Anyway, if you've never been to the New Forest then you are missing out on one of the World's most beautiful places - in my humble opinion a place that should be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There are areas of woodland interspersed through vast plains of moorland that stretch as far as the eye can see and in between, tucked away are little villages of thatched cottages with quintessential English country gardens full of lupins and roses around the door. Roaming free throughout the area are the beautiful New Forest ponies - hardy, stocky but graceful beasts. Some of the ponies clearly descend from Shetland stock and there are even some 'wild' donkeys who frequent the local fish and chip shop and loiter hopefully next to people on their lunch-break, hoping for the occasional salt-and-vinegar crisp to come their way.
Of course no visit to the New Forest would be complete for Mr Ellie and I without copious cream teas (lets face it, we can't go anywhere without seeking out an obliging tea shop and indulging in a scone). Now we have been to the New Forest twice before so have tried out a few different tea rooms. However, we had managed to miss out on a real gem - until now!
The Secret Garden in Brockenhurst is tucked away behind the main parade of shops which means that as soon as you enter, you feel like you are in a different world. It is exactly the feeling that I imagine Mary to have felt when she entered her own Secret Garden. The tea 'room' is in the gardens of a hotel in which they have erected a couple of marquees and picnic tables:
Everything is decorated in vintage style with a 1940's theme and from a vintage-style radio, 40's music plays quietly across the garden. It is a place to linger and relax whilst drinking tea from the eclectic assortment of tea service. There is something about tea from a pot that is just so much nicer than tea in a mug. Of course, if it was me, I'd have loose-leaf tea, bone china tea cups and sugar lumps with a set of beautiful victorian sugar tongs but then I'm old-fashioned when it comes to tea!
The flowers planted around the garden scent the air with their perfume and birds hop around scouting for crumbs, of which there are not many because I can honestly say the scones here are up their with the best I've ever had...buttery, buttery and more buttery, so short they are almost shortbread like and covered in a rich crust of sugar adding a delicious crunch and sweetness. They are served with strawberry jam in tiny jam jars and fresh clotted cream, decorated with a ripe English strawberry.
Mr Ellie and I loved the Secret Garden so much that we visited three times!! First time we had the cream tea (also on offer is a strawberry tea - scone with cream and jam and a bowl of strawberries) and the second and third visits were for High Tea.
The sandwiches are from a selection of cheese, egg mayo or ham and the cakes are from the daily selection of home-made cakes. The cakes are delicious - like the scones, they are made by someone who loves their baking! Light victoria sponge, buttery sweet flapjacks, deep chocolate tiffin and crunchy lemon drizzle were all eaten up to the last crumb. The menu clearly states that everything is made with real butter - a philosophy which I whole-heartedly embrace as, quite frankly, cake made with anything else is just not cake but a mockery of cake, a fraudulent imitation that will never stand up to the real thing.
The bread for the sandwiches comes from the local bakery 'The Bakehouse' which is another treat for any visitor to Brockenhurst - try the freshly made doughnuts or the custard slice, you won't be disappointed!
Miss E xxx
