THIS WEEK: Spital Farm, Staxton
This week we decided to take a step back in time and pay a visit to Spital Farm near Staxton. Spital Farm is a Dickensian themed attraction open daily, offering its visitors a little something different for a morning or afternoon out.
Stepping through the main door on a frosty winter's morning was almost like entering a scene from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe but, instead of finding ourselves in Narnia, we landed slap bang in the middle of the 19th Century.
Turing right from the main entrance, we wandered down the dark "Dickensian" cobbled street in search of warmth and refreshment.
The cafe itself is fairly small and quaint, seating approximately 30 customers, while the traditional decor of dark wood tables with pristine white tablecloths is certainly in keeping with the rest of the surroundings. As it was still quiet, we managed to secure the table next to both the window and the heater, allowing us to defrost from the Arctic conditions outside. The caf felt very homely and had a relaxing atmosphere, and this along with the friendly and efficient counter service meant we were in no hurry to leave.
The menu consists of mainly light bites, tempting home made desserts and hot and cold beverages that certainly cater for all tastes.
Customers can also choose to purchase tasty treats to take home from the array of homemade jams, pickles and other delicacies on sale by the counter.
During our visit, we opted for a slice of carrot cake, a latte, and a refreshing pot of tea. The drinks were just the job on an icy winter morning, and the carrot cake was moist and tangy with a sweet frosting that certainly left us asking "please sir, can we have some more"?
By the time we had finished it was lunchtime and the caf was starting to fill up and so we left our seats and decided to explore the rest of the centre. We took a leisurely stroll along the Dickens-inspired cobbled streets, and were faced with a selection of traditional craft sellers offering their wares.
Goods included mouth-watering homemade cakes and bread, a colourful florist and a fabulous toy shop, not to mention an impressive collection of pictures and photos all created locally, as well as a shop selling exquisite hand knitted baby-clothes and a selection of traditional tasty sweets!
Overall, Spital Farm offers a real "twist" to the norm and is certainly worth the short seven-mile drive from Scarborough, it is clear to say that we went there with "great expectations" and it certainly didn't disappoint us!
Overall rating ****
Value for money ****
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Scarborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
