Step Back in Time into a 1920s Kitchen Garden at Attingham Hall

by | Dec 12, 2015

Attingham Hall, National Trust, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
 

Attingham Hall, an 18th Century mansion set in 500 acres of parkland, is a delight for history buffs and foodie gardeners. Whether you want to take your dog for a brisk walk in the magnificent deer park or you’d prefer to linger in the historic house and walled gardens, Attingham Hall is a National Trust property to savour.

 
Attingham Hall and front lawn

At Attingham Hall, you can learn about the Park’s history while witnessing its current restoration project first hand. Likewise, you can travel back in time to the era of kitchen gardens. It’s wonderful to see strings of melons growing in the glasshouses like giant fairy lights (it beats the supermarket aisle any day). Shop for organic produce, including venison from the Estate, picnic in the parkland or take tea in a sumptuous tearoom.

The Foodie Travel Guide

Uncover Attingham Hall’s Story of Love and Neglect

 
Built for the first Lord Berwick in 1785, Attingham Hall and its beautiful parkland were owned by the same family for over 160 years. As individual fortunes rose and fell, the Berwicks proved themselves to be ‘spenders, savers and saviours.’ Each successive Lord added his own chapter to this story of love and neglect, the legacy of which can still be seen in the rooms of the great Hall. Attingham’s saviours, the eighth Lord and Lady, began the work that lives on today in the “Attingham  Re-Discovered Project.”
 
 
Kitchen Garden Attingham Hall

 

Discover the Tranquil Walled Garden

 
Attingham’s walled garden with its glass houses, orchards and gardeners’ bothy really does transport you back to the early half of the 20th Century, to a time when a team of gardeners would have toiled the day long to provide food for the inhabitants of the great house. In the summer months,  you can marvel at the cucumbers and melons in the glasshouses, soak up the sights and scents of the pollinating flowers, listen to the bees going about their honey-making business in their open observation hive, or simply wander past the hollyhocks and the vintage rhubarb forcer pots.
 
 
 
melons growing in the glass houses at Attingham Hall

Do the Fungi Walk

Autumn heralds the best harvest of all. You’ll find pears, damsons, root vegetables and 37 varieties of apple ready to be picked, pressed and juiced. Foodie walkers might like to try out the spectacular fungi walk in the parkland. During the winter shooting season, you can also buy meat from the estate’s fallow deer. It’s perfect for turning into a warming venison stew (we love the recipe in Sarah Raven’s cookbook Food for Friends and Family).

Take Tea With Lady Berwick or Savour a ‘Greedy Pig’ Sausage Picnic

If you feel peckish while visiting Attingham, there are plenty of temptations for foodies which all make use of the Hall’s home grown ingredients. In the 1920s and 1930s, Teresa, wife of Thomas, 8th Lord Berwick, loved to serve her guests tea. Today, you can take Afternoon Tea with an Italian twist in the plush surroundings of Lady Berwick’s tearoom. There’s also the Mansion tearoom which serves light lunches and the Carriage House for savoury snacks. If you’ve brought your own Mr Hendricks with you for a walk, head for the Greedy Pig for sausage and chips. So utterly delicious, he will have his beady eye on them as you eat.
 

 Tips

  • Shop for local produce and learn about the Battle of Shrewsbury at the Battlefield 1403 Farm Shop
  • Visit Shrewsbury in mid-August for its annual flower show where you can also browse the stalls of local food producers

Cook’s Tip

The recipe for Shrewsbury Cakes appears in many old English cookbooks. It’s a popular type of biscuit baked with dried fruits.

Where to Stay in Shropshire 

 

Drapers Hall Restaurant With Rooms Shrewsbury

Draper’s Hall

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Drapers Hall offers 5-star, luxury rooms and a contemporary restaurant in Shrewsbury.

Rooms from £95 a night.

CHECK AVAILABILITY

VIEW ALL PLACES TO STAY IN SHROPSHIRE >

Dogs 

 

Fox terrier, Mr Hendricks expert dog friendly days out Shropshire

They tell me that dogs aren’t allowed in the house itself but the grounds are a dog walking paradise. You’re asked to keep me on a short lead in some areas. What’s makes my doggy day out extra special is that they have a designated dog café for dogs and their owners.

Mr Hendricks

How to Find Attingham Hall

 

 Attingham Hall, Atcham, Shropshire SY4 4TP

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Find more Foodie Things To Do in Shropshire.

Discover more Historic Houses.

 

The Foodie Travel Guide

The Foodie Travel Guide

Sally is the founder and editor of The Foodie Travel Guide. She travels around the UK and beyond in search of the best foodie days out, tasting experiences and delicious places to stay. She loves a glass of English sparkling wine, afternoon tea with friends and escaping London for gastronomic adventures.