Tea Rooms Aldermaston Wharf
Canal Cottage, Wharfside, Reading RG7 4JS
+44 7917631730 • tearoomsaldermaston.com
This utterly charming little tearoom at Aldermaston Wharf is situated right beside the beautiful Kennet and Avon Canal and is the favourite resting place for narrow boat adventurers, canoeists, cyclists, ramblers, dog walkers, and people who love fishing. They all know that there is always a good pot of tea and a wide choice of truly excellent cakes waiting inside to tempt all who walk through the door. Owners Liz Lyons and Siobhan Wood have turned the small two-up two-down dwelling into a friendly, relaxing, neighborhood tearoom that welcomes everyone with warm, friendly smiles and greetings.
At the end of the tearoom’s garden, right at the very edge of the wharf, there’s a small building that was once a washhouse (for laundering clothes) for people who lived and worked on the canal once it had been completed in 1723. The enchanting little white house that is now the tearoom dates from the same period and was once the home of the family who looked after the washhouse. Perhaps they also provided food and shelter to some of the boatmen who earned their living transporting coal, grain, and timber along the canal on their narrow boats. Today, both buildings are looked after by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust. The Canal Trust has been busy refurbishing the washhouse and has turned it into a Visitor Centre and Museum of canal life and work.
When Liz and Siobhan won the lease on the house in 2022, their plan was to create a tearoom with the sort of atmosphere in which they and their families would feel comfortable. So, they have kept it simple but homely and inviting. On the ground floor, an open hearth, white walls, a polished wooden floor, and pale wood furniture combine to create an interior that really does suit everybody, and the mix-and-match antique china wares from different periods add their own charm. Blackboards give details of the menu, and the display of cakes is immediately attention-grabbing. There is something for everyone, even for really difficult dietary requirements, such as gluten- and dairy-free. The scones and cakes are all baked on the premises and sit on the counter so temptingly that it’s almost impossible to resist! A delicious afternoon tea is also available with 24 hours notice.
Upstairs are two more rooms—to the left at the top of the stairs is a lovely room with a generous number of colourful cushions arranged on a bench that runs along the far wall, more pale wood tables and chairs, and (such a nice touch throughout the tearoom) warm blankets on the backs of chairs in case customers feel a little chilly. It’s simple but cosy, unfussy, and inviting. Another small room seats six or seven people, and there are more colourful cushions and blankets. The gentle ambiance and all the small, thoughtful touches create a heartwarming feeling that Liz and Siobhan really care about everyone’s comfort and well-being. It is exactly how a traditional tearoom should look and feel. It’s a teatime treasure that makes wonderful use of this quaint old building and, not surprisingly, has become the centre of the community here, providing a perfect haven for anyone looking for a pot of really good tea and a really delicious slice of cake.
