Afternoon tea in the Cotswolds

The best afternoon teas in the Cotswolds are served in its country house hotels, such as Lords of the Manor at Upper Slaughter and the Slaughters Manor House at Lower Slaughter, and in its old coaching inns, such as the Bear at Woodstock, the Old Bell at Malmesbury and the Lygon Arms at Broadway. For something simpler, the tearooms in Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Shipston-on-Stour serve tea and cake through the day.

How we chose: every place below is one of our listed businesses whose own information shows that it serves afternoon tea or a cream tea. Times and prices come from the businesses and were checked in October 2026; they change with the seasons, so book ahead and confirm.

Where is the best afternoon tea in the Cotswolds?

For a full afternoon tea in grand surroundings, go to a manor house hotel: Lords of the Manor, the Slaughters Manor House or Buckland Manor near Broadway. For an old inn with a fire, go to the Bear at Woodstock or the Old Bell at Malmesbury. For a cream tea after a walk, go to the Bantam Tea Rooms in Chipping Campden or the Old Bakery Tearoom in Stow. Most hotels need a booking, and several ask for 24 hours' notice.

Afternoon tea in the country house hotels

Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter. A country house hotel in eight acres in Upper Slaughter, in a house it dates to 1649, with a kitchen that holds four AA Rosettes for its tasting menu. Afternoon tea at Lords of the Manor is served every day, from midday to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday and from 2.15pm on Sundays, at £35, with a cream tea at £14.50 (2026). Non-residents book online. Walk up from Lower Slaughter beforehand: the path up the River Eye is 3.1km there and back, and St Peter's is above the ford.

The Slaughters Manor House, Lower Slaughter. A seventeenth-century manor house on Copsehill Road, granted to Sir George Whitmore in 1611 and in his family until it became a hotel in 1964. The Slaughters Manor House serves afternoon tea from Tuesday to Saturday, 12.30pm to 4.30pm, in the lounges or, in fine weather, on the lawn, from £29.50 for a savoury tea and £35 for the full tea (sample menu prices, 2026). The walk to Upper Slaughter starts in the village.

Buckland Manor, near Broadway. A thirteenth-century manor house in ten acres of gardens at Buckland, about 3km south of Broadway. Buckland Manor serves afternoon tea from 12.30pm to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and from 4pm to 5.30pm on Sundays, in the lounge or the garden, booked through OpenTable.

Calcot, Whatley Manor and Dormy House. Three spa hotels serve afternoon tea too: Calcot, on a 220-acre estate near Tetbury, in its Brasserie or the Hive from 3pm (4pm in the Brasserie on Sundays);Whatley Manor, near Malmesbury, in its Drawing Room every day at £42.50 (2026); and Dormy House, on the hill above Broadway, in the Back Garden from 2pm to 4pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at £45 (2026), with vegan and gluten-free menus; its Greenhouse also does cake and coffee.

Afternoon tea in the old inns and town hotels

The Bear, Woodstock. A thirteenth-century coaching inn on Park Street, a few minutes' walk from Blenheim Palace. The Bear serves afternoon tea every day from 1pm to 4pm by the fire in the Churchill Lounge, booked online, and dogs are welcome in the bar and courtyard. Pair it with the short Woodstock town walk. During Christmas at Blenheim Palace, from mid-November to early January, the palace's Orangery serves afternoon tea as well, booked separately.

The Feathers, Woodstock. On Market Street, a few minutes from Blenheim's gates, with two AA Rosettes and a Michelin Key. The Feathers serves afternoon tea in The Nest, its restaurant, every day (2pm to 4pm Monday to Saturday, 3pm to 5pm on Sundays) at £40 (2026), booked at least 24 hours ahead by phone or email.

The Old Bell, Malmesbury. A Grade I listed hotel beside Malmesbury Abbey that says it has welcomed guests since 1220 (opens in a new tab). The Old Bell serves afternoon tea from midday to 5pm, best booked ahead, and dogs are welcome in the lounges. It is the overnight stop on our South Cotswolds weekend.

The Lygon Arms, Broadway. A Tudor coaching inn on the High Street, once called the White Hart; the hotel has records of an inn on the site from 1377. The Lygon Arms serves afternoon tea in the Russell Room in sittings at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, at £39.50 (2026), with log fires in the lounges; vegan and gluten-free teas need 24 hours' notice.

The Broadway Hotel, Broadway. A sixteenth-century inn on the green, with two AA Rosettes. The Broadway Hotel serves afternoon tea every day from midday to 4.30pm, with gluten-free and vegan options; it recommends booking.

The Lygon Arms, Chipping Campden. A different Lygon Arms, a coaching inn on Chipping Campden's High Street. The Lygon Arms in Campden serves afternoon tea in its lounge bar every day from 1pm to 6pm. Cotswold House, on the Upper High Street, serves it every day from midday to 4pm in its Hidcote Brasserie, and booking is essential.

The White Hart Royal, Moreton-in-Marsh. A seventeenth-century coaching inn on the High Street, where Charles I stayed, a short walk from the station. The White Hart Royal serves afternoon tea from £24.95 (opens in a new tab) (2026) to bookings only. Nearby, the Redesdale serves afternoon tea Monday to Saturday if booked ahead. It is the base for our three days without a car.

The White Hart, Winchcombe. On the High Street of a walkers' town. The White Hart serves afternoon tea from 3pm to 5pm daily, booked 24 hours ahead.

Afternoon tea by the river and in the valleys

The Swan, Bibury. A former coaching inn by the bridge over the Coln, a short walk from Arlington Row. The Swan Hotel serves afternoon tea by the river in its brasserie, and tables can be booked; walk the river loop first.

The Dial House, Bourton-on-the-Water. A hotel on the High Street with a garden and terrace. The Dial House serves afternoon tea from midday to 3pm, Monday to Saturday.

The Snooty Fox, Tetbury. On the Market Place by the Market House. The Snooty Fox serves afternoon tea daily from 3pm to 5.30pm, from £17.50 (2026).

The Painswick, Painswick. A late eighteenth-century Palladian house on Kemps Lane with valley views. The Painswick serves afternoon tea Monday to Saturday from midday to 3.45pm and takes bookings online; the Rococo Garden is a short walk.

Stonehouse Court and the Bear of Rodborough, near Stroud. Stonehouse Court, a seventeenth-century manor house with its own kitchen garden, serves afternoon tea indoors or on the garden terrace, with scones, clotted cream and jam and the option of prosecco, champagne or a gin and tonic. Up on the National Trust's common, the Bear of Rodborough serves afternoon tea every day in its Library Restaurant.

Tearooms and cream teas in the Cotswolds

A tearoom is the simpler, cheaper choice, and most do not need a booking. Huffkins in Moreton-in-Marsh and Huffkins in Witney serve lunch and afternoon tea every day and welcome dogs. By the canal at Chalford, the Lavender Bakehouse bakes its cakes on the premises and opens every day from 10am to 4pm; its afternoon high tea runs from 2pm on most days and must be booked and paid for in advance.

Bantam Tea Rooms, Chipping Campden. A tea room since 1949, in a house of 1693 on the High Street overlooking the Market Hall. The Bantam Tea Rooms bake their cakes and scones daily, with a gluten-free choice, and have a tea garden behind; their website gives no opening hours, so ring to check before a special trip. It is the tea stop on our one-day North Cotswolds trip, before Broadway Tower.

The Old Bakery Tearoom, Stow-on-the-Wold. In Fountain Court off Digbeth Street, run by Jackie and Alan since 2005, where everything is made on the premises. The cream tea at the Old Bakery Tearoom, two scones with clotted cream and jam, is £11.95 (opens in a new tab) (2026), with a gluten-free version. It is closed on Thursdays and Sundays, takes groups of up to six, and dogs come in.

The Croft, Bourton-on-the-Water. A café on Riverside, by the Windrush. The Croft lists afternoon tea among what it serves, opens every day, and says well-behaved dogs are welcome; breakfast and lunch are walk-in only at weekends. It is the lunch stop on the first day of two days in the North Cotswolds.

Mrs Browns, Shipston-on-Stour. Tea rooms on the High Street of Shipston-on-Stour, open every day. Mrs Browns serves a traditional cream tea, a fruit or plain scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam and a pot of tea, for £7.50 (October 2026), has choices for dairy and wheat intolerances and asks you to mention any needs before ordering.

Garden and farm tearooms. The tea room at Kiftsgate Court, the garden next to Hidcote, serves cakes and cream teas in the garden's open season, paid by card only. Below the escarpment near Winchcombe, the Orchard Kitchen at Hayles Fruit Farm serves homemade cakes and loose-leaf tea, Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. At Daylesford, near Kingham, the Trough and the Legbar both serve afternoon tea, and in Woodstock the café at the free Oxfordshire Museum serves sandwiches and light lunches, with decking and garden seats in summer.

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Booking afternoon tea in the Cotswolds

Book the hotel teas ahead, especially at weekends and in December. The Feathers in Woodstock and the White Hart in Winchcombe ask for 24 hours' notice, the White Hart Royal and the Redesdale in Moreton serve afternoon tea only to bookings, and the Slaughters Manor House serves it only from Tuesday to Saturday. Say when you book if you need a gluten-free or vegan tea: the Lygon Arms at Broadway asks for 24 hours' notice, and Dormy House has vegan and gluten-free menus.

For a whole day of it, walk between the Slaughters in the morning and book tea at one of their manor houses, or see Arlington Row early and take tea by the river at the Swan. At Christmas, tea by the fire at the Bear in Woodstock pairs with the light trail at Blenheim; see our guide to Christmas in the Cotswolds.