Laura's Tea Travels: Valence House Museum, Essex.

(The drive way and entrance to Valence House Museum).

Where I live, I'm a stone's throw away from London. Just 25 minutes away on the tube I can be in the Capital, visiting Madame Tussauds, the National Portrait Galley or Buckingham Palace.

Yet, strangely, ten minutes from where I live, in the middle of a Essex housing estate, sits this little gem. And it's one of the loveliest places to visit.

Valence House has been owned by several families and several generations of each family. Now sitting amongst housing estates, it once ruled over farm land and was once even the location of a very successful stud farm.

Now, though, it's a museum and is enjoyed by school children and adult visitors alike, and it's FREE, too!

I first visited last week, and returned for a second visit today. I've made friends with Colin, the curator, and today we had a hour long conversation about the bizarre death rituals of the Victorian's, Jack the Ripper, ghosts and London's famous cemeteries. A slightly mixed bag.

First of all, before exploring I decided to visit the museum's cafe, which is council owned. It's called the Oasis cafe and is a brilliant little place.

It's spotlessly clean and very, very cheap, so it's a really affordable place to visit. And, early on a Saturday morning it was really busy with dog walkers and museum visitors alike. It was a freezing cold day so I couldn't wait to grab a cup of tea to warm up with before I hit the museum.

As you can see the cafe is really clean. I chose a Twinings Earl Grey tea, which comes under "speciality tea". I paid a mere £1 for the cup of tea. If you wanted bog standard PG tips they charged you just 90p a cup. It's staggering how cheap the drinks are.

The choices of the speciality tea's where Earl Grey, Cranberry, Peppermint, Lady Grey, Camomile and Nettle. Obviously as you can see I opted for the Earl Grey. You can't beat an Earl Grey on a cold day.

I also treated myself to this chocolate bar, and it only cost 50p!

I was a really, really good girl and opted for the two finger option. However, if you wanted to be really naughty and go the whole hog they sold the larger, four fingered chocolate bars. The temptation was there, but thankfully I resisted.

I discreetly timed the infusion process and let the tea brew for a couple of minutes before removing the teabag and I have to say it was a wonderfully brewed cup of tea. And, when no one was looking, dunked my Kit-Kat into the tea and it was gorgeous.

There was nothing nicer, or more relaxing, then sitting in the warm cafe, drinking good tea and looking out over the museum and it's herb garden's. I felt really happy.

Now, this is where it gets really interesting, but, upon entering the museum what was the first thing I saw? .... this little beauty ....

Isn't it utterly gorgeous? It's so tiny as well but was actually a practical teapot. This little sweetie was given to the daughter of the first owner of the house on the occasion of her wedding in 1767. What the photograph doesn't pick up on is the gorgeous gold paint that is used through the design. It's stunning, really beautiful and I wouldn't mind owning it.

Within the museum are a cornucopia of items. We have the famous Dagenham idol, a wooden carving of a male figure dating from 2250 BC. There is also a skeleton, portraits of all the families that lived in the property, clothes and objet d'art.

But the part I like the most is the exhibitions that deal with wartime Dagenham. And in the reconstruction of a 1940's kitchen I saw these lovely little items.

Here is a shining example of a famous "Brown Betty" teapot and a packet of Choice Blend Indian Ceylon tea! How cool is that! Colin the curator reliably informed me that all of the items in the 1940's kitchen and living room came from a actual house in Dagenham. The elderly resident died five years ago and when the council entered the property to clear it found a time warp of wartime items. In the next couple of pictures all the items you can see, from the chair to the tapioca jars were being used right up to 2010 (ish). I was also told that the doors and windows from the house were also taken and some are on display and some in storage.

An example of a wartime living room, with actual items from the 1940's, even the white door is of it's time.

Amazing to think that the cupboards and ceramic jars were being used as little as five years ago!

I had an amazing day. The museum was brilliant but I can only compliment the council and all the staff who run the wonderful Oasis Cafe. It was clean, tidy, the staff were friendly and the brew was really, really good.

And finally, just check out these stairs. Whilst Colin the curator and I were discussing the building of the house, we both felt really cold and a overpowering smell of lavender hit us. Make of that what you will, but I think there certainly were people in the museum today that we couldn't see! Maybe I should book a ticket on their overnight ghost hunt to see what lurks there when the museum is closed for the night!