Tea with Florence ™

A highlight of Claydon House in Buckinghamshire, the Chinese Room is widely regarded as the best surviving example of Chinoiserie in Britain. 18th century travel and international trade sparked an obsession with Asia and inspired the popular new ritual of tea drinking. Generations of the Verneys used the Chinese Room as a private sitting room and had tea with visitors, including Florence Nightingale, with the sister of 19th century owner Lady Verney. Florence was a regular visitor to Claydon, where she developed her important nursing skills.