Clonnagapple
Shropshire, United Kingdom
Springtails
- Our low price promise from £128 €146 p/n
-
Cabin
Sleeps 2
- One double bed
Not suitable for children
Not suitable for pets
Overview
At the end of a short wood chip path, you’ll find Clonnagapple, backed by ancient woodland, looking out on sweeping parkland views beyond. It’s exactly the sight you want to behold when walking to your cabin, and you might have some cows milling about nearby to complete the idyllic feel. The outside of the cabin is almost camouflaged, a combination of local oak and green tin, next to a little shelter for your Hikki hot tub. But indoors, colour rules the roost. A bright menagerie of light wood tones and powerful primary colours frame a well-utilised space, with your kitchen area across from the door, a sofa opposite the dinky wood burner and, beyond a partition, a bed from which to look out over the view.
Relaxing at Clonnagapple is as easy as taking a perch, whether it’s the steps for sunrise, the hot tub that you slowly sink into while listening to wood pigeon calls or the seats round the firepit where you’ll sit mesmerised as sunset’s haze sets in. There’s the Clwydian Range, or the Peak district an hour’s drive away, and plenty of farm shops here and there, but if you work out how to stray from this beautiful site, you’ll have to let us know how you managed it.
Read more
Essentials
The important stuff
- Check in: 3 PM
- Check out: 10:30 AM
- 2 night stays from Fridays are available between November and December, please call the Guest Experience Team to book.
- Cabin is 150 metres away from on site car park
- 100 metres from McLaughlin, another cabin on-site
- Located on a working farm
- Bring wellies, study footwear, coat and a torch
- Initial supply of firewood is provided. You can buy additional firelighter bags for £1, Charcoal bags for £4 and large bags of logs for £10
- Phone signal available depending on network
- Plug sockets are available
- The cabin runs off 30Amp system which can power small devices
Sleeping arrangements
- One double bed
Cooking
- Kitchen with two induction hobs, small undercounter fridge/freezer, a small combo oven which can be used as an microwave, oven, and air fryer and basic cooking utensils, crockery and glassware
- BBQ firepit and tripod
- Indoor wood burning stove that allows for stove top cooking
- Wide range of food hampers available
Washing
- Bathroom with shower, sink and flushing toilet
- Luxury toiletries from luxury British brand, Bramley
Heating, lighting & bedding
- Bed linen, towels and bathrobes are provided
- Main source of heat is the wood burning stove
- There is dimmable lighting within the cabin and at the front door
- The covered bath area is lit with solar fairy lights
- Hot water throughout the cabin
Entertainment
- Wood-fired bath tub
- Board games
- Cards
- Puzzles
- Books
- Bluetooth speaker
Read more
Travel and Parking
- Disabled parking spaces are available and has enough space to manoeuvre a wheelchair
- Path to the hut is wooden and lined with wood chip which may naturally undulate
- It is a 2 minute walk to get to the space
Space and site access
- There are 3 large log steps that aren't fully even, with gaps between each step
- The doorway into cabin is 93 centimetres
- Doorway into bathroom is 76 centimetres
- Doorway into shower is 47 centimetres
- There is a walk in shower with a low profile tray
- Lower level mirror can be provided on request
- Welcomes assistance dogs
Mobility Aids
- There are no accessible fittings available (i.e. grab rails, shower or bath chair, ramps)
Accessible places to visit in the local area
- Alderford Lake in Whitchurch
- Attingham Park in Shrewsbury
- Bolesworth Castle near Chester
We have gathered information from the owner about this space to help you decide if it is the right place for you. We would always encourage you to contact us before booking to discuss your accessibility needs. We’re dedicated to helping everyone access our spaces and enjoy the outdoors. Visit our Disability Inclusive page for more information on our journey.
Getting there
The Stables, Shavington Park, Market Drayton, TF9 3SZ
///housework.outfitter.nights - What3Words is a new more accurate version of a postcode. This will take you directly to the main car park where you will then be able to follow signs to your cabin.
By public transport
The nearest train station is in Whitchurch (8 miles from the farm)
By car
Use the postcode on your navigator which will take you to the park. It is situated just off a very quiet road which lead only to a farm at the far end. The cabins are reached via a short walk through mature woodland on clearly marked wood chip path which then opens out to reveal the cabin and the open countryside beyond.
Read more
Food & Drink
At Springtails
On arrival, guests are provided with eggs from the hosts own hens (or when they are on winter strike, from Emily's Free Range Eggs in Ightfield 3 miles away), some homemade cake, bottle of milk from grass fed cows supplied by local Shropshire dairy "The Good Proper Dairy" and coffee from local awarding Lost Barn Coffee Roasters
Nearest shops
Fordhall Farm (6.5 miles) - England's first community-owned farm that is free to visit and offer a day out with farm trails, the farm shop and the kitchen café.
Co-Op (5 miles)
Pubs & Restaurants
Comerbermere Arms (3.5 miles) - Closest to the cabins, it is a good reliable gastropub and within daytime walking distance.
Wild Shropshire (8 miles) - A really wonderful restaurant with a tasting menu changing daily depending on the season and availability of produce.
The Chef in the Woods (9.5 miles) - If you go down to the woods today you will get some very delicious things to eat! Pop up café, open Thursday to Sunday.
Read more
Activities
At Springtails
With prior arrangement and subject to availability, guests can book various wildlife experiences such as a morning spent with our resident ornithologist on a guided dawn chorus or bird monitoring (which includes identification, tagging, weighing, sexing and aging a wide range of birds).
During the summer there would be opportunity to join a team of entomologists in monitoring insects' activity within wildflower meadows. These are wonderful hands-on experiences with truly passionate and knowledgeable environmental professionals.
Places to visit
Attingham Park - A National Trust estate with beautiful kitchen gardens and walks.
Hawkstone Park Follies - Set in 100 acres of parkland The Follies is a range of dramatic and rugged natural sandstone hills that were developed to include gullies, caves, towers and bridges, becoming one of the most visited landscapes in Britain during the 19th Century. It's a wonderful place to visit and walk.
Three Wrens Gin Distillery - Local award winning distillery that offers gin tasting and other experiences.
Outdoor & Activities
Alderford Lake - Range of wonderful activities available including Wild Swimming, Paddle Boarding, Kayaking as well as their new and popular AquaPark.
Brown Moss Nature Reserve - An SSi and an important wetland area rich in wildlife. It is free to visit and has a number of self guided walks. At the weekends you could combine your walk with a stop at The Chef in the Woods Café.
Read more
Meet your hosts
Meet Johanna Heywood-Lonsdale
After moving over from Ireland and spending a couple of years settling and running after her small children, she was looking for something that would be relevant to her cookery training and many years in a people facing role in Financial Recruitment. Given their setting, something within hospitality made sense.
Having travelled several times to New Zealand, Johanna really fell in love with their remote 'Back Country Huts' and this really was the inspiration for the design and feel, (although hopefully slightly more refined) of McLaughlin's and later Clonnagapple.
Wildlife and Environment
Johanna's husband has for many years had a very strong focus on the environment and wildlife and wanted a way of compensating for any adverse affects of the farming business. Over the last few years, they have worked on the vision and direction of the farm and wider rural business opportunities to try and find a solution which allows them to be proudly and highly productive running a farming system that embraces and enhances the wildlife and the environment.
They have spent a lot of time in defining, in a challenging time for the environment and rural businesses, what success looks like for them which lead them to adopt a holistic regenerative approach. Their mission statement states that it is their aim to engage in practices which will deliver a healthy, profitable, ecologically vibrant and truly resilient place for people to live and prosper for generations to come.
While they still have areas managed purely for wildlife and environmental gain, for the farming enterprise, this means that they have a highly productive farm which works in unison with nature to produce nutritiously dense food that promotes soil health, animal health and welfare, environmental integrity and tangibly contributes positively to human health as well as quality of life for those and those around us.
They hope that their practices will help to enhance the experience of the guests who stay with them at McLaughlin's or Clonnagapple and they are excited to offer opportunities engage with some of the initiatives we have ongoing across the place.
The cabins are situated close to an area which has been rewilding over the past 15-20 years, it is home a large and growing number of both native and migratory wildfowl and waders. The area is home to one of the biggest monitoring and recording programmes of marsh tits in the country and they continue to look to make enhancements as well as manage predation challenges to support the successful breeding of ground nesting birds. Depending on the season you may see (and hear) many birds, butterflies and insects, amphibians as well as foxes, badgers, hares and if you are lucky maybe even a dung beetle.
Read more
-
Overview
At the end of a short wood chip path, you’ll find Clonnagapple, backed by ancient woodland, looking out on sweeping parkland views beyond. It’s exactly the sight you want to behold when walking to your cabin, and you might have some cows milling about nearby to complete the idyllic feel. The outside of the cabin is almost camouflaged, a combination of local oak and green tin, next to a little shelter for your Hikki hot tub. But indoors, colour rules the roost. A bright menagerie of light wood tones and powerful primary colours frame a well-utilised space, with your kitchen area across from the door, a sofa opposite the dinky wood burner and, beyond a partition, a bed from which to look out over the view.
Relaxing at Clonnagapple is as easy as taking a perch, whether it’s the steps for sunrise, the hot tub that you slowly sink into while listening to wood pigeon calls or the seats round the firepit where you’ll sit mesmerised as sunset’s haze sets in. There’s the Clwydian Range, or the Peak district an hour’s drive away, and plenty of farm shops here and there, but if you work out how to stray from this beautiful site, you’ll have to let us know how you managed it.
Read more
-
Essentials
The important stuff
- Check in: 3 PM
- Check out: 10:30 AM
- 2 night stays from Fridays are available between November and December, please call the Guest Experience Team to book.
- Cabin is 150 metres away from on site car park
- 100 metres from McLaughlin, another cabin on-site
- Located on a working farm
- Bring wellies, study footwear, coat and a torch
- Initial supply of firewood is provided. You can buy additional firelighter bags for £1, Charcoal bags for £4 and large bags of logs for £10
- Phone signal available depending on network
- Plug sockets are available
- The cabin runs off 30Amp system which can power small devices
Sleeping arrangements
- One double bed
Cooking
- Kitchen with two induction hobs, small undercounter fridge/freezer, a small combo oven which can be used as an microwave, oven, and air fryer and basic cooking utensils, crockery and glassware
- BBQ firepit and tripod
- Indoor wood burning stove that allows for stove top cooking
- Wide range of food hampers available
Washing
- Bathroom with shower, sink and flushing toilet
- Luxury toiletries from luxury British brand, Bramley
Heating, lighting & bedding
- Bed linen, towels and bathrobes are provided
- Main source of heat is the wood burning stove
- There is dimmable lighting within the cabin and at the front door
- The covered bath area is lit with solar fairy lights
- Hot water throughout the cabin
Entertainment
- Wood-fired bath tub
- Board games
- Cards
- Puzzles
- Books
- Bluetooth speaker
-
Accessibility
Travel and Parking
- Disabled parking spaces are available and has enough space to manoeuvre a wheelchair
- Path to the hut is wooden and lined with wood chip which may naturally undulate
- It is a 2 minute walk to get to the space
Space and site access
- There are 3 large log steps that aren't fully even, with gaps between each step
- The doorway into cabin is 93 centimetres
- Doorway into bathroom is 76 centimetres
- Doorway into shower is 47 centimetres
- There is a walk in shower with a low profile tray
- Lower level mirror can be provided on request
- Welcomes assistance dogs
Mobility Aids
- There are no accessible fittings available (i.e. grab rails, shower or bath chair, ramps)
Accessible places to visit in the local area
- Alderford Lake in Whitchurch
- Attingham Park in Shrewsbury
- Bolesworth Castle near Chester
We have gathered information from the owner about this space to help you decide if it is the right place for you. We would always encourage you to contact us before booking to discuss your accessibility needs. We’re dedicated to helping everyone access our spaces and enjoy the outdoors. Visit our Disability Inclusive page for more information on our journey.
-
Location
Getting there
The Stables, Shavington Park, Market Drayton, TF9 3SZ
///housework.outfitter.nights - What3Words is a new more accurate version of a postcode. This will take you directly to the main car park where you will then be able to follow signs to your cabin.
By public transport
The nearest train station is in Whitchurch (8 miles from the farm)
By car
Use the postcode on your navigator which will take you to the park. It is situated just off a very quiet road which lead only to a farm at the far end. The cabins are reached via a short walk through mature woodland on clearly marked wood chip path which then opens out to reveal the cabin and the open countryside beyond.
-
Food & Drink
At Springtails
On arrival, guests are provided with eggs from the hosts own hens (or when they are on winter strike, from Emily's Free Range Eggs in Ightfield 3 miles away), some homemade cake, bottle of milk from grass fed cows supplied by local Shropshire dairy "The Good Proper Dairy" and coffee from local awarding Lost Barn Coffee Roasters
Nearest shops
Fordhall Farm (6.5 miles) - England's first community-owned farm that is free to visit and offer a day out with farm trails, the farm shop and the kitchen café.
Co-Op (5 miles)
Pubs & Restaurants
Comerbermere Arms (3.5 miles) - Closest to the cabins, it is a good reliable gastropub and within daytime walking distance.
Wild Shropshire (8 miles) - A really wonderful restaurant with a tasting menu changing daily depending on the season and availability of produce.
The Chef in the Woods (9.5 miles) - If you go down to the woods today you will get some very delicious things to eat! Pop up café, open Thursday to Sunday.
-
Experiences
At Springtails
With prior arrangement and subject to availability, guests can book various wildlife experiences such as a morning spent with our resident ornithologist on a guided dawn chorus or bird monitoring (which includes identification, tagging, weighing, sexing and aging a wide range of birds).
During the summer there would be opportunity to join a team of entomologists in monitoring insects' activity within wildflower meadows. These are wonderful hands-on experiences with truly passionate and knowledgeable environmental professionals.
Places to visit
Attingham Park - A National Trust estate with beautiful kitchen gardens and walks.
Hawkstone Park Follies - Set in 100 acres of parkland The Follies is a range of dramatic and rugged natural sandstone hills that were developed to include gullies, caves, towers and bridges, becoming one of the most visited landscapes in Britain during the 19th Century. It's a wonderful place to visit and walk.
Three Wrens Gin Distillery - Local award winning distillery that offers gin tasting and other experiences.
Outdoor & Activities
Alderford Lake - Range of wonderful activities available including Wild Swimming, Paddle Boarding, Kayaking as well as their new and popular AquaPark.
Brown Moss Nature Reserve - An SSi and an important wetland area rich in wildlife. It is free to visit and has a number of self guided walks. At the weekends you could combine your walk with a stop at The Chef in the Woods Café.
-
Your Hosts
Meet Johanna Heywood-Lonsdale
After moving over from Ireland and spending a couple of years settling and running after her small children, she was looking for something that would be relevant to her cookery training and many years in a people facing role in Financial Recruitment. Given their setting, something within hospitality made sense.
Having travelled several times to New Zealand, Johanna really fell in love with their remote 'Back Country Huts' and this really was the inspiration for the design and feel, (although hopefully slightly more refined) of McLaughlin's and later Clonnagapple.
Wildlife and Environment
Johanna's husband has for many years had a very strong focus on the environment and wildlife and wanted a way of compensating for any adverse affects of the farming business. Over the last few years, they have worked on the vision and direction of the farm and wider rural business opportunities to try and find a solution which allows them to be proudly and highly productive running a farming system that embraces and enhances the wildlife and the environment.
They have spent a lot of time in defining, in a challenging time for the environment and rural businesses, what success looks like for them which lead them to adopt a holistic regenerative approach. Their mission statement states that it is their aim to engage in practices which will deliver a healthy, profitable, ecologically vibrant and truly resilient place for people to live and prosper for generations to come.
While they still have areas managed purely for wildlife and environmental gain, for the farming enterprise, this means that they have a highly productive farm which works in unison with nature to produce nutritiously dense food that promotes soil health, animal health and welfare, environmental integrity and tangibly contributes positively to human health as well as quality of life for those and those around us.
They hope that their practices will help to enhance the experience of the guests who stay with them at McLaughlin's or Clonnagapple and they are excited to offer opportunities engage with some of the initiatives we have ongoing across the place.
The cabins are situated close to an area which has been rewilding over the past 15-20 years, it is home a large and growing number of both native and migratory wildfowl and waders. The area is home to one of the biggest monitoring and recording programmes of marsh tits in the country and they continue to look to make enhancements as well as manage predation challenges to support the successful breeding of ground nesting birds. Depending on the season you may see (and hear) many birds, butterflies and insects, amphibians as well as foxes, badgers, hares and if you are lucky maybe even a dung beetle.
-
Reviews
Our guests say...
Neil
A two day vacation to celebrate my Birthday. Perfect place, setting and overall a wonderful relaxing break.
07/11/2024Paul
We loved our stay at Clonnagapple. It was beautifully secluded, there were lots of lovely finishing touches; we loved the woodfired hot tub, the well-stocked kitchen and the powerful shower.
12/08/2024Sarah
We had a wonderful stay. Clongapple was such a peaceful and tranquil getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
04/08/2024Jared
A wonderful, secluded spot that really has thought of everything down to the last detail.
26/04/2024David
We had a lovely stay recently at Clonagapple to celebrate our birthdays! Johanna had very kindly put up some birthday bunting and left some delicious cake for our arrival. These extra touches made us feel very welcome and just set the tone for the amazing stay we had. As a host, Johanna was very accommodating, preparing the fire and Hikki tub ahead of our arrival. The hut is just perfect - it's cosy, comfortable and well equipped! The shower was particularly good - so powerful which we loved!! Also, waking up to the amazing views Clonagapple has to offer just made the stay! In terms of location, Clonagapple is in a really peaceful and private spot, but not too far from shops and things to do. We explored Market Drayton, visited Alderford Lake and went for a lovely meal at the Combermere Arms, a place we would highly recommend. The Hikki tub was just bliss - it was a great space to relax outside and take in the views. Johanna had kindly prepared the fire and there were plenty of additional supplies for us to use. Overall, we absolutely loved our stay at Clonnagapple and would definitely recommend a stay there! We will definitely look to return :)
24/04/2024Maya
We had a lovely relaxing break switching off from everything
03/04/2024Sophie
Clonnagapple was the perfect getaway to rest and re charge, it was absolutely bliss. This is the ideal location to book and get away from the City life huddle and bustle! Me and my partner chose this staycation to celebrate our 7 year anniversary, and it could not have been more ideal. Waking up in the morning listening to the sounds of the surrounding nature before taking a relaxing dip into the hot Hikki tub was lovely. Johanna was a great and tentative host, who couldn’t be more accommodating. Me and my partner had never felt more relaxed staying here.
02/02/2024Lois
Incredible. Glamping in December comes with concerns, but Clonnagapple was absolutely perfect for us. Johanna was made sure the wood burner was on the go when we got there and our stay from that moment was everything we wanted. Complete chill-out, games of scrabble and battleships in the warmth and as for the Hikki Bath...fell in love with it. Last word to Johanna's touches, the bed and bedding are amazing, the welcome cake delicious and information pack has everything you need. Thank you!
13/12/2023Mark
The accommodation is beautiful and comfortable. The wood fired bath tub is very special. Johanna was an attentive host.
10/11/2023Jane
We absolutely loved our stay at Clonnagapple! Johanna was the most, welcoming host, and she had the cabin set up ready for us with the fire lit, and cake waiting for us. The cabin was beautifully designed and the
07/10/2023
craftmanship was excellent, and while it feels cosy and colourful it feels in no way busy, and the attention to detail is second to none. The walk to the space is lovely, down a woodchipped path and through woodland, until you reach the cabin. We adored the outdoor space and soaking in the hot tub, we enjoyed spotting wildlife all around, and the best part - sleep! The bed is so luxurious and comfortable, and pulling back the curtains in the morning to enjoy coffee in bed with a view was magical. It's a very special place.Leila, Canopy and Stars
Reviews
We had the most incredible two nights away in this amazing and secluded retreat! There was nothing that wasn’t absolutely perfect, and Clonnagapple was actually much more spacious than we expected. The high ceilings, storage under the bed and bench, amazing homely touches and the hot tub just completed it! We are already planning on when we next make a return visit!
29/11/2024Neil
A two day vacation to celebrate my Birthday. Perfect place, setting and overall a wonderful relaxing break.
07/11/2024Paul
We loved our stay at Clonnagapple. It was beautifully secluded, there were lots of lovely finishing touches; we loved the woodfired hot tub, the well-stocked kitchen and the powerful shower.
12/08/2024Sarah
We had a wonderful stay. Clongapple was such a peaceful and tranquil getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
04/08/2024Jared
A wonderful, secluded spot that really has thought of everything down to the last detail.
26/04/2024David
We had a lovely stay recently at Clonagapple to celebrate our birthdays! Johanna had very kindly put up some birthday bunting and left some delicious cake for our arrival. These extra touches made us feel very welcome and just set the tone for the amazing stay we had. As a host, Johanna was very accommodating, preparing the fire and Hikki tub ahead of our arrival. The hut is just perfect - it's cosy, comfortable and well equipped! The shower was particularly good - so powerful which we loved!! Also, waking up to the amazing views Clonagapple has to offer just made the stay! In terms of location, Clonagapple is in a really peaceful and private spot, but not too far from shops and things to do. We explored Market Drayton, visited Alderford Lake and went for a lovely meal at the Combermere Arms, a place we would highly recommend. The Hikki tub was just bliss - it was a great space to relax outside and take in the views. Johanna had kindly prepared the fire and there were plenty of additional supplies for us to use. Overall, we absolutely loved our stay at Clonnagapple and would definitely recommend a stay there! We will definitely look to return :)
24/04/2024Maya
We had a lovely relaxing break switching off from everything
03/04/2024Sophie
Clonnagapple was the perfect getaway to rest and re charge, it was absolutely bliss. This is the ideal location to book and get away from the City life huddle and bustle! Me and my partner chose this staycation to celebrate our 7 year anniversary, and it could not have been more ideal. Waking up in the morning listening to the sounds of the surrounding nature before taking a relaxing dip into the hot Hikki tub was lovely. Johanna was a great and tentative host, who couldn’t be more accommodating. Me and my partner had never felt more relaxed staying here.
02/02/2024Lois
Incredible. Glamping in December comes with concerns, but Clonnagapple was absolutely perfect for us. Johanna was made sure the wood burner was on the go when we got there and our stay from that moment was everything we wanted. Complete chill-out, games of scrabble and battleships in the warmth and as for the Hikki Bath...fell in love with it. Last word to Johanna's touches, the bed and bedding are amazing, the welcome cake delicious and information pack has everything you need. Thank you!
13/12/2023Mark
The accommodation is beautiful and comfortable. The wood fired bath tub is very special. Johanna was an attentive host.
10/11/2023Jane
We absolutely loved our stay at Clonnagapple! Johanna was the most, welcoming host, and she had the cabin set up ready for us with the fire lit, and cake waiting for us. The cabin was beautifully designed and the
craftmanship was excellent, and while it feels cosy and colourful it feels in no way busy, and the attention to detail is second to none. The walk to the space is lovely, down a woodchipped path and through woodland, until you reach the cabin. We adored the outdoor space and soaking in the hot tub, we enjoyed spotting wildlife all around, and the best part - sleep! The bed is so luxurious and comfortable, and pulling back the curtains in the morning to enjoy coffee in bed with a view was magical. It's a very special place.
Leila, Canopy and Stars
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We had the most incredible two nights away in this amazing and secluded retreat! There was nothing that wasn’t absolutely perfect, and Clonnagapple was actually much more spacious than we expected. The high ceilings, storage under the bed and bench, amazing homely touches and the hot tub just completed it! We are already planning on when we next make a return visit!
29/11/2024