OLIVER: “Know you where your are, sir?”
ORLANDO: “O, sir, very well; here in your orchard.”
This famous exchange is from As You Like It, a play whose very origins are rooted here at Soulton Hall. The source text, Thomas Lodge’s Rosalynde, was written on these grounds, with the author’s father holding the manor. As we celebrate our apple harvest, we are confident that our orchard is not just a stage where nature meets history, but the very setting for this pivotal scene.
The tense dialogue between Orlando and his brother, Oliver, takes place in an orchard—a location that represents a place of betrayal and conflict. Here, we witness an unethical attempt to steal birth rights as Oliver plots to deny Orlando his inheritance and his place in society. The very trees that give us fruit today are part of the landscape that inspired this opening drama.
In this light, the house and its grounds can be seen as the “dangerous court” from which the characters must flee. However, the view from our property offers a powerful contrast. Looking toward Soulton Wood, you are seeing our version of the Forest of Arden—a place of refuge, freedom, and new beginnings. It is here that Oliver’s plot is ultimately disgraced and unsuccessful.
We invite you to visit, enjoy an apple from these very trees, and connect with the living legacy of a story born right here—one where the path to liberty ultimately triumphs over an act of betrayal.
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How you you like them apples?
