Tea Time in Bedford

Today being the last day of August, it also means the end of a fine Bedford summer tradition: afternoon tea at the historic Scott Manor House museum.

Every afternoon from 2:00-4:00pm during the summer season, the volunteers of Scott Manor House serve up homemade oatcakes and jam, tea, lemonade, and vanilla ice cream with seasonal berries. The prices are so low there is no reason not to order everything on the menu. A single loonie will buy you two delicious, crispy oatcakes, which a sign on the table boasts were “made and served by volunteers.”

Visitors sit in a small room furnished with a mixture of antiques and folding chairs. Tea is served in a pot covered in a hand-knit cozy, and the lemonade is served in tall glasses atop doilies and saucers. In short: everything about the place is adorable.

Along with the tea service, the museum offers a full schedule of events throughout July and August, including live music, dancing, exhibits, guided walks and lectures. Admission is always free. Our visit coincided with an exhibit celebrating 100 years of Girl Guides, which allowed for some post-tea, badge-related nostalgia. The Scott Manor House is also located at the one end of the Bedford-Sackville trail, which runs along the Sackville River. If only all walks could end with delicious tea, oatcakes, lemonade and ice cream.