[Ad- gifted experience] The world seems to be defrosting, cold mornings are no longer here, and birds have started to come out in full force! With the opening of Flatford’s tea room, Dann and I decided to check out this National Trust site to see how it defrosted along with the rest of the world. We have not previously been to Flatford before and were curious as there were a lot of things to see there.
River Stour
Flatford has a beautiful river you can walk along or go over, called River Stour. It had been raining lately when we went, so the river itself was absolutely gushing, which was very fun to walk along and see. They have a few locks along the river, along with benches to sit and bird watch on it. The field around the river had some flooding, so a lot of the ducks and geese had been exploring this new pond of theirs, but there were plenty of wildlife around. It’s actually a fantastic place to go bird watching!
Flatford Tea Room
The tea room had just opened, so we were excited to give it a try. This tea room is on the river, with some outdoor seating and indoor seating, with beautiful rooms. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I got a Chai Steamer, which was really delicious, and Dann got a Mocha which he enjoyed. We went for the hot food of the day; a Butternut Squash Thai soup and a bowl of chili. Dann really liked the soup, it had a lot of flavor and nice warmth to it. They have different soups of the day including apple and turnip, leek and potato, and ham and pea. All of them sounded very good! My chili was a bean chili, which was very filling and well seasoned. Both came with some bread.
We also got a cheese scone, mainly because I have never had one before. The scone was very savory and delicious with a great amount of cheese. Dann and I also split a classic lemon drizzle cake, which was moist and very lemon. They had a lot of the classics at the Flatford Tea Room, and it was so fun seeing the birds dart just outside the window. We were visited by a few robins and a finch as well.
Bridge Cottage
Right by the tea room, there is also a small historical cottage. I mainly say small because these buildings were designed for much smaller people, so we needed to duck to go in. There are tons of banners that tell the story of those who lived and worked in Flatford, along with items they would have had, placed around. It’s a very neat place to look around and we did enjoy how preserved it all felt.
Gift Shop at Flatford
Int he same area as the tea room and cottage, there is a small gift shop and second hand bookshop! The gift shop has a lot of small gift items, which is always nice. They had these little outdoor decorations of pigs and smaller plant pot decorations like a mouse. It’s a cute little shop if you are looking to grab something. There is also a sensory garden that’s open in the summertime, that looked fantastic too.
Dann and I really liked how peaceful Flatford felt. There are a lot of different places to explore, the parking is easy to pay for, and the amount of birds are fantastic.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!
That sounds like an amazing day! I love all the scenery on the grounds, and the food looks amazing, too!
Looks like you guys had so much fun. Your family looks healthy and happy, which is all anyone could ever ask for ! Cheers to many more adventures together.
It sounds like you guys had a really lovely day out and that there was plenty to do and see. The butternut squash soup sounds yummy.
Wow! This is a beautiful place to visit with my family. Good food to a good place with good people.
I’ve never had a cheese scone either, though I’d love to try one. Little treats like this are nice.
Flatford sounds like such a charming spot, especially with the river views and all the birdwatching! The tea room treats sound delicious too and now I’m curious to try a cheese scone.
Sounds like a great, scenic way to spend the afternoon, I probably would have spent a lot of time in the bookshop! The food looks good as well, glad you guys enjoyed yourselves!