Having recently moved from London to the country, I was eager to identify a new weekend hang-out to replace my former London favourites. It didn’t take long. The Orchard is a tea room, located just a mile or so outside Cambridge in the idyllic village of Grantchester and best reached by a gentle punt or stroll. The place is steeped in history and as you sit under the trees in deckchairs you can just picture former patrons taking tea while enjoying time out from their academic brilliance. King George IV, Virginia Woolf, A A Milne, J G Ballard are among those known to have frequented The Orchard, so you’ll be keeping good company!

With a setting reminiscent of Swallows and Amazons, it really is the perfect place to be on an English summer’s day; lazing in the garden and enjoying an excellent cream tea. The scones are huge and fresh, and for cake enthusiasts there are Victoria sponges, chocolate, carrot and coffee cakes galore. Although the tone can be quite genteel they are very baby and child-friendly. Children can amuse themselves for hours playing under the trees whilst the grown-ups enjoy a leisurely read of the papers or move onto something stronger. Champagne, anyone?

TiYK Top Tip! Midweek visits to The Orchard are best for avoiding the queues and other well-informed tourists! Why not make a day of it and take to your bike for a glorious cycle across the Grantchester Meadows from Cambridge? Alternatively, experienced river folk may like tohire a punt and enjoy a leisurely glide upriver.

Photo courtesy of S.Bennett on Flickr