Ardington House, a Georgian manor in the village of Ardington near Wantage, Oxfordshire, is hired for exclusive use: board meetings, away days and retreats for up to 25 people who stay in its 12 bedrooms, and company events or weddings for 40 to 200 guests in a riverside marquee. The house, walled gardens, parkland and Temple Island are all included.
Seminars and company events
The house suits board meetings, away days, training, team building and retreats. The corporate page lists spaces from boardroom style for 20 to theatre style, and says teams of 2 to 200 and more can be hosted depending on the format. Projection and a TV casting screen are available, Wi-Fi covers the house, and a helicopter landing site is on the grounds.
Smaller meetings use rooms in the house. The oak-panelled dining room seats up to 20, the kitchen breakfast table up to 16, and the Imperial Hall can be set theatre style for up to 60. For relaxed discussions there are a snug, a basement sofa area, the drawing room and an upstairs library. For larger events, the riverside marquee, available from March to November, takes up to 200 with a dance floor and bar.
A day delegate package can be built for groups of 12 to 20. Overnight corporate hire runs on a minimum two-night stay with up to 23 delegates, or 12 on single occupancy.
Weddings and receptions
The house is licensed for legal weddings. The full wedding format runs from April to November for 40 to 200 guests, using the house, Temple Island and the marquee. A smaller wedding for up to 35 guests takes place in the house and gardens without the marquee, on Mondays to Thursdays from April to October and on any date from November to March. Catering comes from a partner caterer, or the venue can be hired dry.
Rooms and capacities
Marquee: up to 200. Imperial Hall: theatre for up to 60. Oak-panelled dining room: up to 20. Kitchen table: up to 16. Dinners in the house suit groups of 10 to 30. The corporate page also quotes up to 350 theatre style for the largest configurations; confirm this with the house before planning.
Accommodation
There are 12 bedrooms: 7 doubles, 4 twins and a children's room with 3 beds, with 7 bathrooms. Private hire sleeps up to 25 guests. The house also has an outdoor heated swimming pool open May to September, a tennis court, fly fishing from April to October by arrangement, and a village pub next door.
Catering
Private stays of up to 25 can be self-catered or fully catered. For larger events the house works with trusted partners for breakfast, lunch, dinner and special event catering, and recommends local caterers. The venue describes itself as self-catering venue hire rather than a conference centre.
History and setting
Ardington House was built between 1719 and 1721 and has been home to the Baring family since 1939. It stands at the foot of the North Wessex Downs in a village with thatched cottages, a church and a pub.
Getting there
Central London is 75 minutes away, Heathrow 70 minutes and Oxford half an hour. Didcot Parkway station is 15 minutes by car. The address is Church Street, Ardington, near Wantage, OX12 8QA, and there is on-site parking.
