CURIOUSER and curiouser!
It's the Alice in Wonderland themed tea rooms right in the heart of the New Forest.
Just yards from the grave of the little girl who inspired Lewis Carroll's legendary tales, The Mad Hatter Tea Rooms boast quirky decor, photo opportunities, props and a menu fit for the Queen of Hearts.
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Most weekends, visitors tucking into their Mad Hatter cream tea, Ploughmans, breakfast, pancakes or waffles, are also treated to a visit from the Mad Hatter himself!
Owner Mel Binder took over the business in 2019, carrying out a refurbishment and reopening it just a month before the first Covid lockdown.
She told the Daily Echo: "It already had the name, but there was no real connection to Alice in Wonderland, apart from that.
"When we decided we were going to keep the name, we thought we'd make it a bit memorable! So we made it a little quirky inside and really went with the theme.
"We just try to make it really fun."
Visitors to the Forest just love the quirky eatery, but are often unaware of its relevance.
Mel continues: "I really think Lyndhurst has missed a trick. Alice in Wonderland has a massive following and I think if we really tapped into it, it would benefit us all.
"People have often come in and don't even know the link. They aren't aware that the inspiration for the book is buried in the churchyard behind us. It's such a shame."
The resting place of Alice Liddell, who is believed to have inspired Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll's fantasy tales about a little girl who fell down the rabbit hole and found herself in Wonderland, is in the neighbouring grounds of St Michael and All Angels Church.
Parts of the churchyard can be seen from the sun-drenched terrace of the Mad Hatter Tea Rooms and the 19th Century building in which it stands is said to have an historic underground tunnel leading to the church.
Mel, who is also a whizz at balloon modelling and has another business Serendipity Balloons, can host private hire events at the venue and is working on a new Alice themed balloon display for the terrace.
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