Chartwell House, Westerham, Kent.

Nothing better than a National Trust property if you like a bit of cake and pot of tea or if you want something a little more substantial, like a hot meal. Once you've finished stuffing your face you've always got plenty of grounds surrounding whatever property you're visiting; so there's ample opportunity to stretch your legs and burn off all those calories.

Tuscan bean soup, a roll and a mince pie!

I've been to many a National Trust property and often return to my favourites, like Sheffield Park and Wakefield Place and, if I'm really honest, I don't visit these places to admire the house and its history, I'm only there for the cake or a hot meal, accompanied, as always, by tea. Wonderful! I'm also keen on the National Trust shops because they sell relaxation and comfort, from paperweights to weighty tomes on something connected to the place I'm visiting, or picnic blankets and scented candles, it's all good comforting stuff, even if there's an element of 'old fogey' about it.

Last weekend (the weekend before the beginning of December) I headed to Chartwell in Westerham, Kent. Why? Well, because it's nearby (only 11 miles) and the plan, as always, is to indulge in some cake or a savoury snack and then walk it off around the grounds. It was lunch time when we arrived and there was a Christmas market in full swing – National Trust properties are always very festive – so after a brief look at the stalls we headed for the café where I chose a warming Tuscan bean soup with bread and a mince pie thrown in for good measure (I never used to like mince pies or Christmas pudding for that matter, but now I love them). And before you ask, yes, I like sprouts too.

The busy servery counter at Chartwell House

The café here is cafeteria style and on our visit, because of the Christmas market, it was very busy. So busy I almost couldn't find a table. But eventually I found somewhere, opposite a large and well-decorated Christmas tree, and settled down to eat my soup, which really did the job. Perfect. I followed up with the mince pie and then took a stroll around the grounds. Excellent. It's so good that I'll be back again this coming weekend as they have something festive going on, which means more food!

December is a good time to check out National Trust properties (those that are open beyond October) as they offer a lot of festive activity which can be combined with some hearty food and a decent walk – not to forget some decent cakes and pastries.

Westerham Cyclery – caff and cycle repair shop combined!

[Originally published May 2015 on NoVisibleLycra]: For the first time this year we rode to Westerham in Kent, just Andy and I. It was a case of heads down and get there and we got there with the intention of taking breakfast at the Tudor Rose tearoom (Andy's treat – thanks, Andy).

When we reached the green after a pleasant ride, I noticed that Andy was looking for something and soon realised that he wanted to see the cycle shop and café combined that I had brought to his attention recently. Avid readers might recall that, a year or two ago as Andy and I sipped tea and munched cereal bars on Westerham's green we often fantasised about taking on the lease of an old Barclays Bank and transforming it into a cyclists' coffee shop, jam-packed with biscuits and cakes and offering a repair service too. But, of course, we were never serious about it and, as Andy said yesterday as we trudged morosely across the grass towards the roadside, our version of the Westerham Cyclery's caff and repair shop would have been half-hearted and certainly not as swish. I take the latter point about it not being as swish, perhaps, but would it have been half-hearted?

Amazing cake and cappuccino that's better than Costa.

I've already critiqued the place in a previous post, claiming it was too 'boutiquey' in its appearance, but that was based on standing outside and then having just a brief wander into the building before heading straight to the Tudor Rose – much more my cup of tea and, dare I say it, more in tune with what my version of a bike repair shop and caff would have looked like. But now, having experienced the Westerham Cyclery caff first hand, my opinion has changed. Let's face it, the guy in charge knows what he's doing and he's done a fantastic job. Yes, it is a bit 'boutiquey'. There are wooden floors and leather sofas and flatscreen televisions showing cycling on Eurosport, there are copies of Bradley Wiggins' autobiography, a few perfect-bound cycling magazines here and there, a range of energy snacks for Lycra monkeys concerned about 'precious grams' and putting in a good time and some signed Tour de France cycling shirts in frames on the wall. In other words, the place screams Lycra monkeys and so does the clientele – no ragged trousered mountain bike riders here... until now.

In fact, we did feel a little out of place what with me, unshaven and unkempt-looking in my tatty old Tesco ASBO specials and trainers, my right leg tucked into a grey sock. Andy, as it happened, looked relatively respectable as, unlike me, he'd taken the trouble to shave. It was as if two cast members from a Spaghetti western had bowled up to a posh restaurant with no intention of dressing for dinner. And we were early by about five minutes and were ready, had he not allowed us in, to make our way diagonally across the green to the Tudor Rose for a full English. But he opened early just for us, unlocking some wooden doors to the left of the caff proper to reveal parking racks for bikes and some comfortable outdoor seating at the back – this place covered all bases. There was a bike showroom upstairs, a bike accessories area to the right of the serving counter and, in addition to the energy bars, a selection of three tasty-looking cakes.

Andy ordered a cappuccino, I ordered tea and we both opted for coffee and walnut cake. It was all good. In fact, we both thought the cake was out of this world – very tasty. The cappuccino – which Andy said was better than Costa – had a chocolate bike stencilled into the froth (a nice touch) and, well, all-in-all, this was the perfect place for cyclists – especially Lycra monkeys. There was even a cycling club that operated out of the café and some of its members arrived as we enjoyed our cake, tea and coffee. Unlike us they were clean-shaven and clean generally: no Tesco ASBO specials just Lycra monkey gear, fresh complexions and perfectly combed hair. In comparison, we looked like a couple of vagabonds with bikes to match. We were, after all, from the other side of the tracks and let ourselves down by mentioning the C-word (Croydon). We should have said Caterham and Sanderstead, perhaps.

After paying £8 for two pieces of cake, a cup of tea and a cappuccino (extortionate, yes, but it's the going rate these days) we strode across the green towards the roadside and our ride home.

Tudor Rose Tearooms, Westerham, Kent, UK

Breakfast in Westerham, Kent and I'm not sure whether we're in a town or a village. Westerham is quite large for a village, so it's probably a town, but there's a village green, it's kind of rural around the edges and it's occasionally a little on the quirky side. This weekend, for instance, there was a 'scarecrows and soldier's festival complete with beer tents, battle re-enactments and scarecrows seemingly everywhere. The green looked like the set of The Wicker Man.

A feast fit for a king at the Tudor Rose Tearooms in Westerham, Kent, UK.

But we were here for breakfast and what better venue than the Tudor Rose Tearooms? The service was top notch, the weather was fine enough to sit outside and the food – scrambled egg on toast with beans and mushrooms, a sausage sandwich and a pot of tea – was top quality.

The Tudor Rose Tearooms is an established place. It's a kind of cross between tearooms and 'caff' and the two sides of the business blend together nicely. There's always a selection of decent cakes, the tea is very good – especially when served in bulbous teapots and, as I said earlier, the service was good too.

We arrived shortly before 8am when the place was closed, but it didn't take long before the wrought iron table and chairs were brought out front and a pleasant and friendly waitress took our order.

The bill for two was just under £13.00 (I can't remember exactly, something like £12.95) and bearing in mind the size of the meals, it was very good value for money. Check out the photographs!

The Tudor Rose Tearooms, Westerham, Kent – it's fantastic!