Collection of paint and varnish tins
Table dressed for dinner with pink and gold balloons
Calendar showing March weekends booked

It feels like the blink of an eye, and it’s January again. And our annual routine of deep cleans, decorating and maintenance in the Long Barn are in full flow. Along with responding to lots of enquiries about the Long Barn as people start to plan for 2025 and beyond. We have never taken bookings for granted, and it’s a relief to see them come in early from new as well as returning guests.

Staying in several self-catering places last year ourselves, has made us even more passionate about what we can do to help guests have the very best time when they stay. So we thought we’d link together a few previous blogs that have lots of information in them. Along with some other useful web sites that we recommend.

  1. Booking the right place

We appreciate how anxious some guests are when booking for a large group, especially if it’s for a special occasion. The pressure is on to find the perfect place, and being the person co-ordinating it can be a thankless task. Obviously, we hope that if we are on the shortlist, the Long Barn will be the one chosen. But we also understand if we aren’t the right fit for the group. A year ago, we wrote about our five tips when booking a self-catering cottage which we think are still as relevant a year on. This is from the perspective of making a self-catering booking anywhere, and our suggestions of some of the pitfalls to avoid.

Courtyard of barn in summer sunshine
Tree in a green field of wheat
Grasses and aliums in  a courtyard garden in sunshine

2. Planning ahead

Once you’ve booked, you may well be relieved and happy that all the work is now done. And it may well be. Many guests are happy to just arrive on the day and go with the flow. We aim to have the Long Barn set up so that you can all just pitch up and relax. There are walks from the door and lots of suggestions of things to do in our digital welcome guide. All you need to do is organise food and drink between you all. All we suggest when you book, is that it is worth booking any meals out well ahead. Our lovely pub the Moors Inn gets very busy; you won’t be able to get a table for 14 at the last minute.

Equally we have some guests who ask to look round beforehand or come to visit the area to plan their stay. We are here to help whatever your needs. Our digital guide is packed full of info, but equally, give us a call or drop us an email with any questions or requests.  We’ll do our very best to help. As we’ve highlighted here, we have helped organise all sorts of things for previous guests.

Wild daffodils flowering in woodland
Purple and pink aurora in night sky
Two pints of pulled ale in pub

3. During your stay

We are here to help if you have any questions or concerns during your stay. If all is well, you probably won’t see us unless you go down to the pub. But equally, we are here to help during your stay. We pride ourselves in putting ourselves in our guests shoes and getting the little details right for your stay. As well as letting you know of any local events that you might be interested in during your stay. We have messaged guests when it is a particularly clear night for stars or if the aurora borealis is expected. Or the best places to see wild daffodils in flower in Appleton woods.

Right, back to our “to do” list. Which includes:

  • Having new carpets fitted in another two bedrooms, stairs and landing.
  • Installing a new repeater to improve Wi-Fi in the dining room.
  • Stripping and reoiling the wood floors in the kitchen and dining room.

We think we’ll have earned a beer in the Moors Inn when all this is done. And check out our Facebook and Instagram for progress on our “to do” list.

PS 2005 is booking up fast, and dates are going in 2026. So get in touch asap if you are thinking of visiting the Long Barn. We just ask for 20% deposit up front, with the balance paid 8 weeks before arrival.