Eynsham Hall‘s location is truly beautiful; driving up the estate’s super long entrance, located in North Leigh near Witney, you instantly get Downtown Abbey vibes. Originally built in 1700, the site remains one of Oxfordshire’s great country houses after a thread of many owners and refurbishments.

Inside, the décor remains antique and old fashioned: high, stencilled ceilings and wooden doors, decadent chandeliers and vintage furniture.

We were taken into The Brasserie, which was quiet, but can be forgiven as it was 4pm on a Sunday. Despite it being spacious with, again, those lovely high ceilings, a lovely fireplace gave it a wintery, cosy feel. To our left, we had gorgeous views of the grounds.

We opted for the traditional English breakfast tea (of course, what else goes better with a scone?), however, the tea menu offers a selection of flavours, including green and berry teas, plus coffee, if you wish.

Considering I’d just recently experienced an afternoon tea at The Ritz the weekend prior, I was very impressed as we munched our way through the courses. Sandwiches consisted of your classic fillings in a mixture of different breads: salmon and cream cheese; ham, tomato and mustard; cheese and chive; and then egg.

May I also add, the presentation was beautiful – floral and berry garnishes on a 3-tiered display. Shame I couldn’t see the person sat in front of me, but seeing as she was one of my best friends, I see her enough.

After our hungry selves hurried our way through the sarnies, we moved on to the pinnacle of every afternoon tea – the scones. They were still warm, 10/10 Eynsham Hall for that. Complete with thick clotted cream & rich strawberry jam, what a dreamy Sunday afternoon it was. The ‘eyes bigger than the stomach’ in me instantly contemplated whether only one scone per person was enough, but I was soon to find out that no, one was more than enough.

There was a bit of debate with my friend, Cara, and I about the cake selection; for me, they were an absolutely perfect choice, but for Cara, there was a bit too much richness. Each, we had a white chocolate and passionfruit cheesecake, a chocolate brownie with little espresso chocolates on top, a polenta cake and a dark chocolate cup with a caramel filling.

As somebody who loves those rich desserts, the selection was amazing and, in all honesty, I’d go back on the premise of those – although they do change regularly.

Two pots of tea down and all tiers pretty much devoured (with me having no other option than to finish off Cara’s unwanted cake leftovers), we were VERY full, so getting your money’s worth is a definite.

There is a comfy seating area around a fireplace, just past the reception on your way out, which you can cosy up in until you’re recovered enough to drive home.

The classic afternoon tea is priced at £22.50, whilst the champagne afternoon tea is priced at £29.50, which I think is seriously reasonable. They offer dietary alternatives such as gluten and dairy free options and are happy to amend the menu to accommodate any general preferences. I should’ve swapped the mustard in the ham sandwich, but I ate it anyway!

There’s 50% off all afternoon teas for the month of January – so get booking!

Eynsham Hall
A4095, North Leigh, Witney OX29 6PN
01993 885200
eynshamhall.com