After a hard day of walking, there are many warm and cozy places to relax.
- Soak up the warmth of the wood-burner in The Tulip Tree tea rooms in Kent
- Treat yourself to rich hot chocolates from the Cocoa tree Cafe along Scotland’s Fife coastline
- Tea On The Green Westward Ho has scones large enough for 2!
Every week our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don’t have to. Today’s topic: cozy cafes for autumn walks.
Walk around the Kent rolling meadows, passing Tonbridge, and then stop at the Tudor village Chiddingstone, which is home to the National Trust. Here you’ll find The Tulip Tree tea rooms, where a wood-burner keeps the converted coach house warm and the counter groans with cakes, scones and treats.
You can also stop by the nearby gift shop before you go. Dating from 1453, it’s said to be the oldest operating shop in England (thetuliptree.biz).
The Tulip Tree, Chiddingstone: Sweet spot!
After trekking along the Hewenden Viaduct you can stop at Spoons for a coffee.
The Cocoa Tree Cafe is Pittenweem’s best place to enjoy a hot cup of chocolate.
The cosy interior of Poppy’s at Winterton-on-Sea, which is named after the owners’ pet dog
After a strenuous walk along the Hewenden Viaduct (17-arch), near Bradford, relax in Spoons. The cafe welcomes ‘muddy boots and wet paws’ and has a secure bike park (spoons-tearoom.co.uk).
The Old Sawmill Tearoom is located at Skiddaw Mountain in the Lake District. It was once a mill that operated until 1970. Buy one of its shortbread squirrels and proceeds go to an animal conservation project in the nearby woods (theoldsawmill.co.uk).
The Cocoa Tree Cafe is a great place to stop on cold Fife Coast days. The owners also run the Pittenweem Chocolate Company and you’ll find its flavours in the cafe’s rich hot chocolates and mochaccinos (pittenweemchocolate.co.uk).
Winterton-on-Sea, on the Norfolk coast, has Poppy’s, a cosy cafe named after the owners’ dog. Buy local gins as well as stamps in its Post Office (wintertononsea.co.uk).
In Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, near the 400-acre National Botanic Garden of Wales, Wright’s Shop & Kitchen also hosts a Makers Market where you can meet and buy items from local artists, illustrators, potters and weavers (wrightsfood.co.uk).
A retro vibe runs through Tea On The Green by the sea in Devon’s Westward Ho – it’s where walkers can follow a mile-long section of old railway line to the viewing point on Cornborough Cliffs. Enjoy a Nutella hot chocolate or Strawberry Dream hot cocoa, or warm up with some scones (teaonthegreen.net).
Pictured is the ‘retro’ Tea On The Green by the sea in Devon’s Westward Ho
A festive hot chocolate display in Tea On The Green, which serves Nutella and Strawberry Dream varieties of cocoa
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