It all begins with one little book
One of the most borrowed books at the Long Barn isn’t a bestselling thriller or the latest page-turner.
It’s a slim book called A Baker’s Dozen.
Written by the Appleton-le-Moors History Group and villagers, it tells the stories behind thirteen properties that have helped shape village life. When the History Group invited owners to take part, we were delighted to contribute to the chapter on Town End Farm.
We’ve lost count of the number of guests who have picked it up intending to flick through a few pages, only to find themselves wanting to know more about the village they’re staying in. The book is the result of years of research by local volunteers who wanted to preserve Appleton’s history for future generations.
That wasn’t quite what we imagined when our little library first came about.
A shelf with a story of its own
Like many people, we reached the point where our bookshelves at home were overflowing. Rather than taking boxes to the charity shop, we wondered whether our guests might enjoy them instead.
So a small bookshelf appeared on the West Barn mezzanine.
Over the years it has grown into a collection that reflects the books we’ve enjoyed ourselves, alongside a few left behind by previous guests for someone else to discover. If you browse the shelves you’ll probably spot a John Grisham courtroom drama, one of Ian’s Lee Child thrillers, a handful of modern classics and the occasional autobiography. It isn’t a carefully curated library. It’s a shelf of books that have travelled with us through different stages of life and are now waiting for someone else to enjoy.
The kitchen has developed its own collection too. Alongside a cocktail recipe book you’ll find favourites by Nigel Slater and local chef Andrew Pern. Andrew owns a number of local restaurants, including the famous Star at Harome that a number of our guests book a special celebratory meal at.
Reading is part of village life
The more we thought about it, the more we realised that books seem to weave their way through everyday life in Appleton.
The village has its own volunteer-run library in the church, where anyone can borrow or donate a book. Jackie is part of the village book club, so recommendations have a habit of travelling from discussions in the Reading Room onto the shelves at the Long Barn.
In the living room you’ll find the latest copy of Yorkshire Life, together with previous editions to browse. If you prefer magazines on a screen, there’s Readly on the Long Barn iPad. And if nothing beats a printed newspaper over breakfast, our village newsagent still delivers papers each morning for collection from the Moors Inn. With a little notice, we’re always happy to arrange one for you.
When one book leads to another
But it always comes back to A Baker’s Dozen.
Again and again we see the same pattern. Guests read about Town End Farm and the other places featured in the book, become curious about the village beyond the front door and, before long, they’re asking about the village history walk.
That’s where our neighbour Jim Hall comes in.
Jim has spent years researching Appleton’s history and looks after an extraordinary archive of old photographs, postcards and village records. He’s an active member of the Appleton History Group. When guests want to know more, he’s always happy to take them on an informal walk around the village. Jim’s only request is a donation to the Village Hall and, by long-standing tradition, a pint waiting for him behind the bar afterwards.
We’ve heard guests return from those walks full of stories about the cottages, the families who lived in them and details they’d never have discovered on their own.
Only a couple of weeks ago, one of the people whose passion helped make The Baker’s Dozen possible, Margaret Allinson, celebrated her 90th birthday. Her family travelled from America to stay at the Long Barn, a reminder that the stories in these pages are still bringing people together today.
Looking back, it’s remarkable where one little book has led.
When we first filled those shelves, we thought we were giving guests something to read. Instead, they’ve introduced people to our village, its history and, perhaps most importantly, the people who continue to keep those stories alive.
Sometimes a book doesn’t just tell a story.
Sometimes it introduces you to the people behind it.
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