Heritance Tea Factory

Built in the days of the British Raj, Heritance Tea Factory is situated in the mountain range that gave pure Ceylon tea to the world. Although it has been converted, much of the original style and machinery has been preserved.

The atrium is latticed with steel, colour coded green to show the original metalwork and red to show which supports were added during the conversion in 1996.

The original engine in the basement that provided the main source of power is turned on for half an hour in the evenings so guests can watch the camel-hair belts turning. And, in the Goatfell Lounge, you can see the solid scales used for weighing tea made by W&T Avery Ltd of Birmingham, UK.

The tea-packing room is now the hotel’s popular Hethersett bar, while the area where tea was originally sifted and graded is now the hotel’s fine Kenmare restaurant. The former engine room is now the modern kitchen.

Heritance Tea Factory provides all the modern comforts and facilities for a relaxing stay. The 54 cosy, carpeted bedrooms come with bathtubs and showers as well as heating for when the mists close in. As well as the main restaurant, guests are offered the unusual experience of dining in a 1930s narrow-gauge railway carriage.

In addition to finding out about the local wildlife and community on one of the nature treks, guests have the chance to pick their own tea and have it processed in the Mini Tea Factory.