After our visit to Hever Castle we came here for a cream tea and a visit to the teapot collection.
Situated alongside the river Medway Teapot Island in Yalding, Kent is a family-run business that was established in 2003. There has been a café on the site since the 1950's and it still has a 50's vibe. It started life as a tin shack serving tea and selling bait to the fisherman. A two-time Guinness World Records winner, it's home to the biggest collection of teapots in England, with over 8,500 teapots on display.
This 3 metre tall Wishing Well teapot and cup from Germany is used to raise funds for Kent Air Ambulance. People toss coins into the cup.
As well as visits from various celebrities they have also enjoyed a visit from the King and Queen.
It's a brilliant collection. If you can think it there is a teapot for it. The owner started her collection 40 years ago. The cafe is up for sale, she is hoping to find a buyer for the collection. I would have liked to photograph many more but people were getting in the way and we ran out of time.
∼ Be safe and well∼
Polly x
What an extraordinary collection! I hope the owner has had at least had one brew-up in each pot.
ReplyDeleteShe might have as she acquired each one!
DeleteThat leatherman teapot would find a good home among some gay men! My mother had one of the original Cottageware teapots pictured in your final photo (shelf #5, teapot #6 from the left). That line was popular in the 1940s after World War II, I believe. It sat on a shelf in our kitchen all through my childhood. It was for decoration only and didn't get used.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought when I first saw it! My mother had two 'house' teapots, and one that I think was a cabbage. I might be wrong, but I can remember it was green and the pattern looked like cabbage leaves! She did use them.
DeleteNow that's a collection.Oh I hope someone buys it all and makes a lovely life with it:)
ReplyDeleteI hope so too, it would be such a shame to split it all up.
DeleteWhat a fabulous collection. I would love to visit here and see every single one of these! So many clever ones, too!
ReplyDeleteI would have liked to photograph all of them.
DeleteI have never seen so many teapots and all in one place and all quite unusual. Thanks for showing some of this mazing collection, which will hopefully find a new owner along with the cafe.
ReplyDeleteI hope so Beatrice
DeleteWow! They are glorious. There are so many cute teapots for sale in charity shops I sometimes think I would like to collect them - but then I tell myself I am supposed to be decluttering not gathering!
ReplyDeleteha, ha, yes I know Liz. I had a lot of teapots years ago, but when I moved house I decided that most of them had to go, I only have two now!
DeleteOne function is supplied with a great variety of ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis world is full of joy.
It is RC :-)
Delete