Tea drinkers banned from abbey garden in UK for slurping too loud

Visitors to an ancient abbey in Britain are to be banned from taking their tea in its garden, as they slurp too loudly.

According to the local council, visitors were disturbing the "tranquillity" of the historic site, as they noisily guzzle traditional pots of tea for two, at 3.20 pounds with a slice of cake, and clanking their china teacups.

A planning committee meeting granted permission for the tearoom at 12th century Delapre Abbey, Northampton, to stay open but said the outside seating area in the garden must close.

It ruled the tables and chairs must be moved to the front of the building to an area currently used as a car park.

"We want to keep the walled garden as a peaceful space and it was being disturbed by tea drinking," the Daily Express quoted Northampton Borough Council planning officer Andrew Holden as telling committee members.

But supporters of the abbey, which is run as a charity, branded the decision "ridiculous" and said it would lead to a fall in visitor numbers.

Graham Walker, 61, chairman of the Friends of Delapre Abbey, said the decision to close the tearoom was petty.

"Because we are ruining the ambience, we are going to be stuck in the car park instead of our beautiful walled garden," he said.

"We are a charity which has made a fantastic success of the abbey and we are being squeezed financially because the tea room is one of our biggest sources of revenue.

"The whole thing seems absolutely crazy and I hope we can work with the council to find a compromise.

"The abbey is a beautiful place and it is so rare to find such a beautiful building with large grounds just a mile from the town centre. We are very upset because we need the use of the walled garden to survive," he added.

The abbey, set in 600 acres of park and farmland, attracts around 120,000 visitors a year.