Where afternoon tea makes a warm farm-style welcome
To mark Afternoon Tea Day on June 25th, here's 6 properties that offer delicious afternoon tea
21 June 2021
(Last updated: 10 Aug 2021 13:30)
Afternoon tea is a quintessential British tradition. A warm fruit scone generously dressed in jam and clotted cream, followed by dainty sandwiches and cakes, washed down with tea in china cups. All very satisfying and just a bit naughty… well, you are on your holidays, a time of treats and rewards for hard work. What better time to spoil yourself?
Bampfield Farm, Barnstaple, Devon
2 cottages each sleep 6 to 8
Lynda and Neil offer a traditional warm welcome to their farm with an award-winning freshly baked Devon cream tea. Get ready to breathe deeply and relax as you take in stunning views of rolling hills and beyond to the sea.
At Bampfield Farm guests can experience the delights of the countryside as well as local market shopping in nearby Barnstaple. During your stay can collect eggs laid by the farm’s hens and enjoy lazy breakfasts as the cows come home for milking. Ideal for a family holiday, the fabulous North Devon beaches and Exmoor National Park are a short drive away.
Great Bodieve Farm Barns, Wadebridge, Cornwall
4 cottages each sleep 2-8
A delicious cream tea will be ready to greet you on arrival at your chosen cottage on this farm in north Cornwall. Nestled just outside Wadebridge, Great Bodieve Farm Barns is a working farm with horses, sheep and cattle. Well positioned for easy access to the town and other attractions across the county, it’s ideal for exploring the rugged coast or walking and cycling the Camel Trail. Poldark fans will be delighted to know that it’s also close to many of the film locations from the TV series, including Bodmin Moor, Porthcothan’s sandy beach, and the Padstow area.
Forda Farm B&B in Holsworthy, Devon
Two self-contained rooms, sleeps 6
On arrival at this traditional, working farm nestling in a tranquil secluded valley close to the North Devon/Cornwall border, you can expect a delicious Devon cream tea served either in your room or outside in the garden, with local clotted cream, jam and homemade scones. This offers guests an opportunity to make themselves at home and to find out a little about Forda Farm, home to Val, Roddy and family.
Holsworthy is an ideal base for family holidays and is popular with walkers, cyclists and surfers enjoying the waves at nearby Bude.
Church Farm Country Cottages, Bideford on Avon, Wiltshire
8 cottages, sleep 2-12
Trish Bowles is another host who takes a pride in welcoming guests to her farm with a cream tea – although if you’re staying at Christmas, you can look forward to a locally produced mince pie and brandy clotted cream on arrival!
The eight delightful cottages are on the family’s working sheep farm located between Bath and Bradford on Avon. In addition to the cottages, there’s a gold award winning converted barn, The Old Granary, with 5 bedrooms/3 bathrooms, ideal for larger group stays.
Guests can make use of a luxurious indoor heated pool and games room, and it’s within walking distance of a host of amenities – the farm shop and barn café, and village pub. The nearby Kennet and Avon canal is ideal for boating, cycling and walking. Trish can arrange discounted tickets to Longleat House and Safari Park just 12 miles away if this is on your ‘must-do’ list.
Higher Biddacott Farm, Umberleigh, Devon
4 rooms, sleeps up to 10
Fiona promises to spoil you on your stay in the B&B accommodation on this organic working farm, and that begins with a complimentary cream tea on arrival. Staying in one of the lovely spacious rooms in the 12th century house means you’ll wake up to a view of rolling Devon countryside
Tuck into a scrumptious breakfast in the dining room and you may hear the sound of the farm’s Shire horses heading out into the fields to start their working day.
The farm sits on the edge of the peaceful Taw Valley, not far from Barnstable and South Molton, and there’s plenty to do in the area. But if you’d prefer to stay close to home, there’s a farm trail to explore and you can arrange to have a wagon ride. You could even book yourself onto a horse driving course!
Holly Water Holidays, Crediton, Devon
Glamping accommodation, sleeps 2-4
Holly Water Holidays is an off-grid, eco-friendly glamping escape in glorious Mid-Devon offering a choice of stays in one of two shepherd’s huts or a treehouse. To help you celebrate your arrival and mark the start of a relaxing break, you’ll find a welcome basket with all that you need to make a cuppa – but why not upgrade to the large Cream Tea basket comprising of bread and butter, homemade scones, clotted cream and home-made jam, for just £12. (Other baskets available include The Big Breakfast!)
This working dairy farm, run by Ian and Jane, is also home to all sorts of other animals to meet, including Highland cattle and kune kune pigs. Being located in mid-Devon, it has the advantage of being within easy reach of both Exmoor, Dartmoor, and the North Devon and South Devon beaches are each within a one our drive.