Hotel Endsleigh is a beautiful Grade I Listed historic house owned and designed by Olga Polizzi.  This is a memorable setting for Traditional Afternoon Tea, on the banks of the River Tamar, surrounded by fairytale gardens designed by Humphry Repton.  

Hotel Endsleigh was originally built as a fishing and hunting Lodge by the Duke of Bedford in 1814.  Hidden on the edge of Dartmoor, the hotel is set in a secluded 108 acres of fairytale gardens, woodland, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton, the last great English landscape designer of the eighteenth century.  In 2004 Olga Polizzi bought Endsleigh and restored it as a luxury hotel, designing the 21 rooms in her inimitable classically elegant English style, with period furniture, contemporary art, roll-top bathtubs, book-lined shelves and squishy sofas to curl up on. 

Every day, traditional Afternoon Tea is served, offering an array of cakes, scones and sandwiches.  This tends to be served in the panelled dining room, with its wonderful vista of the Tamar valley and the longest continuous border in England.  For those dining with their dogs, the Drawing Room, Library, Duchess Lounge or Quiet Room are available.  In warmer months, guests can enjoy afternoon tea on the Terrace, or under the smaller arbour, paved with sheep’s knuckles, overlooking the children’s parterre.  Endsleigh is a place of supreme tranquillity with no noise or light pollution, no muzak whatsoever, only the birds singing and the bats squeaking. This is somewhere to take time, to relax and to return to.  

Afternoon Tea begins with a selection of finger sandwiches such as smoked salmon & cream cheese and cucumber & cream cheese.  This is followed by savoury snacks including goats’ cheese gougère, parmesan craquelin and Old Cornish & apricot sausage roll.  Traditional plain and fruit scones are offered with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry conserve, as well as house-made cakes such as a Victoria slice, a Lemon and Hazelnut Tartlet and a Black Forest & Mascarpone Choux.  All is served with tea or coffee and an optional glass of Champagne.

All bookings include admittance to The Gardens.