National Afternoon Tea Week being celebrated at Belvoir Castle where the tradition may have first began

According to an archivist, the tradition of afternoon tea started out at a local landmark.

Belvoir Castle is inviting visitors to celebrate National Afternoon Tea Week from today (Monday) until Sunday, in a place where it is said that the tradition first began.

During the 19th century, it is said that the visiting Duchess of Bedford decided the wait between lunch and dinner was too long and asked for sandwiches, cakes and tea to be brought to her rooms one afternoon when she and her husband were staying for a hunting weekend.

The Castle said that "a delve into the castle archives confirms the likely truth of the account".

Archivist Peter Foden said: “We identified just two or three weekends in the early 1840s when the Duke and Duchess of Bedford visited Belvoir together.

"All the gentlemen were of course out in the field, and so the ladies were left indoors getting bored. At this time, there was no resident Duchess at Belvoir to entertain visiting Duchesses, which makes the guest ordering tea in her room all the more likely.”

Visitors today can enjoy afternoon tea in the Aviary, the Regency-style tearoom, or in the Duchess Parlour in the Engine Yard.

Each afternoon tea includes a selection of sandwiches, fruit and plain homemade scones with jam and clotted cream, mini cakes and a pot of tea or coffee. A Prosecco Afternoon tea, Vegan and Vegetarian options are also available.

The afternoon tea offer starts from £50 for two people. The ticket also includes access to the Castle’s award-nominated gardens.

To book afternoon tea at Belvoir Castle, visit https://www.belvoircastle.com/book-tickets-afternoon-tea/

Got a story? Email comment@granthamjournal.co.uk