Afternoon Tea (for 10)/Stonehenge Tours

Just to be clear, are you looking at doing a Stonehenge tour from a London base or will you have time to go out and spend a couple of nights in Salisbury for easier access?

We will be doing the tour from a London base. We are staying in London for 7 nights. This is our first time to London (even for the adults!).

We had our Afternoon Tea at Wolsely. Great atmosphere. No regrets as to our choice. I remember a few larger groups but I won't swear to the "10 to a table" capacity.

Why don't you do the same as you would do at home if you had a larger group? Make contact with the business.

Most things I hear of Stonehenge ... underwhelming. Spend your time in Bath, close by, and get some history of the Roman life in Britain.

Walks of London (great walks, huge variety) mostly does London tours, but it does a few out-of-town one-day tours, one of which is to Salisbury and Stonehenge. The group travels initially by train to Salisbury (which I believe would be considerably faster than a tour bus), then by coach to Stonehenge.

The public tour is still suspended (COVID), but I was pleased to see a notice at the top of the webpage, saying private tours can be arranged. Your group is large enough that I bet a private tour wouldn't be terribly expensive on a per-person basis.

London Walks uses licensed guides. Many are out-of-work actors. Needless to say, their delivery is usually very engaging. Forewarned of the presence of 3 children (I'd include their ages), I'm sure they'll do a good job for you.

https://www.walks.com/our-walks/salisbury-stonehenge-tour-from-london/

I think there's a risk a trip just to Stonehenge could be low on bang-for-the-buck quotient, so my feeling is the Salisbury+Stonehenge combo is a better idea for a day-trip out of London. (I've never been to Stonehenge, so this is not an opinion based on my personal experience.)

Thank you, I will definitely check out the London walks. Thanks for including the link.

We may need to re-think visiting Stonehenge....I think my husband is intrigued. We wanted to see Bath, but I think it is too much. After London we head to Scotland and I'm trying to be mindful that this is a vacation and not to exhaust ourselves! ;)

Thank you for the suggestion to contact restaurant about larger party.

Based on RS reviews, we did contact the Wolseley, but the max is 6 per table unless we want a private room for 15 people. We may decide to book two tables, although they can't guarantee that the tables would be near one another.

So GoWest you’ve never been to Stonehenge but can judge. Really?

A Neolithic site that scientists, historians, archeologists, still can’t explain isn’t worth exploring?

Roman Baths are fine. Seen many.

There’s only one Stonehenge.

OP see if your children can solve the Stonehenge mystery. How the stones were moved and set up
and why?

As far as afternoon tea for 10 where ever you choose you’ll need to call ahead to arrange.

I did the - mentioned above - London Walks - www.walks.com - day trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge several years ago. Simon was the guide on my trip. It was very well organised and well worth the cost. Great to have someone else sort the logistics.

(Was personally underwhelmed by Stonehenge, but I understand they have a much better visitor centre and set up these days.)

I, too, have judged Stonehenge sight-unseen; I've opted not to go there on every trip I've taken to England (there must have been over ten at this point). And many people have reported being underwhelmed. Some love it. It definitely gets highly mixed reviews. I'm 100% certain that some of NPgirls party will find it really interesting and some will be as bored as I probably would be. The same could be said about many tourist attractions; it's just that this one involves a lot of travel time from London, and the pay-off is a very quick experience, very different from a day-trip to a sight that will occupy your for the better part of the day. The latter is why I think adding Salisbury is a good idea--and I'm a person who is forever telling people not to take day tours that cram in a lot of different towns.

Bath is not a great favorite of mine (I find the architecture repetitive), but it has a variety of sights. A lot of people love it --it draws a lot more positive comments here than Stonehenge. I wouldn't necessarily give up on Bath. It has decent transportation links from Heathrow. It wouldn't be too difficult to go straight there on your arrival day and spend a night or two.

I want to make it clear I'm not pushing for either of these side trips. There's enough in London to keep a family busy for weeks without the cost (in time and money) of traveling out of town. But either of these options could work. If Bath returns to the table, I'd definitely try to do it as a first stop before going to London, and that would mean spending a least one night there. If only staying one night, I think you'd need to travel to London late in the day on Day 2, because at least some of you will probably be too zonked after the overnight flight to focus on much of anything on your arrival day.

@ Acroven

Well said. When I travelled little, Stonehenge was high on my list. When I started to travel more, it moved down the list. I think your note about ratio of travel time:visit time is the point.

@Caolyn ... I wasn't judging what I heard. Just relaying what I have been told.

OP ... Hope the Afternoon Tea works no matter how many tables. Afternoon Tea didn't seem my cup of tea. (Pun intended.)
But most travelers always want a day to slow down from the go go go of being a tourist. The time at Woleslely was perfect for that.

The place was full and the crowed seemed to be lovers on a date, groups of friends tourists, and business deals.

Who is @caolyn?

I believe I met up with a online group at the Lancaster Hotel for tea -great food with generous portions. Unfortunately, I looked at their website and it only has up to 6 people for a reservation. I would call a place that you like and see if they can make an exception for ten. I don't see many places saying no. Other recommendation is Fortnum and Mason.

For your afternoon tea, I would look at the cafe inside the V&A Museum. It has several huge rooms, and they do not limit the number of people who can sit together.
You want to sit in the room with the gold dome overhead, where there will be live piano music.
Push together as many tables as you want.
Or sit in the wide hallway-like room just outside the gold dome room.
Formal afternoon tea can be ordered, or for those who want a bit less, they can choose from scones, cakes and pasties displayed on trays and have tea or coffee. They just pay for the items they want....not the whole formal tea service.

About your trip to Stonehenge.....I have been twice, and love the place. The history there, the museum, walking around the stones.....
there's an "atmosphere" or "aura" there that is different from anyplace you've ever been before.
Don't take the word of anyone who has not been to Stonehenge about whether to go or not.
Judge by what those say who have been there.
Part of the experience is to stand quietly and imagine what it was like to be there out on Salisbury Plain back in the days when Stonehenge was being built. Imagine what the people and their village looked like. Someone who has not been to Stonehenge cannot tell you whether this is a worthwhile experience, or not. Some people "feel something" while they are there; others do not.

Several nights spent at nearby Salisbury enhances your visit to Stonehenge. Why? Because this part of England has it's own vibe, far different from London. Salisbury has a magnificent cathedral, with its own copy of the Magna Carta, the document that changed English law and limited the powers of the king, on display. (in 1215; 807 years ago)
Salisbury has the Stonehenge Bus (leaving from the center of town) that brings you out to the stones.
Salisbury is reached easily by train from London.

You wrote "We are especially interested in tours that do a good job at making history exciting for children. Our children are 9, 11, and 14 years old. They enjoy learning and history, but enthusiastic guides make my job easier."

I would encourage you to talk to those kids now, and ask what they are interested in. Stonehenge? (Show them photos.) Castles?
There's the Tower of London, right in London, a castle and one-time prison. If you are wanting to keep the young people entertained, consider a day trip to a castle, such as Leeds Castle or Windsor Castle. Both are awesome. Warwick Castle has a long interesting history, with jousting and falconry displays. Suits of armor in the Great Hall, walls around the castle; a real medieval castle. Tours to these castles are available with Evan Evans bus tours.
https://evanevanstours.com/

Would any of the young people like the Harry Potter World/Warner Bros. Studio Tour?
We may be taking our granddaughter there this fall....and she is 20 years old, still a Harry Potter fan.
Also available from Evan Evans tours.
See the above link.

As far a spots for children your ages to enjoy I’d consider the Natural History Museum, the Tower Bridge Experience, Museum of Water and Steam, Greenwich, and one of these tours:
https://thamesribexperience.com/

Honestly I think riding upstairs on a double decker bus and on any underground line will be a rewarding experience. Simply avoid commuter times.

Oh and definitely take them to an actual train station. Waterloo, Paddington, or Victoria will do. They are experiences in there own right especially if they’ve never seen a train station. You will find cafes upstairs at Waterloo.

Lots of fun things for children in London to experience. Visit Camden Lock Market, food, shopping and then stroll along the canal path. Think they’ll be amazed to see the canal house boats as in “ who knew London has canals.?”

Claudia has come up with some great ideas!

If your young people like history, I suggest The Museum of London. Walk several blocks north of St. Paul's to find their museum.
The Museum of London has complete mosaic tile floors from Roman townhouses that have been uncovered in London.
Their exhibits tell about Roman London, back in the days when London had a Roman forum and an amphitheatre.
They have a diorama (table-top scale model) of the Roman docks and buildings.

They have many items displayed that have been found around London by archaeologists, such as Medieval jewelry, shields, Roman coins, shoes, etc. They have displays of clothing from every era; a dress from the 1960's with the Beatles' faces printed on it, Victorian dresses, and more. They have a gold carriage that's used for special occasions.
That's just a small sample of what they have on display. It will keep you busy for most of a day.
They had an excellent cafe for lunch (sandwiches and salads) but that was before Covid, so I hope it has reopened.

Have a look at their website for more information:
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london
A great museum for learning about the history of London.
I've been there 4 times, because they keep adding new and interesting exhibits.

they can choose from scones, cakes and pasties displayed on trays ...

Pasties? That must be some wild tea party :-)

So well traveled DQ and yet?!?!

Fortnum & Mason can easily accommodate 10 people and it’s the best Afternoon Tea I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot. It’s all you can eat and the highest quality.

I don't believe anyone has warned you that afternoon tea can be surprisingly (to an American) expensive. Fortnum & Mason is £70 per person, I believe, and there are some others in that price category. There are less expensive options if you don't want to pay $92 per person.

For us, the Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea was worth every penny for the amazing food, service and experience.

Tea at F and M could be your evening meal which makes the price a little more palatable. I have had tea there, at Harrods and at Wolseley. The people at Wolseley are really nice-we were late for our reservation due to transportation issues and they said no problem we'll see you when you get here. F and M was our favorite in London(I also enjoyed the Pump Room in Bath) for the elegance, live music, and dress code not onerous(business casual).

I second the Museum of London for the children. I assume you are planning to take them to the British Museum. I also think they would enjoy Avebury more than Stonehenge because the stones at Avebury aren't roped off. I went on a Mad Max tour which you shouldn't try on a day tour from London, so you would likely need to rent a car in Bath.

hey hey NPgirl
couple sites to check out for afternoon tea:
b-bakery.com
there is an afternoon double decker bus that has a route going past london attractions. sit on top, pick which tour and enjoy
afternoonteaonline.co.uk
many places listed and what part of london, check themed afternoon teas. what different food/drink is served.email afternoonteaonline.co.uk for more info and maybe coupon codes.
wowcher.co.uk
free registration for this site. thanks to london poster emma long ago for site.
click london, click more, scroll down to afternoon teas. many listed and many are 2 for 1 specials
many other activities even for the kids.
redletterdays.co.uk
hope you found a place and have fun
aloha

So well traveled DQ and yet?!?!

Well color me red ... since my travels haven't taken me to England in over 40 years (and then only for a quick few hours during a layover) I had no idea pasties were a meat filled turnover (had to look it up) ... didn't quite understand the reply, now I do ... I will now think of you Claudia when I go there next year and see pasties on the menu and be ready to reply to my wife when she sees me turning red ... any other language pitfalls I need to be aware of? ... I'm aware of their unfortunate term for a cigarette ... might be a good topic for the forum ... Words and terms to be aware of in foreign lands

"Homely"--when applied to a lodging--is a good thing in the UK. We'd say "homey" instead, for a place that feels like home. This difference has caused me to pause a few times when reading hotel reviews.

DQ, don’t say “fanny pack.”

We’ve had many threads about British/American words over the years.

Wow. Thank you for all the wonderful advice. This is our first international trip with our daughters and really for us in many, many years. We usually take road-trips, so it will be a new experience to not have the freedom and flexibility of a car. I appreciate the thoughts about worth of day trip to Stonehenge from a time, money, and value perspective. The girls are interested in going...and we are definitely intrigued by the mystery. I can see us standing there imagining the stones being moved into place and the reasoning. :) But, we'll see when we put together the final itinerary. (I like the idea of including it with a trip to Salisbury and/or Avebury.)

Again, thank you, for the many different thoughts about afternoon tea and suggested locations. I have made some inquiries based on the suggestions. I found out St Ermin's can accommodate 10 guests. I like the idea of a very special experience for our families at Fortnum and Mason, but as was mentioned, we've done the math and it is quite expensive. I did find out that they have a children's menu for half the price. And, I was thinking about having it for an early dinner to justify the expense. We might decide to split into two tables or try the V & A Museum or St. Ermins for a less expensive, but better shared experience. We'll see.

And, all the other recommendations...I hadn't read about the Museum of London, which looks great! Camden Lock Market, Thames Rib experience (speed boat), Evan Evans tours, castle suggestions, London walks co, and much more. I need to remind myself that we don't need to see/do everything!

I'm excited for the new post on British vs American Terminology.....I'm familiar with some common sayings...but didn't know that I shouldn't say "fanny pack". Thanks again!

hey hey NPgirl
you are welcome. love your idea you will not see & do everything. here's some other things to check out:
londonboxoffice.co.uk
list of plays, where they are at the the cost
mms.com/ mms store in london
world's largest M&M candy store
streetsensation.co.uk/ markets
a map of all the markets, what they have, times and where.
visitlondon.com/ things to do/ london area map
info about where places are and what they have
kensington gardens/hyde park
princess diana's memorial fountain
princess diana's memorial sunken garden. the kids can run around and release energy
peter pan statute, the albert memorial
jasons.co.uk
take a boat ride thru the regent's canal to camden market or you can do round trip
this area has lots of people living on houseboats that were decorated and had lots of gorgeous flower boxes or potted plants.
we also took a cab to abbey road and crossed the street with someone taking out picture.
have fun and enjoy. you'll probably plan your next trip on your flight home LOL we loved london
aloha