Exhibitions
Time for Tea
25th September until 20th March 2011
Explore the history of our national drink.
Discover how it went from being a luxury to something everyone can enjoy at home, on a picnic, during a tea break or in a café.
The Royal Pump Room museum's new exhibition displays a large selection of objects relating to Britain's most popular drink, tea.
Tea first arrived in Britain over 350 years ago, from China where it had been drunk for centuries.
This exhibition will tell you the story of tea drinking in Britain including:
- Tea's first arrival among royalty and the rich
- Where tea comes from
- The culture of tea drinking in tea houses and cafes
- Different ways of making tea
- Tea rituals past and present
There are resources for schools linking to this exhibition and
Tea: The Land of a Thousand Hills to use in the classroom and when visiting the exhibitions. The resources look at:
- Ethical trading
- Where tea comes from and how it is produced
- Rwanda, as a tea producing country and compared to England
- The history of tea
- Sustainable development
- Global trade
There are also hands on and craft activities available for children including a trail around the displays.
Read a local journalist's blog about their enjoyable visit to the exhibition