From Botanical Gardens to Afternoon Teas: Make it a Mother's Day to Remember

Spring is a glorious time right across the United Kingdom, making it the perfect season to celebrate Mother's Day and to show your love with something truly special. From West End shows to scenic rounds of golf and boutique shopping trips, here’s how to share a wonderful Mother’s Day together and create unforgettable memories.

Take her for a perfect brunch or Sunday roast

Gillray's Steakhouse at London Marriott Hotel County Hall offers an irresistible take on the traditional roast (Photo: Marriott International)

With Mother’s Day falling on a Sunday, a delicious brunch or all-the-trimmings roast is in order. At Sheraton Grand London Park Lane’s Mercante restaurant, make brunch an unforgettable Italian dining experience from the à la carte menu, complete with a complimentary glass of prosecco per person.

For a roast, either of Booking Office 1869 or Gillray’s Steakhouse would be a fantastic choice. A grand reimagining of a Victorian ticket hall, set within the magnificent St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, Booking Office 1869 offers roast lamb with a garlic, rosemary and thyme jus and a superb free-range chicken and sourdough bread sauce option. There's also a wild mushroom pudding as a meat-free alternative.

As part of London Marriott Hotel County Hall, Gillray's Steakhouse could hardly offer a more impressive setting, with its stately wood-panelled decor and Thameside views of the Houses of Parliament. Sourcing, preparing and serving the finest cuts of meat is the speciality here, so you know you're in good hands for a roast. Here a dry-aged steak can form the centrepiece of your meal, a twist on the traditional roast that makes for a memorable Mother's Day meal.

Make Mother's Day a spa day

What better way to treat her than with a spa day? (Photo: Marriott International)

Mothers deserve to be pampered and what better way than with a leisurely spa day in a scenic location?

Follow a sauna, soothing treatment or dip in the pool with scones and cream at Delta Hotels by Marriott Tudor Park Country Club in Kent, where afternoon tea can be taken on the lovely outdoor terrace.

At Delta Hotels by Marriott Worsley Park Country Club, meanwhile, there's a gym, jacuzzi, swimming pool, sauna and steam room to complement the irresistible range of spa treatments and tempting food and drink options. Delta Hotels by Marriott Worsley Park Country Club sits in verdant surroundings on the edge of Manchester, and there are nine other spas around the UK to discover, too.

Discover a great garden together

Enjoy time together in beautiful surroundings this Mother's Day (Photo: Getty Images)

The United Kingdom, it is said, is a nation of gardeners, where any time spent exploring a beautiful garden is time well spent. It gives you a chance to catch up, connect and deepen your relationship against a perfect backdrop.

Film and TV fans will be delighted to recognise Chatsworth House and its gardens from productions including 2005’s much-loved Pride and Prejudice film. Feel like Elizabeth Bennet as you stroll around the 105-acre gardens, encountering one delight after another, from the centuries-old 1st Duke's Greenhouse, charming water features, yew maze and trout stream. The site is conveniently located in the heart of England, too.

RHS Wisley in Surrey, meanwhile, is a world-leading garden, celebrated for its role in pushing horticultural boundaries. A particular draw is its RHS Hilltop building. Known as ‘The Home of Gardening Science’, this state-of-the-art science block is surrounded by three spectacular new gardens.

If you’re in London, Chelsea Physic Garden – established in 1673 – is a must, home as it is to more than 4,500 medicinal and edible plants. It promises a thoroughly engaging visit.

Finally, a half-hour drive north of Swansea in South Wales, the National Botanic Garden of Wales has garnered all manner of awards for its beauty and horticultural significance. It’s a site of international renown that is sure to impress.

Entertain her with a show-stopping performance

If a heartwarming musical, edge-of-your-seat drama or Shakespearean soliloquy is sure to please, book tickets to a performance you can enjoy side by side.

For iconic productions and big-name actors, it has to be the sparkling lights, musicals and matinées of London’s West End. Choose one of the many storied theatres here, from the Adelphi to the Garrick and the Noël Coward, and remember that opera and ballet fans are well catered for, too.

The length and breadth of the UK, there are endless alternative opportunities to take in a performance in unique surroundings. You might head to Stratford-upon-Avon to see Shakespearean works where the great man was born, for instance. Or combine theatre with a trip into England’s rural heartland at Newbury’s Watermill Theatre, which also has a well-regarded restaurant on site.

If laughter makes her tick, a night of stand-up comedy is one great idea. Counting among the UK's best comedy venues is Edinburgh’s The Stand Comedy Club, which hosts nightly shows in an intimate basement space where laughter becomes fabulously infectious.

Express your creativity with a pottery class

Get creative together with a pottery class (Photo: Getty Images)

If happiness is found in the flow of creativity, how about taking a pottery class together? In London, the Pottery Café’s Fulham branch has been inviting people to adorn pottery with beautiful painted decorations since 1998. They also have a space in Battersea, just over the river. In Scotland’s second city, Glasgow Ceramics Studio offers classes in everything from hand-building to wheel-throwing. Over the Irish Sea, the Belfast Ceramics Studio will lead you by the hand in both pottery basics and more niche skills like mixing glaze. Finally, Manchester’s 7 Limes Pottery has been inspiring creatively inclined visitors to throw clay for a quarter of a century. In a city where the ritual of sharing cups of tea is especially cherished, you can even sign up for a 'make a mug’ class.

Treat her to an afternoon tea she'll remember forever

A perfect afternoon tea leaves an everlasting memory (Photo: Marriott International)

Naturally, any good afternoon tea is full of exceptional flavours, but some are so much more than that. They’re an experience curated to make you feel special, from the greeting when you arrive to the last dab of clotted cream.

For a truly elevated afternoon tea, the setting has to be right, and few can compare with London’s verdant Royal Parks. Tucked between three of them – Hyde, Green and St James's – The Palm Court at Sheraton Grand London Park Lane brings the parks’ natural atmosphere inside, promising an afternoon tea surrounded by the venue's eponymous palms and original Art Deco decor. For Mother's Day, guests can sip a complimentary glass of exquisite sparkling tea per person and a luxurious goody bag upon departure.

Alternatively, work up an appetite with a stroll over Millennium Bridge and along the Thames to Hithe + Seek at The Westin London City to savour afternoon tea overlooking the river. Designed for tea lovers and connoisseurs alike, Hithe + Seek's Mother's Day afternoon tea is a feast for the senses, featuring the likes of a non-alcoholic peach Bellini infused with JING’s jasmine sparkling tea and a curated selection of floral-inspired teas.

Upstream of Hithe + Seek, meanwhile, looking out on Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, The Library at County Hall is every inch the classic afternoon tea setting, with its original oak bookcases, tiered plates, tinkling tea cups, fine glassware, and landmark views. Not to mention the dainty delicacies you’ll enjoy: expect finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and rich pastries, all paired with a glass of fine champagne.

Go shopping somewhere special

Browsing independent boutiques is a lovely way to spend Mother's Day (Photo: Getty Images)

Imagine wandering together along a charming street lined with independent boutiques, cafés and restaurants, browsing menus and chatting about potential purchases. If that's how you'd picture the perfect Mother's Day, the UK has you covered.

From Scotland to southern England, the nation's streets and neighbourhoods teem with local creativity and opportunities for out-of-the-ordinary retail therapy. Try Bristol’s Gloucester Road, Thornton’s Arcade in Leeds, Glasgow’s Byres Road or two of London's ‘Church Streets’: Stoke Newington Church Street and the Church Street in Twickenham. All of these hubs have everything you need for a memorable Mother's Day shopping trip, and perhaps a last-minute gift.

Toast your bond with a gin distillery or vineyard tour

Go on a gastronomic journey of discovery with a wine-tasting experience (Photo: Getty Images)

For G&T fans, a tour of a gin distillery is as fun as it is fascinating. Plymouth Gin Distillery – England’s oldest working gin distillery – and Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh are two of the best, with tours at the latter also taking in the site's single malt whisky production.

The United Kingdom’s viticulture scene is still something of a hidden gem, so inviting her to a Mother's Day vineyard tour may provide a delightful surprise. Langham Wine Estate near Bournemouth and Yorkshire’s Ryedale Vineyards are both worth seeking out.

Make a splash with some wild swimming

Taking a dip together is a beautiful way to mark Mother's Day (Photo: Getty Images)

With temperatures just starting to climb in the UK, take the plunge and celebrate Mother’s Day with a dip together. The silky waters of London’s Hampstead Ponds are an iconic choice if you’re in the capital. With London’s skyscrapers in the near distance, you’ll swim amid lush greenery and feel the strong sense of community that has developed here over many years. If you’re near Edinburgh, a morning splash at Portobello Beach or Wardie Bay will set you up for a fabulous day together, while river swimmers will be drawn to the heritage of Oxford as a wild swimming destination. This culturally rich city also has Hinskey Outdoor Pool if you prefer a more enclosed environment.

Play tennis or golf somewhere new

For some, the perfect Mother's Day has to include time on the golf course (Photo: Marriott International)

With spring bringing bluer skies and milder temperatures, some sporting activity might feel appropriate this Mother’s Day. There are excellent tennis facilities to enjoy at Delta Hotels York and Delta Hotels Colchester. At the former, be sure to take advantage of the gym and pool, too, and take in in the gorgeous landscape. Delta Hotels Colchester also has a lovely location filled with abundantly green trees and fields, and offers a heated indoor pool, steam room, sauna and bar.

If golf is more the calling, consider Delta Hotels Worsley Park Country Club, with its Championship golf course, 200 acres of stunning scenery, proximity to RHS Garden Bridgewater and attractive courtyard for drinks. Then there are the two 18-hole golf courses, putting green and driving range at Delta Hotels Breadsall Priory Country Club, a site resplendent with eight centuries of history and offering easy access to the beautiful scenery of the Peak District. Finally, Delta Hotels Tudor Park Country Club can offer an 18-hole Championship course to complement its charming ‘Garden of England’ location.

Published: March 03, 2025

Last Updated: March 10, 2025