Bottle Lodge, Tixall

05/10/2026

🍂 Hello, autumn. 🤎

Bottle Lodge has slipped into the new season rather nicely.

A few pumpkins, warmer colours and little autumn touches have made our tiny lodge feel even cosier. And with the old stone, oak and diamond windows, it feels like this time of year was made for it.

The perfect little hideaway as the days get shorter and the evenings get cosier. 🍁

Who else thinks autumn might just be the best season for a weekend away? 🤎

🍂🤎

27/09/2026

A little doorway to a slower weekend. 🤎
No schedules. No rushing around. Just somewhere small, quiet and a little bit different to disappear to for a couple of days.

17/09/2026

The old stone, the diamond windows, the marks and imperfections that have survived along with it. 🤎

Restoring Bottle Lodge was never about making everything perfect. It was about keeping as much of its character as possible, while turning it into somewhere you'd actually want to spend the weekend.

We think the old and new sit rather nicely together.

14/09/2026

Ben was on BBC Stoke & Staffordshire just after 7:30am, chatting about Bottle Lodge, its history and the journey of bringing this little building back to life.

After six years of work, it still feels slightly surreal to be talking about it on the radio!

A huge thank you to BBC Radio Stoke for having Ben on. If you caught it this morning, we hope you enjoyed hearing a little more of Bottle Lodge’s story.

And if you missed it, we’re hoping to share a clip soon, or you can listen back on BBC Sounds 🤎

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74e02w8m2xo

08/09/2026

If these walls could talk…

When this little lodge was built in 1807, Queen Victoria hadn’t been born. There were no trains, no photographs, no electricity and certainly no cars passing the front door.

And yet, it was already here.

For more than 200 years, this tiny building has stood at the edge of the Tixall Estate while the world around it changed almost beyond recognition.

It watched horse-drawn carriages give way to motor cars. It stood through two World Wars. It was here when man first walked on the moon, when the internet arrived and when the first smartphone found its way into our pockets.

Through it all, the lodge remained.

Its name changed along the way too. Historic records knew it as Upper Lodge, generations of locals called it Pepperpot Lodge, and today, Bottle Lodge.

More than two centuries of history, tucked inside one very small building.

And more than 200 years later, its story is still being written. 🤎

04/09/2026

We’ve just taken on another special building! This time, an old Edwardian pumping station beside the River Trent. Please give the page a follow below!

A new project begins… 🏚️

We’ll be documenting the whole restoration here, from the building as it stands today through to welcoming our first guests.

Follow for updates… 🔨

01/09/2026

We’re officially an Airbnb Guest Favourite! 🥹🤍

It’s lovely to see Bottle Lodge back to life again, welcoming guests and becoming such a firm favourite with those who stay.

A huge thank you to all our guests for staying with us and for your lovely words. It really does mean a lot. 🤍

Here’s to many more stays, stories and slow mornings at the Bottle Lodge. 🌿

📍 Tixall, Staffordshire

27/08/2026

Some guest reviews really do mean the world to us 🤍

And then Julia sent us this photo from home… our little Bottle Lodge keepsake card has been framed and given pride of place alongside a tiny Bottle Lodge of its own. 🥹

Knowing that a stay here meant enough for a little piece of Bottle Lodge to make its way home with her is pretty special.

Thank you, Lady Julia Lorraine Martin. We’d absolutely love to welcome you back one day. 🤍

17/08/2026

The wedding weekend 🤍

The night before. The morning of. Then off to the beautiful The Orangery Ingestre to say “I do”. 💍

Back to Bottle Lodge for a sunset toast, followed by your first married cuppa the next morning. ☕️🥂

The perfect pairing for a rather special weekend.

17/08/2026