Daily, all year round. Summer, 9.00am - 6.00pm and winter, 9.00am - 5.00pm
(tea-room opens at 10.00am). Good disabled access. Groups and coach
parties welcome by arrangement.
Tel: (01242) 602123. Fax: (01242) 603320
www.hayles-fruit-farm.co.uk |
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Until recently, the quiet
market town of Tetbury was only known to a few devotees of unusual church
architecture. They came to see St. Mary's Church, restored in 1781, and
now a fine 18th-century period-piece with high-backed pews, vast windows
with recycled mediaeval glass and slim wooden columns covering iron
supports (a daring technical innovation at the time). They also came to
ponder on one of the oddest memorials to be found in any English church. A
stone tablet records that -
In a vault underneath
lie several of the Saunderses,
Late of this parish; particulars
the Last Day will disclose.
Amen.
Then, in the 1980s, the Prince of Wales and
Princess Diana chose nearby Highgrove House as their country residence.
Despite the fact that Highgrove is not open to the public, its mere
presence in the neighbourhood has attracted many more visitors to this
charming Cotswold town.
A more welcoming attraction is Westbonbirt Arboretum, 3 miles south west
of Tetbury. This astounding collection of more than 17,000 trees and
shrubs was begun in 1829 by Robert Stayner Holford, the immensely wealthy
proprietor of Westbonbirt House (now a fashionable girls' school).
Holford's son and then his great-nephew, the 4th Earl of Morley, cherished
and extended his work which is now managed by the Forestry Commission.
In the town itself, the old Market House dating from 1655 is still in use.
On Wednesday (market day) it is surrounded by stalls selling every
conceivable commodity.
Browsing can work up an appetite, and just across the road, in one of the
elegant 18th century houses, is the Tetbury Gallery Tearoom run by Jane
Maile. Jane has a passion for three things; scones, art and teddy bears.
When you enter the building you can see two of her passions immediately,
and the delicious smell of baking coming from the kitchen accounts for the
third. Jane's father is a superbly talented artist and his work and that
of other painters from the area, is displayed throughout the gallery and
the cosy drawing room laid out for tea. Jane's talent for baking is
legend, due to her creative cake recipes, and she has turned the humble
scone into an art form. It comes as no surprise that the tearoom is
featured in 'The Great Tearooms of Britain' by Bruce Richardson. But back
to the scones, for you cannot leave this tearoom without tasting one (or
several!) From the light and fluffy plain scone you can move on to fruit;
apricot and almond; wholemeal with cinnamon, dates and cherries or date
and orange; wholemeal seeded with poppy seeds served with honey and all
the scones come with a generous serving of clotted cream. But for sheer
indulgence you have to try a Black Forest - a chocolate scone served with
black cherry jam and clotted cream, it is, as they say, 'to die for'. If
your taste are more for savoury things then you will not be disappointed;
there are bacon scones (crammed with small pieces of bacon); cheese and
walnut; cheese and herb and a mushroom and herb recipe is under
development.
Everything is made on the premises and served in the elegant yet cosy 18th
century tearoom where the crisp linen tablecloths, period furniture and
fine paintings on the wall create a relaxed and timeless atmosphere. To
accompany your food there is a fine selection of speciality teas including
Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Darjeeling, Assam and Rose Pouchong as well as
decaffeinated and fruit flavoured teas.
Opening times:7 days a week all year - times vary according to the
season.
Telephone: (01666) 503412 |
Chipping
Sodbury owes its existence to the imagination and planning ability of a
remarkable man. William Crassus, Lord of Sodbury, (also known as William
the Fat), created this 'new town' in the 12th century. Designed on a
unique grid system, the layout of the town centre today varies little from
his original medieval plan.
A market was granted in 1227 enabling the prefix 'Chipping', meaning
market, to be added to the name. 'A praty little market town and thrwgh
fayre to Brightstow' Leland called it in the 16th century and indeed it
owed its prosperity to its market trade. A stroll down the main street
reveals a rich variety of architecture, from early Tudor to
stone-mullioned 17th century houses, and grander Georgian styles. Old
street names, ~ Hatters Lane, Rouncival Street, Hounds Lane, have
a medieval, Chaucerian ring, and the proliferation of old inns recalls the
great stage-coaching days. The little clock tower of 1871 commemorates
Colonel Blathwayte of Dyrham Park, a splendid 17th century mansion now
administered by the National Trust.
A few miles south of Chipping Sodbury,
off the A46, the 263-acre park is still home to a herd of fallow deer, as
it has been since Saxon times. You'll find an excellent tea-room just
beyond the walls of the Park. The Tollgate Tea Shop is a distinctive stone
building with pointed, arched windows, set a few feet back from the road,
a popular venue for locals as well as for travellers on the A46.
Gentle classical music, wooden floors and a fragrant wood-burning stove
create a cosy, relaxed atmosphere, and there's additional seating in the
adjacent conservatory. The wonderful smell of home baking starts wafting
around the shop early in the morning for everything here is made on the
premises from the very best natural ingredients, ~ proprietor John Holman
makes sure of that.
You'll find no artificial colourings or flavourings in his lasagnes or
quiches, and his home-made soups are second to none. Traditionalists will
delight in his clotted cream teas and old-fashioned apple cake, served on
blue and white willow pattern china along with a cup of Earl Grey. Then
there's rich fruit cake, banana cake, and Moist New Zealand Carrot Cake, ~
delicious with clotted
cream!
A small but carefully chosen selection of local crafts includes original
paintings, delightful miniature mushrooms, and a selection of jams and
curds made locally by Hicks Gate Farm.
Opening times: 9.30 am - 5.00 pm (Tuesday-Friday); 10.30 am - 5.30 pm
(Saturday,
Sunday; open until 6.30 pm in summer).
Tel: (01225) 891585 |
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| The Marshmallow
High Street
Moreton-in-Marsh
Gloucestershire
Tel: 01608 651536 |
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Most of us thought that the
original Olympic Games died with the Greek Empire and were only revived at
the end of the 19th century. Not true. Robert Dover, a wealthy merchant
living at Barton near Moreton-in-Marsh, brought them back to life much
earlier, in 1612 to be precise.
On a high open space outside Moreton, now renamed Dover's Hill, he
organised a series of competitions under the title of the 'Olimpick
Games'. Most of these contest faithfully followed the ancient Greek rules,
others, like the shin-kicking fight between local village teams, owed
nothing to ancient history.
These alternative Olympics flourished for almost 250 years but by the
mid-19th century the annual festival was attracting lawless, hooligan
crowds. In 1852 the local magistrates decided that such athletic contests
were probably better left to the Greeks.
Moreton's Main Street, where the busy Tuesday market is held, is one of
the widest in the Cotswolds, part of the Roman Fosse Way from Devon to the
north-east. But, as with most towns in this area, it was the great wool
boom of the Middle Ages that brought lasting prosperity to Moreton.
The familiar Cotswold houses are everywhere, their roofs steeply-pitched
to ensure that the rain quickly runs off because the local tiles are
rather porous. The two-storey Curfew Tower with its 17th century clock and
tiny bell turret was still ringing out the curfew right up to 1860.
There are ancient inns (the earliest dated 1658), a 19th century Market
Hall and a vast choice of good local shops. And, of course, a traditional
tea room, the Marshmallow, housed in a Grade II listed building complete
with exposed stone walls and old pine furnishings.
Visitors are greeted at the door by friendly waitresses dressed in peach
and pale green, colours which are reflected throughout the tea room, ~
even in the fresh carnations on the table. French windows open out onto a
flag-stoned patio where you can savour that most English of ceremonies,
afternoon tea, amongst a profusion of hanging baskets.
Valerie West ensures that everything is baked on the premises and the
refrigerated cake trolley is laden with gooey delights: meringues,
éclairs, scones the size of small cottage loaves!
Daily specials such as seafood lasagne set the tastebuds tingling whilst
salads and baked potatoes cater for the smaller appetite. Sunday lunch
(booking essential) is always popular and candlelit suppers are a gourmet
experience, when Valerie and her team of four chefs really go to town. Try
soups such as curried parsnip, followed perhaps by Beef Wellington or
smoked haddock with prawns. Do leave some room for the succulent hot
cherries with ice cream, or white chocolate mousse, ~ whatever your
choice, it will be served promptly and with a smile!
Opening times: 10.00am - 5.00pm (Monday); 10.00am - 4.00pm (Tuesday);
10.00am - 9.30pm (Wednesday-Sunday). Licensed. Founder Member, Guild of
Tea Shops; Member, Les Routiers; Award of Excellence, 1995 from the
National Tea Council.
Tel: (01608) 651536. |
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