Deluxe, private 3-Bedroom House in Wiltshire

Holly Cottage is a “Guest Favourite” with over 200 5* Reviews. It is a Grade II listed, 3-bedroom house (sleeps 6) in the historic village of Edington, Wiltshire. Holly Cottage has a private, south-facing walled garden, off-street parking, and is close to an award-winning village pub plus numerous local attractions and beautiful countryside. Currently we allow bookings for a minimum of 2 or 3 nights depending on check-in days. We also offer a 10percent weekly discount. See our Policies Below. The space What Holly Cottage guests have said in reviews: “Five stars for every category” … “stylish space” … “lots of different spaces to enjoy” … “a gorgeous, comfortable and relaxing space” … “if you are thinking of running an Airbnb, this is the place to go to see how it’s done” … "AMAZING! Book it now!” … “truly exceptional” … “the loveliest property I have ever rented" ... "this is truly one of the most amazing places we’ve stayed” … “is exactly what is described and is absolutely brilliant” … “an absolute gem” … “English hospitality at its finest” … “beds are super comfortable” … “garden is a great suntrap” … “couldn’t ask for more” … “couldn’t have been better” … “everything was catered for...even the things you didn’t think you’d need!” … “there is excellent walking all round, both hilly and flat” … “we strongly recommend this idyllic place” … “a very warm welcome” … “we loved our stay and wish we could have stayed longer” … “couldn't recommend it highly enough”… “we have many short breaks in English cottages and Holly Cottage is, in every way, the best.” CONTENTS: 1. House Rules & Policies 2. The Property 3. Rooms and Layout 4. Facilities & Amenities 5. Other Amenities 6. Child-friendly Amenities 7. The Neighbourhood 1. HOUSE RULES & POLICIES (AT AUGUST 2025) 1a. NO PARTIES AND NO PETS: We live next door to Holly Cottage in a quiet neighbourhood. No parties or loud noise/music, please. We love animals but our ‘No Dogs’ rule is inflexible for various reasons. Please don't ask us for an exception. Smoking is allowed in the garden but not in the house. 1b. NO MANDATORY FEES: All our fixed fees are included at the time of booking. We try to offer a small number of ‘extras’ merely for the convenience of our guests (such as logs for the wood-burner and charcoal for the barbecue) which can be purchased from us during your stay but are entirely optional. We provide store-cupboard basics such as coffee, tea, sugar, salt, pepper, flour, oil and vinegar at no extra charge. 1c. BOOKING / CANCELLATION POLICY: Until further notice, we have opted for a ‘Moderate’ booking policy enabling guests to cancel up to 5 days before their check-in date (please look up precise terms on Airbnb pages). 1d. ‘INSTANT BOOKING’: Until further notice, we allow bookings for a minimum of 2 nights to be booked instantly. However, for Monday and Thursday check-ins, we require a minimum of 3 nights for instant bookings. Message us if you would like to request an exception. Pricing-wise, we tend to price Sunday nights more cheaply to encourage guests to stay for a 3-night weekend when possible. 1e. WEEKLY DISCOUNT: Until further notice, we offer a discount of 10 percent for bookings of a week or longer. 2a. THE PROPERTY: Holly Cottage is a detached period 3-bedroom house dating from the 18th century. It is Grade II listed and located in the Wiltshire countryside nestled under Salisbury Plain. It was purchased, renovated and redecorated in 2019 to offer our Airbnb guests modern conveniences alongside its period features. Our internal images include Airbnb verified photos. 2b. THE VILLAGE: Holly Cottage is set in a quiet location, in a Conservation Area, in the historic village of Edington. It was here, in AD 878, that King Alfred defeated the Vikings in the battle of ‘Ethandun’, preventing a Scandinavian conquest of the entire British Isles (see 'The Neighbourhood’ below). Holly Cottage is within walking distance of ‘The Three Daggers’, an award-winning pub and farm shop, a village-owned childrens’ play park area, and an important 14th century church. The village is near to a range of other gastropubs and restaurants and within a 25-50 minutes’ drive of numerous places to visit; Longleat, Bowood, Stourhead, Stonehenge, Avebury, The Newt, Salisbury Plain, Lacock, Frome, Marlborough, plus the cities and theatres of Bath, Bristol and Salisbury. 2c. THE GARDEN: Holly Cottage has its own secluded, walled ‘suntrap’ garden, with deckchairs, an outdoor dining table and chairs, a parasol and a charcoal barbecue. 3. ROOMS AND LAYOUT: Ground Floor: • Living Room (with wood burning stove) • Dining Room (table seats 8) • Kitchen (Bosch appliances) • Home 'Mini-Cinema' & Games Room (55-inch smart screen) • Downstairs WC • Staircase to First Floor (with handrail) First Floor: • ‘Mercia’ (bedroom 1) – with a King-size Double Bed • ‘Wessex’ (bedroom 2) – with a King-size rosewood Double Bed, a small ensuite shower room & WC • ‘Scandia’ (bedroom 3) with a pair of Twin Beds • Family Bathroom – bath, separate shower cubicle, basin and WC South-facing Garden: Patio terrace with a table for 6, a charcoal barbecue, herb border. NOTE: the Living Room and Kitchen have low wooden beams (approx. 5 ft 9 ins) typical of this kind of period property and all guests and visitors should take care and pay attention to avoid possible injury. 4. SELECTED FACILITIES / AMENITIES: • LOCKBOX for ‘Self-Check-In’, if required (we prefer to welcome guests when we can) • Luggage Drop-Off allowed (by arrangement) • Private Entrance • FREE ‘off street’ Parking on the private drive for 2 cars (3rd car by arrangement) • Oil Central Heating (oil included) • FREE Ultrafast WIFI (EE Fibre 36 Essentials) • Bosch Electric Oven & Hob • Microwave • General Fridge • Drinks Fridge • Freezer • Bosch Washer/Dryer • Dishwasher • Nespresso coffee machine (pods not provided) and a Milk Frother • TVs in 5 Rooms including all 3 bedrooms • Sony Bravia Smart-TV & Apps • Blu-Ray / DVD player • Large selection of 1000+ DVDs (free to watch during stay) • Amazon Alexa with Amazon Prime music • Laptop friendly workspace(s) • Walled Garden with barbecue, dining terrace and outdoor furniture • Garden parasol • Walking Sticks • Umbrellas • Picnic Rug • Card table and bridge cloth available • Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide alarms • Fire Extinguisher and Fire Blanket • Small First Aid Kit • Yale room safe • Wood-burning stove (see below) • OPTIONAL: Bags of local kiln-dried logs are provided for sale (currently @ £12 each @ August 2025); some kindling and firelighters are included. Logs can also be purchased at the local village Farm Shop. • OPTIONAL: Bags of charcoal for the barbecue are provided for sale (currently @ £3 each, @ August 2025). 5. OTHER AMENITIES PROVIDED INCLUDE: • Quality Bed Linen • Towels • Toilet paper • Shampoo and Conditioner • Hair Dryer • Hot Water Bottles • Iron and ironing board • Hangers • Store-cupboard basics (coffee, tea, sugar, salt, pepper, flour, oil and vinegar) 6. CHILD-FRIENDLY AMENITIES: • DVDs, Dolls house, Board Games, Toys, Bedtime books • 2 x Waterproof Mattress Protectors are available (for Scandia’s twin beds only) • Infant’s High Chair (with safety straps) • Child’s High Stool (strapless) 7. THE NEIGHBOURHOOD We provide Holly Cottage guests with an extensive hard copy Manual that includes our guide to 60 local attractions. These include not only the usual bucket list (‘Salisbury Plain’, ‘Stonehenge’, ‘Longleat’, ‘Bowood’, and the great cities, cathedrals and theatres of Bath, Bristol and Salisbury) but less well-known gems (such as the ‘Thermae Bath Spa’, ‘Haynes Motor Museum’, ‘The Newt’, the American Museum’ and ‘Frome Independent Market’). We can also help with Golf and Swimming venues and cycle hire in the local area. Edington has an award-winning pub ('The Three Daggers', a recent AA Pub of the Year), its adjacent Farm Shop, and a magnificent C14 Priory Church. The neighbouring villages of Steeple Ashton (‘The Longs Arms’) and Bratton ('The Duke') have their own pubs, as well as convenience stores. All the major supermarkets have branches in nearby towns. The village is surrounded by walks and is within easy cycling / walking distance of Salisbury Plain. Edington is known for hosting one of the oldest annual festivals of church music in the world. Since 1956, the “Edington Festival” has grown and flourished and now over 80 leading musicians gather for a week in August to sing the principal daily services in three choirs. Visitors come from all over the world to share this extraordinary experience. Finally, the site of Edington itself is an important landmark in British and European history. Had it not been for King Alfred the Great’s crucial victory here almost 1,150 years ago, it’s very possible that the Vikings would have quickly gone on to conquer our entire island. At that time Wessex really was “the Last Kingdom” to stand in their way. However, Alfred’s army defeated the Scandinavian forces of Chief Guthrum somewhere on the hillside just above Holly Cottage, at the crucial “Battle of Ethandun” in AD 878. That victory resulted in the “Treaty of Wedmore” (now Chippenham, 15 miles to the north of Edington) and the conversion of Guthrum to Christianity. Under the Treaty, the Vikings retreated to the eastern lands that became known as ‘Danelaw’ (literally, under Danish Law, nowadays covering East Anglia, Essex and East Midlands). Guthrum was baptised with the Christian name Aethelstan and Alfred became his godfather. Eventually Wessex, under Alfred’s successors, reconquered Danelaw and united most of England. Novels such as Edward Rutherford’s “Sarum” and Bernard Cornwell’s “The Last Kingdom” cover these events, as does Michael Hurst’s series “Vikings” for the History Channel. Various books and DVD Box Sets are available for guests to enjoy and learn from during longer stays. Guest access Guests may access all parts of the house and garden.