Derby - Bakewell, Mills and Tea Cakes

Angela M - Garden Tea Cakes and Me March 29, 2013

Last week I spent a wonderful break touring delightful Derbyshire villages such as Tissington, Bakewell and Matlock Bath. I indulged in warm scones fresh from the oven, corn beef pasties, and Bakewell Pudding (well not me I'm afraid I don't like Bakewell pudding). I treated myself to some amazing scented candles, Geranium and Chamomile, and vintage sweet shop that was sadly closed on the day I visited, but I would of had a field day in.

I also popped into Derby and can recommend Sadlergate area in the Cathedral district, it has some wonderful shops as well as the impressive Cathedral. I had an amazing Mocha at a cafe/bakery called Baked, I never before been asked if I would like one or two shots of espresso in a mocha - two of course!

I enjoyed a trip to Sir Richard Arkwright's 1783 Masson Mills at Matlock Bath if only for one of the two demonstrations each day of some of the machinery working. I was truly unprepared for the noise just three of the looms made, it must of been horrendous with hundreds of them working at once all those years ago. I will have to watch the BBC's North and South again very soon.

Monster Tea Cakes

Thanks to a giveaway run by A Mummy Too last year, this break away did not cost a penny - I stayed at The Birchover Apartments, which were outstanding. I had even taken my GBBO Show Stoppers Recipe Book with me along with the ingredients to make some tea cakes. All went well with the tea cakes with one exception, I forgot to take the correct size pastry cutter so ended up with biscuits to big to sit inside the mould. They resembled rather large tea cakes!

Calke Abbey Primula Theatre

With the threat of serious snow on its way it was a quick visit to the National Trust Calke Abbey, which for various reasons was not the most enjoyable of property visits. However, the two best features were the Chocolate, Pear and Hazelnut Sponge pudding with custard in the restaurant, and the amazing Auricula Theatre in the walled garden. It being a little early in the season for Auriculas was planted with brightly coloured Primulas.