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Cream teas and gardens

The Vyne in Sherborne St John near Basingstoke is owned by the National Trust and offers visitors over a thousand acres of beautiful gardens and parkland to explore.

The house is set in beautiful relaxing gardens which extend from the formal summerhouse and stone gallery gardens with fine herbaceous borders to the more natural Wild Garden and fruit trees of the orchard and walled garden.

The onsite restaurant serves dishes made from local produce where possible, full of homemade freshness and flavour.

Mottisfont Abbey and Garden near Romsey, also National Trust, is home to the National Collection of old fashioned roses. The abbey and garden form the focal point of an 809 hectare estate which includes most of Mottisfont,farmland and woods.

A tributary of the River Test flows through the garden, forming a superb and tranquil setting for a 12th-century Augustinian priory.

The Kitchen Cafe provides a welcome stop for visitors, with a delicious selection of refreshments.

Nearby, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens boasts the largest winter garden in Europe.

Established in 1953 by distinguished plantsman Sir Harold Hillier, the magnificent collection of over 42,000 plants from temperate regions around the world are set within 180-acres.

Open all year, the Gardens display stunning seasonal variation and include 12 National Plant Collections, Gurkha Memorial Garden, 200 metre long summer flowering border, and Children's Education Garden which was opened in 2006 by Sir David Attenborough.

The Pavilion Restaurant is open all year, and afternoon tea is available at Jermyn's House Tea Rooms and Lawn during high season.

West Green House Gardens near Hartley Wintney in North Hampshire, have been restored recently. Its main feature is a charming walled garden with many different borders containing different types of plants, from vegetables to roses.

Voted one of the UK's top 50 gardens it is open to the public from May till August. Why not visit the gardens and stay for one of the opera evenings, with a picnic in a romantic setting beside the lake?

The perfect, traditional Afternoon Tea is served at West Green House Gardens. Freshly baked scones with clotted cream, sandwiches, cakes served on a three tier stand with either tea or coffee for £12.50.
Afternoon Tea is also available prior to the operas from 4-6pm.

Langrish House Hotel near Petersfield serves wicked cream teas throughout the year. Enjoy a delicious spread in the beautiful gardens or a cosy sitting room.

In the delightful village of East Meon, Harvesting Cream Teas serves all home made produce in an idyllic setting.