The Apple Orchard
WHAT
Coffee shop
WHERE
M40, Junction 4; 7 minutes
WHEN
Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm
Sun 10.30am-4.30pm
Dog friendly
Kid friendly
Free WiFi for visitors
Vegetarian or vegan options
Gluten-free options
Parking available onsite
Goods have been sold out of this building for hundreds of years. Once a posh merchant’s house, the Apple Orchard is now an upmarket furniture and homeware store with a warren of rooms filled with tasteful pieces selected by owners Huw and Carolyn. They are both often on hand greeting customers like old friends.
After wending your way through the maze of rooms you finally reach the café at the top, where you’re rewarded with delicious cakes and smooth coffee, which you can enjoy curled up in the snug. Staff are open and friendly, and will happily steer you through the choices on offer, including homemade quiches, generous salads and cream teas. After the higgledy-piggledy 16th-century interior of the house, the courtyard garden just beyond the café door is a bright and spacious surprise. The car park is just beyond for those with buggies or mobility issues.
If there’s time, head to the curious Hellfire Caves behind the house – a labyrinth of tunnels and elaborate chambers dug into the hillside.