SHAMEFULLY, despite having lived in Oxfordshire for almost two years, I have explored very little of the county beyond Oxford and the major towns.

Hoping to put this right I made my way to Wittenham Clumps earlier this month, parking in the Earth Trust car park at the bottom of the twin mounds.

REVIEW: Cream of the crop at Daylesford

Armed with an audiobook and a vague plan to head towards Dorchester-on-Thames, where TripAdvisor assured me I could find multiple pubs and cafes, I set off.

After an enjoyable walk through woods, fields and allotments I arrived in the pretty village.

Herald Series:

With a street full of options Lily’s Tea Room easily won out, the bright turquoise exterior looking particularly inviting as the sky started to become overcast.

A tiny space packed full of sweet little tables and miss-matched furniture I grabbed a window table and perused the chalk-written menu board. Containing an impressively wide selection of sandwiches, quiches and other light lunch options, not to mention all the cakes on display, it was hard to narrow down the options.

ALSO READ: 'Like being on holiday at a BP garage on the A420'; top critic takes on Mollie's

Initially tempted by the soup of the day I quickly reconsidered after noting it was a ‘pea and coconut’ special. While I am sure it is entirely possible to make a delicious pea and coconut soup and this may well have been one I still had a half hour walk back and was feeling fairly hungry so was in no mood to risk it.

Instead I opted for a classic smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber sandwich on seeded bread (£5.95).

A generous portion quickly arrived complete with a handful of thick-cut crisps. Less appealing were the small pile of limp leaves that gave more the suggestion of a salad than anything substantial.

Herald Series:

I happily tucked in though while drinking the true star of my visit, English Breakfast tea served in a china cup as part of an (almost) perfect afternoon tea.

It seemed a waste to visit a tea room and not have any so despite being put off by the £6.95 price I went with the village cafe's offering.

Coming with two small warm scones, homemade jam, cream and a prettily-patterned pot of tea for one, the only wrong note was the scones which came with whipped rather than clotted cream.

Herald Series:

No matter which way you fall in the jam-versus-cream-first debate a warm scone and whipped cream does not a happy combination make.

It was a messy and slightly undignified experience eating the scones but you will be happy to know I soldiered on regardless.

Lily's Tea Room, 28 High St, Dorchester-on-Thames.