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 | Harriet's
20 High Street,
Woodstock,
Oxfordshire
Tel: 01993 811231 |
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Woodstock's most famous
attraction of course is Blenheim Palace, the vast mansion presented by a
grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Designed by
Vanbrugh, Blenheim was conceived on a massive scale, deliberately designed
to outshine Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles.
By the time Blenheim was finished, a charming old house in the High Street
was already more than a hundred years old. It used to go by the name of
'Ye Anciente House'; an attractive and interesting Grade II* listed
building.
Once the residence of an affluent merchant, it now houses Harriet's Cake
Shop, Patisserie and Tea Rooms, a quite exceptional place to take tea and
stock up with cakes and patisseries from the wide range on offer. A
speciality of the house is its wonderful home made soups, while the
continental style croissants and patisseries are made by a genuine
Frenchman using traditional methods, the superlative meringues come from
the Cotswold Meringue Company, and the cakes, scones and huge tea-cakes
are all made locally in the village. (The Chocolate Fudge Gateau is
particularly recommended).
Judi and Paul Parker-Jones, who run this very special tea room, (and named
it after their daughter), make sure everything else on the menu meets the
same high standards. Wherever possible, the ingredients have a Cotswold
origin, so the Clotted Cream for your Cotswold Cream Tea comes from a
local farmer, as does the honey. The quality teas and coffees are from
Bewley's with a good selection of blends to choose from.
As well the wide range of tea time treats, the menu at Harriet's also
offers light meals, snacks and sandwiches throughout the day, and a full
English Breakfast with unlimited tea or coffee is served until 12 noon.
Visitors are served by waitresses in traditional black and white and will
find newspapers on battens, continental style, to browse through. Mellow
wood panelling and exposed stone, a vintage bread oven still embedded in
the wall, and original Victorian fireplaces all add to the charm. Around
the walls hang some striking paintings by a local artist, which are for
sale, and in the shop area, a selection of personalised, own label
preserves and confectionery.
Harriet's also has a secluded patio at the rear of the house, ideal for
dog lovers or, dare one say it, smokers.
Woodstock itself is a delightful place to wander around and Harriet's is
only a few hundred yards from the entrance to Blenheim Palace. The Dukes
of Marlborough continue to live here and it was at the Palace that John
Churchill's most famous descendant, Sir Winston, was born in 1874. He now
lies buried in the peaceful churchyard at Bladon, a tiny village bordering
the great estate.
Opening times: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm (Monday-Friday); 8.30 am - 5.30 pm
(Saturday); 10.00 am - 5.30 pm (Sunday). Open later in the summer months.
Tel: (01993) 811231. |
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A visit to the heart of
Oxfordshire is a journey through time and textures. Market towns and
villages sit comfortably in a gentle landscape of woods and fields. Local
materials give character to the buildings: the golden glow of Cotswold
stone, the warmth of old hand made brick and tiles on farms and ancient
oak-beamed barns. There is everything from the simple charms of a thatched
cottage to the baroque splendour of Blenheim Palace. It is not surprising
that this is an ideal setting for a pottery set in a complex of four
period farm buildings at Kingsway Farm just outside the little village of
Aston on the B4449 between Bampton and Standlake.
For almost ten years Jane and Stephen Baughan of Ellis Baughan Design have
been developing a range of household ceramics that offer a unique
combination of quality, style and durability. The pottery now supplies
over 200 shops in Britain, Europe and America and includes in its client
list such prestigious names as John Lewis, General Trading and The
National Trust. Kingsway Farm has been extensively renovated to provide an
efficient and modern environment, and visitors can see the whole
production process from concept to completion. You can see how the
traditional methods of slip-casting, jiggering and jollying are employed
to create the beautiful tableware. And, you can find out exactly what a 'Sagger
makers bottom knocker' does!
The design team has pioneered the unique style of decoration used here. It
involves an innovative method of hand-stenciling that gives graduated
tone, colour and texture plus a high level of detail. The decorative
artists train for up to 2 years and work in teams in the tradition of the
great ceramic designers such as Suzy Cooper and Clarice Cliff. There is a
choice of over 40 different shapes which includes everything from delicate
teapots, cups, saucers and plates to mighty 7 pint jugs, practical
colanders, plant holders, butter dishes and egg cups. Tours and
demonstrations are available Monday to Friday from the 1st April to 31st
October.
The light and spacious 2,000 square foot showrooms are housed in one of
the only intact single aisled milking and calving barns left in the
country. This unique building has been faithfully restored to feature its
original structure with an ornate solid oak roof and timbering. There is a
design here to suit every taste; collect one design for a service that
will look stunning at a dinner party or wonderfully elegant for high tea.
This is the only place that you will have the opportunity to view the
entire Ellis Baughan Design range.
In one corner of the showroom is the bright and cheerful tea room. The
theme of the pottery is reflected in the bright floral prints of the
tablecloths, and of course, all the crockery is 'home made'. Although the
menu is limited, the cakes are all made locally, and the flapjacks and
lemon drizzle cake are especially popular with regular visitors. The show
room looks out onto one of the most unique cottage garden borders, giving
a blaze of colour through the summer, with terracotta pots giving colour
during the winter months, and contains some very rare species of plants.
Opening times: Open 7 days a week. Mon-Sat 09.00am-5.00pm Sun.
10.30am-4.30pm
Tel: (01993) 852031 |
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