During our Lake District road trip in our loaned VW campervan, we were happy to rough it most of the time. You know I appreciate the finer things in life though, so I was very pleased to be invited to review afternoon tea at the Henrock Lounge in Linthwaite House by their PR representative.
Linthwaite House sits atop a hill overlooking Lake Windermere. The views from their terrace out to the water, with the Coniston Hills beyond, is truly spectacular.
Henrock is two Michelin starred chef Simon Rogan‘s latest venture, located within the hotel. The Lounge is its more laid-back dining and bar area.
What a treat! Linthwaite House’s offering has to be the best luxury afternoon tea in the entire Lake District. This is a place I’ll be raving about for a long time. If you’re looking for the best afternoon tea in Windermere and, in my opinion, the entire Lake District, read on…
Why the Henrock Lounge at Linthwaite House has the best Lake District afternoon tea
We dined in Henrock Lounge’s conservatory, throwing the occasional wistful glance out to the terrace. When the weather is fine, I definitely recommend taking afternoon tea at Linthwaite House al fresco!
The Henrock Lounge is tastefully decorated in sumptuous fabrics. Throughout the hotel and its grounds, there are woodland creature sculptures that create a relieving sense of playfulness in the otherwise elegant atmosphere.
Our waiter was a lovely guy who chatted amiably with us about the best places to visit in the Lake District. He offered me a glass of what instantly became my new favourite drink: a tantalising sparkling rosé wine, made exclusively for Simon Rogan to serve in his restaurant.
‘Exton Park with Simon Rogan’ Rosé NV is like nothing I’ve tasted before. I thanked our waiter for introducing me to it, and I’m just gutted I can’t buy a bottle to drink at home!
As we slowly unfurled in the afternoon sun that streams into the conservatory and let the rosé slip down, our afternoon tea was presented to us with a flourish. Too abundant to be contained to just one classic cake stand, Linthwaite House’s afternoon tea is impressive thanks to its sheer quantity at first glance. An array of dishes were placed before us.
To start, traditional finger sandwiches made with pleasingly soft fresh bread (Henrock uses local ingredients including produce from their farm, which is located a few miles away in the Cartmel Valley).
The selection included the British staples: egg and cress, lashings of smoked salmon with dill cream cheese and cucumber, ham, and Lincolnshire Poacher cheese with damson jam – the latter of which even Tom demolished, and he’s a fussy eater!
The scones were plain and fruited, with the customary jam and clotted cream, plus lemon curd. I’ve never had lemon curd on an afternoon tea before and it’s definitely something I can get on board with!
Next, we tackled the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. The two slices come out on their own dish, giving them the air of a bonus prize on top of the cake stand’s top tier. The frosting was wonderfully creamy and the cake had a perfect combination of sweetness and spice.
Even the waiter was surprised that we managed to chomp through the sweet treats. There was a raspberry sablé breton with vanilla cream, a seriously indulgent chocolate eclair with chocolate crémeaux and a delightfully boozy cherry & sherry trifle.
Exploring Linthwaite House’s grounds
Upon our waiter’s recommendation, we decided to take a walk in the hotel grounds after our feast.
Oh, how glad I am that we did! Linthwaite House has the most stunning gardens I’ve seen in England. Yes, I did award a Yorkshire hotel with that very professional legit title a while back, but Linthwaite House takes the cake!
A wander away from the sun terrace reveals a giant chess set, and to the other side of the land there’s a boules pitch.
Up through the woodlands and past more enchanting animal sculptures, you’ll find a hidden swing that is all kinds of Instagram-friendly. Swinging in it feels like you’re launching yourself straight across Lake Windermere!
We had to look hard for it, but we eventually found the boating lake that our waiter had mentioned. How serene?!
There are two rowing boats that guests can take onto the still, tranquil tarn – if you can rouse the ducks from their slumber, that is.
The tarn also has a small cabin which would be the perfect place for a romantic afternoon with a bottle of fizz and a picnic. Can you imagine a more perfect hideaway?
Barbour sandals gifted from Shuperb
We were in awe at the beauty of Linthwaite House and agreed that we’d book a night there for our first wedding anniversary. We just need to successfully tie the knot in Italy first, after a series of setbacks!
I highly recommend afternoon tea at the Henrock Lounge in Linthwaite House if you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion in the Lake District. Our afternoon tea in Windermere was a very memorable experience for us and one that will provide the benchmark for afternoon teas to come.
I challenge you to find a more luxurious afternoon tea in the Lake District in finer surroundings. Go on, try.
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I was invited to experience afternoon tea at Linthwaite House on a complimentary basis in exchange for sharing my views. This is not a sponsored post.
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