Claydon Estate hires out a 6,000 square meter walled garden for corporate events, summer parties and wedding receptions, and parkland for large outdoor events with room for more than 5,000 people. All venues are on a dry-hire basis. The estate is at Middle Claydon, near Buckingham in Buckinghamshire, less than 60 miles from central London.
Seminars and company events
The walled garden is offered for team-building activities, conferences and summer parties. It was the estate's kitchen garden, and at 6,000 square meters it leaves room for marquees, a stage and several activity areas. Hire is exclusive: you discuss your requirements with the estate team through the enquiry form and the garden is yours for the event.
Because hire is dry, the organizer decides on structures, catering, furniture and technical equipment. This suits a company that already works with an event producer or wants a fully tailored day outdoors. It is not a ready-equipped conference room, and the estate does not list indoor meeting rooms for hire.
For public or large-scale corporate events, four parkland areas are available: Englands (67 acres), Church Park (25 acres), Lime Avenue (22 acres) and Warners (20 acres). Englands has capacity for over 5,000 people, with lakes on two sides and views toward Claydon House.
Weddings and receptions
The Walled Gardens are presented for large summer celebrations and wedding receptions. They were laid out in the 18th century for the 2nd Earl Verney by James Sanderson, a pupil of Capability Brown. The estate limits the number of weddings it takes, so the garden is used by one party at a time.
The estate is not licensed for civil marriages or civil partnerships, so the garden hosts celebrations and receptions only. All Saints' Church in Middle Claydon, on the estate, holds 100 people, and two sister churches in East Claydon and Steeple Claydon hold 200 each. Church weddings are arranged through the Parish of the Claydons. The estate asks couples to work with an event planner.
Rooms and capacities
The estate lists spaces rather than rooms. The walled garden is the main one for corporate and private events. The parkland areas range from 20 to 67 acres. Only the capacity of Englands is stated, at more than 5,000 people. Ask the estate for guest limits in the walled garden for your layout.
Catering
Catering is not included. The venues are dry hire, and the organizer brings in a caterer. The Phoenix Kitchen, a restaurant in the courtyard, is a public business and is not listed as a catering option for events.
History and setting
Claydon Estate has been the ancestral home of the Verney family for more than 400 years. Claydon House, in the care of the National Trust, is next to the estate. The estate covers more than 170 acres of parkland and walled gardens, and its Georgian courtyard houses shops, a spa and the Phoenix Kitchen.
Getting there
The address is Estate Office, Middle Claydon, Buckinghamshire MK18 2EX. By car, the estate is signposted from the A413 at Buckingham and the A41 at Waddesdon crossroads, and it is reached from junction 9 of the M40 at Bicester. The closest stations are Aylesbury Parkway at 10 miles, Bicester Village and Bicester North at 12.2 miles, and Milton Keynes Central at 16 miles. Check the exact address with the estate for your event.
