Apple Tree Holiday Cottage

19/05/2024

All these beauties can be seen in Bentley Wood, mere moments from the cottage. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and carefully managed and conserved for wildlife.

The wood is a special place: one of the largest and most wildlife-rich ancient woodlands in southern England despite being almost entirely cleared of trees during and after World War II.

Management of the wood is currently restoring the majority to native trees through the gradual removal of exotic conifers and, where necessary, replanting with oak, elm, lime, cherry and hornbeam.

Areas of coppice and widened paths have created a distinct woodland edge along which a rich diversity of butterflies, moths and other insects can flourish and move around more easily.

At least 36 species of butterfly are recorded regularly, some of which are of conservation concern and the wood supports over 1,000 species of moth, about half of which are macro-moths. This amounts to around three-quarters of all the macro-moths recorded in Wiltshire.

Butterfly Conservation is a British charity devoted to saving butterflies, moths and their habitats throughout the UK.

21/06/2023

I would love to go one day - anyone want to join me?? ☀️

What a view 🤩
Thousands of people came to Stonehenge this morning to welcome the summer solstice ➡️ bbc.in/3qVfR9n

06/06/2023

Home made scones and roses cut from the garden await our guests arriving this afternoon after a long journey from Norfolk 🌹 🇬🇧 🏡

04/05/2023

Salisbury is getting into the swing of things 👑

17/03/2023

Apple Tree Cottage is set in an idyllic woodland location yet is only 6 miles away from Salisbury's attractions, shops and restaurants.

30/12/2022

What an unexpected surprise in the post today: a Christmas card from Germany sent to us by a mother and son who stayed at Apple Tree Cottage this summer. It was so interesting meeting them and hearing about their dramatic escape from East Germany in the 1980s.

Over the years we have loved welcoming people from around the world to stay in our little cottage. Frohe Weihnachten everyone!

14/09/2022

Visit Wiltshire very kindly invited me to Stonehenge early this morning for an Inner Access Tour: an opportunity to step inside the stone circle and spend some time there. What a privilege to get so close to this world-famous monument that is on our doorstep.

16/08/2022

The Hawk Conservancy near Andover is helping to conserve some of the most threatened birds of prey on the planet...like this handsome chap! Thirty minutes drive from Apple Tree Cottage and definitely worth a visit during the summer holidays 🦅

Cassius the African White-Backed Vulture is looking forward to seeing lots of visitors this week! 👋

Did you know our Savanna Vulture Project works with this species, Hooded Vultures, Lappet-faced Vultures and White-headed Vultures to find out more about their ecology and breeding behaviour so we can work out the best ways to conserve them? By visiting us, you're helping us to continue working towards the conservation of these amazing birds 💚

01/08/2022

In celebration of the incredible success of England's team at the Euro 2022 final yesterday, we would like to show off our original 'three lions' in the stained glass at the West Window.

One of the oldest examples of heraldic stained glass in the country, the shield in the central panel of the West Window shows the arms of King Henry III, the King at the time of the building of the Cathedral, and dates back to the 1260s.

Congratulations Lionesses!

14/06/2022

Best time to visit Mottisfont (our nearest big National Trust house) is now: the roses are in full bloom and the walled gardens look and smell delightful 🌹 🥀 🌺

Our walled gardens are home to the National Collection of pre-1900 old-fashioned roses, which reach their peak in early summer. Flowering just once a year, the blooming season attracts thousands of visitors.

To guarantee entry during this busy period, please pre-book your parking space if you’re planning to visit before 3.30pm between 30 May and 2 July. Tickets can be booked up to four weeks in advance - the first tickets will be released this Thursday, 5 May. If you’d prefer a more spontaneous visit, we’re extending our opening hours to 8pm (last entry 7pm) on Mondays to Saturdays from 30 May - 2 July. You don’t need to book if you’re visiting after 3.30pm.

More information about visiting during rose season can be found here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont/features/mottisfonts-rose-garden

02/06/2022

22/05/2022

Sit back and smell the roses in the peaceful enclosed garden at Apple Tree Cottage 🌹

25/04/2022

Hoping for some feathered visitors this summer in our new artificial house martin nests, safely tucked under the cottage eaves.

House martins now have a code red status on the Birds of Conservation Concern list - putting up nests is one of the ways we can help these wonderful birds.

07/11/2021

Went looking for fly agaric in Bentley Wood this morning and was delighted to find some, albeit a bit nibbled! If you are fond of a fungus foray, come and stay at Apple Tree next autumn and explore the wonderful woods on our doorstep 🍄🍄🍄

09/10/2021

The real thing is only 30 minutes away from Apple Tree Cottage!

30/06/2021

We have a new prickly guest! He/she is turning up every night to tuck into a bowl of cat food 🦔

24/05/2021

Salisbury has made it onto the Guardian's top 10 places for culture and outdoor fun. Apple Tree Cottage is a quiet rural property only 7 miles from central Salisbury, so our guests can experience the best of both worlds! We still have a few weeks available this summer. Please see our website for more details.

Rural cottages may be heavily booked, but these cities offer places to stay, accessible open spaces and lots to do in town

25/04/2021

Heart-warming news: x4 peregrine chicks have hatched at Salisbury Cathedral 😍 See them on the live cam: bit.ly/30PnzBH