It’s week 3 of My Year of Reasons to Visit the Moorlands where each week, over the course of a year, I will be focusing on one of the many reasons that people enjoy the Moorlands. My Reason this week is Froghall Wharf and the fantastic Hetty’s Tea Shop that I visited recently.
Hetty’s Tea Shop is situated in a Grade II Listed Building at Froghall Wharf on the Caldon Canal, the gateway to the Churnet Valley.
Froghall Wharf, was once a thriving hive of industry. Limestone was loaded onto canal narrow boats or burnt in kilns and transported to the Potteries or further afield. It is now a pleasant spot for pleasure craft and walkers and six years ago, the 230 year old former canal warehouse was transformed by the Tea Shop owner, Emma Atkinson, from a derelict building to a gastronomic wonderland.
Emma named the café after her nan, Hetty and her vision was to be sympathetic to the original building but at the same time incorporate stylish, modern furniture to give the interior a warm, cosy feeling for visitors.
The building was converted into a café and gift shop, with holiday accommodation for rent upstairs. Emma also arranged for a new trip boat to operate from the wharf, making the whole area an attractive visitor destination. Apart from indoor seating, there are picnic benches, tow path huts, a snug pod and a Dog House, together with takeaway boxes for cakes, scones and snacks.
They also recently launched Madam Hetty’s which offers a magical Alice in Wonderland afternoon tea experience on the second floor.
For more information, please see my Facebook page all this week and please do share your great experiences and photos of Hetty’s and Froghall Wharf on my Year of Reasons Twitter @VisitMoorlands.
