Teas in the Tower at Blackmore

Hannah Salisbury extols the virtues of the tea and cakes at St. Laurence in Blackmore, with some wonderful photographs.

I love living in an old country. When there’s tea and cake involved, I love it even more.

This is one venue that comes highly recommended for tea, cake and centuries of history, all in one picturesque package.

On the first Sunday of the month from May to October the church of St Laurence in Blackmore opens its doors for Teas in the Tower for 2.30pm-4.30pm, when tea and home-make cakes are served in the foot of the church’s magnificent medieval wooden tower.

The timber frame visible inside the tower is really magnificent. The timbers were recently dendro-dated, and it was found that they were felled in the winters of 1397 and 1398.

The church is a fascinating building to explore, with so many centuries jumbled up together.

Despite its grand old age of over 600 years, the tower is not actually the oldest part of the church; the west wall is more like 800 years old (this explains why there are windows in what is now an internal wall).

Look out also for some beautiful stained glass and stone memorials around the church. One set of windows which are in what is now the kitchen commemorate Blackmore being spared damage in a Zeppelin raid in 1916, which dropped bombs nearby.

As well as the architecture and cake, there is different musical entertainment each month, and friendly people to welcome you.