As cool as a salmon and cucumber sandwich, are you ready for your brief encounter at the newly reburbished Castle Cottage Tea Room?—Bay Life, 21 August 2016
How inspired does the interior look? We are talking about a serious effort to go all the way back to 1939 with the soft furnishing. How neat are those two armchairs, do you not just want to sink into their arms?
Afters seven years, the Castle Cottage Tea Room, adjoining Pevensey castle reopens on Saturday 27 August 2016.
Congratulations to the new team behind breathing life back into the iconic tea room.
One of the local key stakeholders invited to attended the preview of the refurbishment, with a special spread put on just for them, commented, “they seem like such a lovely couple”.
Chris Eadon, one of the invited guests, and owner of the highly regarded “The Limes”, the boutique bed and breakfast based in next door Westham said, “had a wonderful tea here this afternoon. I wish them well for the future”.
This looks very much indeed like a place that is going to be a popular cream tea and cakes destination.
The Castle Cottage Tea Room is sure to attract visitors from across the world as part of their visit to the castle.
Visitors from other countries just love English Tea Rooms, do they not? This restored tea room has the stamp of authenticity written right into the doilies.
Now history lovers will be able to hear the story not just of the unique place that Pevensey Castle has played in the history of this country, but where it all began back in 1939, when tea rooms across the country reminded us all that life would go on in a civilised fashion, whatever the weather.
How brilliant does our sneak peak of what it is about to be on offer look?
Does what you see entice you into a visit next Saturday when the Castle Cottage Tea Room emporium officially opens?
How many times will we be seeing the tea room back on the map of visitor guides to Pevensey?
Genius. The question is, will it work? Without question the heritage industry is going through something of a a renaissance. The demand for these kinds of services has seen similar ventures launch across the country. But this one is unique. There is only one Pevensey Castle and there is only one Castle Cottage Tea Room.
Pevensey as a brand had one of the best design agencies in Europe working on the project, with a network of centres right across the continent. They were called the Romans. Then after the first Brexit referendum of AD238 at the castle, in came the Saxons, but they failed to invoke Article 50 and the project seemed doomed.
Eventually the brand was taken over by a closer French multi-national, they were called the Normans.
By the time the project was handed to the graphic artists to interpret and profile the story, they did a reasonable job, even managing a bit of product placement in their work. ‘Ad Pevensae;’ appears on the world treasure that is the Bayeux Tapestry.
Romans, Saxons, Normans. Not particularly catchy names, but what they did, at least gave English Heritage a rich set of possibilities to promote, for people that want to step into England’s story. And one in particular, Pevensey.
When the renowned historian Michael Wood came here to record his seminal BBC2 series “The Great British Story, a People’s History”, he stood on the beach in Pevensey Bay, looking toward the castle. His first words to camera were, “this is where it all began”.
The next renowned historian to visit Pevensey Castle will at long last see the services returned to the site by English Heritage.
With such a rich mix of historical material, it is hardly surprising that anger and frustration reached a crescendo in the community. Our unique history and place in England’s story, seemed to have been all but forgotten by English Heritage in relation to support, profile and services to Pevensey Castle.
The question of services linked to the castle is not just about the promotion of the history of the locality, it is about the future of local business here as well.
What is puzzling in this case is the fact that it has taken seven years for English Heritage to find the right people to take on the task of restoring the fortunes of the iconic enterprise.
It can honestly be said that the services have now, at long last, been returned to Pevensey Castle and that the Castle Cottage Tea Room is now back very firmly on the Geographia Ramblers Map for the country around Eastbourne.
We would put money on coach trips to visit the Castle adding the Castle Cottage Tea Room as part of a day out within weeks.
Perhaps location trackers looking for period tea rooms from across the country, will come knocking on the door sometime soon. As long as they wipe their feet first, no doubt they will be welcome. When is the next series of Call the Midwife?
Bets are off for when we will see the tea room in some blockbuster BBC drama, at which point no doubt, the film location will become part of a sightseeing tour.
We strongly suspect that those salmon and cool as a cucumber sandwiches will go down a treat.
Sitting embraced by those armchairs, some people, for sure, will never want to leave.
Comments started to come in as word got round that the reopening was about to happen.
The soft furnishings department got a mention with a number of people asking where they could buy what they saw, with Marks and Spencer getting a mention!!
People started to contact friends and family with meet up messages.
Someone commented, “somewhere we must try when you are next here”. That one might make a nice line for the new owners on their website!
Another comment suggested, “I used to go here and am looking forward to it reopening”.
Within the first few hours, the social media message reached 1,440 people.
New owners sent Bay Life the following message this evening (21 August).
At last the bunting flutters
As gentle blows the breeze
And Castle Cottage once again
Plays host to pots of tea.
This Saturday with gate flung wide
We welcome you at last
As all the years of sad neglect
Are history that’s past!
They added, “as promised, Bay Life is the first to be informed of our official opening date which is now set for Saturday 27th August.
“I hope the patient folk of Pevensey will feel that it has all been worth the wait”.
Tea, as the owners promised, just like it used to be.
A very big welcome back to the Castle Cottage Tea Room, open again on Saturday 27 August 2016.
IMAGE CREDITS: Helen Burton
