Took a trip to Belvoir Castle (pronounced Beaver Castle). This room was enormous and this is just a small section. It is where afternoon tea was "invented". The menfolk went out on a shoot leaving the ladies to chat. The Duchess of Rutland, who was the hostess, felt a little peckish and summoned the servants and asked for something suitable to eat. The servants had never been asked this before and were a bit unsure what to offer. They settled on pots of tea and cakes and finger sandwiches which went down a storm. So much so that the Duchess's guests took the idea home and so was born the afternoon tea tradition. Several rooms in the castle have featured on the TV in programmes like The Crown and other period dramas.
