12 English Venues With Great Outdoor Space
Euridge Manor’s bespoke wedding hire package includes exclusive use of the grounds and orangery for three days, with the option to hire the rose garden suite, cottages and ballroom too. If an outside ceremony is what you want, there’s a spectacular boat house licensed for 20 people, with plenty more space for guests to watch by the wisteria-scented pergola and Italianate terrace. There’s also the estate’s signature castle arch, with a crystal chandelier set among crumbling castle ruins. For a smaller dinner of up to 50 guests, the orangery is ideal, while a marquee on the lawn can host up to 150 seated guests.
Euridge, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8BJ
Visit Euridge.uk
A hidden gem in one of London’s most beautiful settings, the Orangery used to host Lord and Lady Holland’s many social events. An outdoor summer ceremony can be followed by a champagne and canapé reception on the lawn, as couples venture through the fragrant rose garden in search of the perfect backdrop for photos. A short walk from High Street Kensington and Holland Park stations, there’s also the option to hold your reception in the Main Hall, complete with a live band or a DJ.
Town Hall, Hornton Street, London, W8 7NX
Visit RBKC.gov.uk
Ceremonies can be held in the old greenhouse at the Walled Garden, converted to include a back wall lined with rambling roses. There’s seating for 40 guests on the top section, with further seating for up to 140 more guests around the bandstand and lawn. Should the English weather mess with your plans, the team can also host the ceremony in a marquee overlooking the garden. As for the reception, a Georgian style marquee, hidden behind a line of pleached hornbeams, holds up to 200 guests.
Old Drive, Wollaton Road, Nottingham, NG9 3DA
Offered for exclusive use, the Tythe Barn is set on a family estate, with a collection of barns, grounds and an experienced team fully at your disposal. Licensed for up to 150 guests, it can host indoor and outdoor ceremonies – the latter taking place under a rustic pergola. If it’s chilly, there are outdoor wood burners, blankets and sheepskin rugs on hand – plus, there’s room for a further 50 evening guests inside the estate’s stunning oak panelled barn. Couples should make sure to book the Shepherd’s Hut – the venue’s own version of a wedding suite.
Charbridge Lane, Launton, Oxfordshire OX26 4SR
Visit TheTytheBarn.co.uk
The Italian Villa at Compton Acres is set within beautiful gardens and is licensed to perform marriages and civil partnerships – it’s also available for exclusive hire. The gardens were built in the 1920s around a central ornamental lake with carved stone fountains and exquisitely coloured water lilies. Arranged around the lake are formal grass-bordered beds full of tulips in spring, then replaced with summer annuals at the end of May. Couples can escape to the Japanese gardens to enjoy a moment’s peace and take photos, before rejoining their guests for a drinks reception in the grounds.
164 Canford Cliffs Road, Dorset, BH13 7ES
Visit TheVillaComptonAcres.com
Best known as a filming location for 2020’s Emma, Firle can accommodate small civil ceremonies for up to 30 people, with drinks on the terrace and around the fountain, followed by lunch or dinner in the Tea Rooms or the Great Hall. Alternatively, the private gardens of the Gage family (the owners of Firle) are tucked behind the stately home and offer views of the whole estate. The South Lawns can be booked for ceremonies, blessings and drinks receptions – as can the private walled garden, complete with 16th-century thatched dairy cottage, lawned terrace and wildflower meadow. You also get use of the breath-taking driveway and private parking for all guests.
The Shire House, Firle, Lewes, Sussex, BN8 6LP
Visit Firle.com
Weddings at Hever Castle – the old seat of the Boleyn family – are largely determined by the number of guests you wish to invite. Eighty to 100 guests? The Italian Garden – the only completely outdoor location – offers the lakeside Loggia for the ceremony and The Guthrie Pavilion for the wedding breakfast and evening reception. Designed to display William Waldorf Astor’s fine collection of Italian sculpture, the gardens and Loggia overlook a 38-acre lake. Ceremonies typically take place in the afternoon, with guests walking under the flower-clad terraces and through the rose gardens en route to the pavilion.
Hever Rd, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG
Visit HeverCastle.co.uk
Close to Beaminster stands Mapperton House. Undiscovered, exclusive and wildly romantic, it offers a variety of spaces including the gardens, which are set on three levels – from the croquet lawn to the fountain courtyard and the arboretum beyond. The Garden Pavilion is perfect for outdoor ceremonies, while the secret Grotto suits smaller gatherings. The Orangery can host drinks reception overlooking the pools, statuary and magnificent topiary, while the rustic 17th-century Coach House suits evening parties.
Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3NR
Visit MappertonWeddings.com
Between June and September, you can have Cornwell Manor all to yourself for a minimum of three days over a weekend. The Georgian fronted house is a photographer’s dream, and an outdoor ceremony in the gardens followed by a party in the field overlooking the lake comes highly recommended. Just bear in mind it’s only non-religious blessings that happen in the gardens – with the option to use the nearby pretty Norman church of St Peter’s (with space for 80 guests) if you prefer. Best of all, the venue opens up its outdoor pool to guests on the Sunday for a relaxed farewell brunch.
Cornwell, Chipping Norton, OX7 6TT
Visit CornwellManor.com
Offering an outdoor marquee on a working farm just outside Horam in East Sussex, Wickerwood is an undiscovered, peaceful three-acre stretch of relaxed woodland with a stunning lake. Offering true bohemian vibes, it hosts a limited number of weddings and private events from June to September for up to 120 guests. Around the lake, there’s a private area under the tree canopy, right on the water’s edge for intimate, unlicensed ceremonies, and there’s a designated area for those who fancy glamping under the stars in sumptuous bell tents. For anyone who doesn't want to camp, the venue can help couples track down local accommodation.
Marle Green, Heathfield, Sussex, TN21 9HN
Visit WickerwoodFarm.com
A restored 19th-century house in the Surrey countryside, Millbridge Court is fully equipped to host weddings for up to 150 guests. While there are indoor spaces in which to hold your ceremony should the weather not pan out, the Arbour is a beautiful oak structure licensed for outdoor ceremonies between April and September. Set in a garden surrounded by tall photinia trees, it has a secluded atmosphere.
Frensham Road, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 3DJ
Visit MillbridgeCourt.co.uk
The team at Brympton House understands how important it is to make your wedding unique. The Temple on the South Terrace is best for an outdoor wedding. The reception can then take place in either the ballroom, salon or state dining room before guests celebrate in the Party Barn, which comes equipped with a fully stocked marble-topped bar, a chillout area and a dance floor adorned with fairy lights. Even better, there are 31 bedrooms on the estate, which can sleep up to 72 guests, and the entire thing is available for exclusive hire.
Odcombe, Somerset, BA22 8TD
Visit BrymptonHouse.co.uk
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