Climb the secret spiral staircase for a cup of tea and cake in this uniquely cosy balcony room with an aerial view of our museum

We invite you to relax while enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of cake in this quirky little secret space, alongside a visit to our museum of mental health care.

Tea in the Turret slots are 90 minutes long and the tickets are priced per person, with a maximum capacity of 4 in the room.

Your booking includes a complimentary visit to our museum of mental health care.

Please use the "add on" option to add up to 4 guests.

Your booking is a private party.

Please arrive 5-10 minutes before your booking time to allow us to check you in at our reception desk.

If you have specific dietary requirements please let us know at least 7 days ahead of your booking by dropping us an email (https://glensidemuseum.org.uk/contact/). Given adequate notice we can cater for gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian diets.

As well as tea, we offer coffee, and herbal teas if you'd prefer this.

Children age 5 and up are welcome to join in, please use the add-on tickets to enjoy the experience with tea and cake (other refreshments available on request - please let us know ahead of your booking as we don't stock lots of drinks until they're needed).

You may stay for as long as you like exploring the main body of our museum during opening hours (10am-4pm).

More information about the Tea in the Turret experience

The turret room and balcony are part of our Grade II listed chapel, constructed in 1881. While once it played host to the hospital's medical superintendent and his family during church services, we’ve now transformed it into a lighthearted reflection of the content of our museum.

Tea in the Turret is a playful showcase of the 5 elements of mental health care in a pre-medication era: a good diet, adequate exercise and plentiful sleep, alongside purposeful occupation and pleasant surroundings.

An uplifting homely environment was thought to lift to the spirits in a way that could improve mental health, so the wards were often decorated in patterned wallpaper and cheerful colours. This can be seen in the artist Stanley Spencer’s painting “bed making”, inspired by his time here as a medical orderly during the institution’s time as Beaufort War Hospital.

Occupation often comprised work on the hospital farm for men, and laundry or needlework for women.

If you have any questions about this experience, please don’t hesitate to drop us a message via Eventbrite, social media (https://www.instagram.com/glenside_museum/) or our website (https://glensidemuseum.org.uk/introducing-our-pow-protect-our-wellbeing-initiative-971/).

Description supplied by the event organiser.