The huge open spaces of Salisbury Plain are home to Europe’s most important prehistoric site, Stonehenge, and to the most prolific manifestation of corn circles in the world. Some 5000 years ago, this was probably the most densely populated area of England: today, with vast tracts of the plain in the hands of the Ministry of Defence, it has been called "England’s Empty Quarter".

Only one main road, the A360, bisects the plain from north to south, and about half way along its length you’ll find the pleasing little village of Tilshead. The older buildings here are an attractive medley of thatched cottages and Georgian houses or, in the case of Beckets Tea Rooms, a charming blend of both. The older part of the building dates back some 300 years and its cosy, olde-worlde rooms provide a perfect setting for a traditional English tea room.

Low beams and a wood-burning stove add to the warmth of the welcome you’ll receive at this family run tea rooms.

Typical of their customer-friendly approach is a note on the bill of fare that reads "If you would like something other than appears on the menu, - please ask". They are just as relaxed and flexible about opening times. Should you arrive minutes before the advertised closing hour, you won’t be bundled on your way with the customary "Sorry, love, just closing". If you have young children with you, a high chair and feeding cups are on hand, and for the disabled there is easy access to the tea room and access to the toilets with assistance.

But what about the food? Well, "Mum makes a mean omelet!" says Linda, and in fact the fare here is outstanding. There are Cream Teas, naturally, with the home made scones receiving lots of compliments, and some wonderful home made cakes, with Coffee & Walnut, Chocolate Marble Cake and the Banana Bread amongst the most popular. The menu also includes a Full English or Vegetarian Breakfast as well as an appetising choice of light bites, jacket potatoes and sandwiches.

In addition there are daily specials on offer, - a Chicken & Pasta dish perhaps, or a proper, home made Cauliflower Cheese. Linda herself has a nut allergy so they make sure that all the food served at Beckets is carefully monitored to avoid any problems.

If you are lucky with the weather you can enjoy this tasty fare in the delightful south facing garden with its attractive flowers, shrubs, trees, and elegant water feature. If you are visiting Stonehenge or exploring Salisbury Plain, then Beckets is the place to make for at teatime or indeed at any time throughout the day.

Opening times: 10.00am - 5.00pm or later (Monday - Saturday; Sundays, open at 11.00am). Times may vary in winter: - please telephone to check.

The soft West Country accent pronounces the letter ‘S’ as a ‘Z’ which probably accounts for the fact that every town or village in the country whose name begins with Z is located in the southwest!

The village of Zeals takes its name from the old English word ‘sealh’ meaning a willow, although there are few of these gracious trees in the parish today. On the doorstep of three counties, ~ Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, the southern part of Zeals is actually in Dorset! The road that bisects the village was once the main holiday route through to Devon and Cornwall until the bypass was built, taking all the through traffic and leaving Zeals in peace.

When it’s time to quench your thirst though, Zeals is where Marie and Peter Boxall have been welcoming hungry visitors for many years to their 17th century home, the only tea-room open locally in winter. Located just off the main road, at the top of Fantley Lane, Stag Cottage is everything a traditional English tearoom should be. A delightful white thatched cottage with a pair of antlers above the door, low-beamed ceilings and cream jugs of all shapes and sizes hung on the walls. Brasses and toasting forks glint in the sun and there’s a wonderful aroma of freshly made scones.

Scones are Marie’s specialty, a claim borne out by her impressive collection of First Prize certificates from Stourton Show. Not just plain scones but cheese, wholemeal and fruit varieties, or Wiltshire bacon with cheese.

Both Marie and Peter like to think of their customers as ‘visiting us in our home’. They have deliberately kept their menu simple, so anything you order can be freshly prepared.

They serve the sort of things they themselves used to long for in tea-rooms but could rarely find: old-fashioned high teas such as ‘Fish Tea’, featuring sardines on toast, or ‘Egg Tea’, with 2 boiled eggs, all accompanied by a generous pot of tea. Old favourites such as Cider Apple Cake or toasted teacakes vie with apple pie with clotted cream, or a Cream Tea, all of which can be enjoyed in summer on the tiny lawn outside. Children love the Beatrix Potter china mugs and plates; parents love the children’s book corner which keeps them quiet for hours. There’s even a baby-sitting service to go with comfortable Bed & Breakfast accommodation, complete with four-poster bed!

Opening times: 2.30pm to 5.30pm, Monday & Tuesday; 10.00am to 5.30pm, Thursday to Saturday; 12.30pm to 5.30pm Sunday. Hours extend to 6.30pm in summer. Closed Wednesday. B & B all year round.