By Mike May
When you visit England, one of the special traditions that is unique to that country is the chance to enjoy an afternoon cream tea, which is far more than drinking a cup of hot tea. Another aspect of life in England that makes this nation such an interesting place to visit is the presence of so many castles that once were – or still are, to this day — the home of present or past kings, rulers, and leaders. A few castles that spring to mind include Leeds Castle in Kent, Hever Castle in Kent, the remains of the castle at Tintagel in Cornwall that was once of the home of the legendary King Arthur, and, of course, Windsor Castle outside London that is one of the many residences of current King Charles III. Believe it not, you can combine an afternoon cream tea with a visit to an English castle, which is an unbelievable, one-of-a-kind experience. One specific English castle that serves an afternoon cream tea is St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, which is England’s most southwesterly county. What makes the experience of visiting St. Michael’s Mount even more special and memorable is that this castle was actually built on an island off the southern coast of Cornwall, adjacent to the small village of Marazion. There are two ways to visit St. Michael’s Mount, on a small boat at high tide or on foot at low tide. At low tide, a cobblestone pathway is exposed by the retreating ocean water within Mount’s Bay, which allows visitors easy access to St. Michael’s Mount.
The story about St. Michael’s Mount being built is an interesting one to tell. The idea of building this stone fortress was the brainchild of a group of French monks, about 900 years ago. Construction began in 1135 and was completed in 1144. St. Michael’s Mount is the sister castle of its French counterpart, that being Mont Saint Michel. St. Michael’s Mount was ruled, governed and controlled by the French from 1144 until 1414 at which time the Alien Act was passed by then English King Henry V. Passage of the Alien Act enabled the English to seize control of the castle from the French. St. Michael’s Mount has remained until English control ever since. Today, St. Michael’s Mount is under the supervision of James and Mary St Aubyn, who are known as Lord and Lady St. Levan. The St. Aubyn’s family have called St. Michael’s Mount their home since 1659.
Fortunately, the interior rooms and hallways of the castle and its surrounding gardens are open to the general public.
As for your afternoon tea experience on St. Michael’s Mount, the ideal destination is a small restaurant/café called The Harbour Loft, which is located on the island, just a few yards outside the gates of St. Michael’s Mount.
Quite frankly, the atmosphere inside The Harbour Loft is quintessential English, or Cornish. The service is exemplary, the presentation of the food is exceptional, the quality of precisely cut sandwiches, which are accompanied by freshly-baked cakes and pastries, is second-to-none, and the tea, always served hot, is good till the last drop. To complement the scones which are served, each person is provided a healthy serving of Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam. Most afternoon cream tea afficionados agree that after slicing the scone in half, the jam is applied first followed by the clotted cream. The teas served at The Harbour Loft are from an extensive selection of Tregothnan tea. If you want to add some sizzle and spice to your experience at The Harbour Loft, you can order a glass of sparkling wine, which is produced in a Cornish vineyard not far from the Mount.
The reviews by past customers at The Harbour Loft are strong and positive:
“Lovely setting with excellent afternoon tea. Good selection of food which was beautifully presented and tasted great. Highly recommended.”
And
“Really great atmosphere at Harbour Loft. We had afternoon tea for the second time.”
After completing your dining experience at The Harbour Loft, you must make the trek up a stone pathway to the actual castle where you’ll be able to stroll throughout its interior to learn what life was like, back in the day, living inside such a sturdy structure. After that tour, set aside time to enjoy the magnificent gardens which surround St. Michael’s Mount.
An afternoon cream tea at The Harbour Loft followed by an excursion in and around St. Michael’s Mount will provide you with a memorable experience that will create a lifetime memory, as it did for the First Ladies – such as Dr. Jill Biden and Carrie Johnson — of the G7 Summit back in 2021, when they visited St. Michael’s Mount, as guests of Lord and Lady St. Levan.
While there’s daily access to St. Michael’s Mount, The Harbour Loft is open Sunday-Friday. On Sunday, it’s open from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. On Monday to Friday, it’s open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. It’s closed on Saturdays. To reserve a table for your afternoon tea experience, bookings can be done online via OpenTable.
St. Michael’s Mount, The Harbour Loft and England’s county of Cornwall await your arrival and my return.
