High Tea - Cotswolds

You could look at the website for Highgrove, the King’s gaff near Tetbury.

(It’s afternoon tea btw, high tea is something else entirely).

https://www.thespruceeats.com/afternoon-vs-high-tea-difference-435327

Cotswolds is a large area. Are you driving?

I would recommend Huffkins Bakery, with several locations, for afternoon tea.
On the square in Stow-on-the-Wold; also in Burford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stratford-Upon-Avon and other locations.
https://huffkins.com/pages/cafe-bakery-locations

I noticed you had another thread a while ago,
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/cotswolds-stays
in which you asked (and had no answers):
"What are your thoughts on Blenheim Palace?"

You could get afternoon tea at Blenheim, if you wish.
Blenheim is definitely worth a visit to see the grand house and gardens.
They have a lovely terrace in the back, overlooking the gardens, where you could be served.
Blenheim is just outside the city of Oxford, which is definitely worth visiting.

Do you want to go to a hotel or more of cafe/tearoom? I haven’t been but if I was going to go I’d choose Dormy House because I’m a sucker for a luxury hotel.

I think you are looking for Afternoon Tea….
Scones, cakes etc? at about 3-4 pm?

High Tea is later and is bacon and eggs, meat and other savoury dishes .

https://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/blogs/news/what-s-the-difference-between-afternoon-tea-and-high-tea

If you want a more formal tea experience, you might try:
https://www.lordsofthemanor.com/dine/afternoon-tea/
The Lords of the Manor Hotel in Upper Slaughter would be an upscale afternoon tea.
Huffkins, which I mentioned in my above post, would be a more casual atmosphere.

hey hey Nate
afternoonteaorcreamtea.com/ afternoon tea cotswolds
has a list of teas at different places and what they serve
pocketwanderings.com/ best afternoon teas in the cotswolds
gives you names of places and what they serve
independentcottages.co.uk/ best afternoon teas in the cotswolds
names of places and what's on the menu
afternoonteaonline.co.uk/ gloucestershire
take tour pick
much to chose from and it's your decision
aloha

You would want Afternoon Tea, high tea is an evening meal which would include veggies, meat and etc.

Thank you so much for asking this question! We will be in England this year, and I’m planning to have what I thought was called High Tea, as it is loosely defined by the local tea shop! Oops!

Afternoon tea is what I really want.

Edit: I just looked at a couple more local locations. One advertises it as High Tea, another correctly states Afternoon Tea, and the third one apparently tried to cover both bases and calls it Afternoon High Tea - LOL! No wonder we’re confused here in the US!

This "high/afternoon" nomenclature issue arises often. It's helpful to remember that afternoon tea is served in the afternoon, whereas high tea is an evening meal--essentially a rather light supper or dinner. My understanding is it's called "high" because it's eaten at a regular-height table (like a dining table or kitchen table) as opposed to the low table that we in the US call a coffee table.

If I ran across a UK restaurant/tea shop/pub advertising "high tea" when they meant afternoon tea, I would assume the place is something of a tourist trap. Just my reaction.

Afternoon High Tea is more likely to be an amalgam of Afternoon Tea and High Tea, so as to include hot snacks like Rarebit, pies, English Muffins.
Some places (like Bassenthwaite Lake station in the English Lake District- a rebuilt station where you can dine in the stage set coaches from the Orient Express remake) to cause further confusion do what is Afternoon High Tea, but just call it Afternoon Tea, So in essence you get both hot and cold options - which if you were used to the West Country or the Cotswolds Afternoon Tea, and you hadn't looked at the menu you wouldn't have expected.
Originally High Tea was a working class thing served early evening, whereas Afternoon Tea was for the upper classes as a social event, Then the upper classes developed their own High Tea (at Afternoon Tea time) with posher meats than the working classes could afford and maybe fruit.
If it's a meal in the mid afternoon then I think it's possible to get too tied up in nomenclature. Look at the menu, don't worry about the title being used. No one in real life now has high tea in the early evening, You just have evening meal or dinner.
All these old class distinctions have gone as have all these technical distinctions, whose meanings are buried in history.
Whether afternoon tea, high tea or anything else it's not something the ordinary person would have on an ordinary day at home. It's always a treat that you eat out.
To that extent afternoon tea, high tea, whatever you want to call it, is a tourist trap- be it domestic or international.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Woops, yes afternoon tea. My English grandmother will not be impressed getting both teas mixed up.

We are staying in Shipston-on-Stour, and will have a vehicle to see the highlights of the Cotswolds.

Have a great day,

Nate

The area to the north east of Shipston is ironstone country although still the Cotswolds Area of Natural Beauty. The stone buildings are more of a red hue.
A drive to the top of the escarpment to near Epwell then along it gives fine views of the Vale of the Red Horse and passes through Edghill with the site of the Civil War battlefield below. You could divert to the picturesque village of Ratley with the ancient Rose and Crown pub at the bottom of the village
Carrying on along of the ridge you reach the Warwick to Banbury main, just down there towards Banbury is the National Herb Centre. I am sure they would oblige with tea and cake

Lucy’s Tea Room in Stow-on-the-Wold is a lovely tea room to have afternoon tea.

Originally High Tea was a working class thing served early evening

to further confuse the reading public, different areas of the country, and to a large degree, different classes (Yes, Virginia, there are still classes just not always called that) the main meal of the day is called different things.

What you might call lunch is often called dinner around where I live, and when you finish work and go home for what you might call dinner, you will likely say to your mates, "well I'm off for my tea", but it won't be what you'd expect to see on the table for tea.

If you go to Huffkins consider having a Beesting. In addition to the Tea.

Hi Nigel,

Funny you mentioned that. I grew up in very British ( especially those of Scottish ancestry ) farming/working class community in rural Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada.

We call what our meal at noon dinner, afternoon snack lunch, and our evening meal supper.

This was/is very confusing to my wife and my city friends.

Nate, I grew up in the Midwest of the US. It was always breakfast, dinner & supper. Then we moved to the Pacific Northwest states and ate breakfast, lunch & dinner. I had to remember to not refer to dinner as the evening meal when I visited relatives each year.

Isn31c, I will take your advice and just look at the menu! Thank you for taking the time to share your explanations, too!