Cornwell Manor can be hired in exclusive use for weddings and private events, with a ballroom seating up to 100 guests, a Norman church for 80 and garden sites for a marquee. The manor stands on a 2,000-acre estate near Chipping Norton, on the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire border. Larger weddings use the grounds, while smaller events that need no marquee are possible all year.
Seminars and company events
The official site does not sell meetings or seminars. It states that the manor is available for weddings and events from May to October, and for smaller events without a marquee throughout the year. A company planning a private celebration for a small group can ask whether the house suits the format. The manor can also be leased for house stays outside the wedding season, subject to availability.
Weddings and receptions
The manor is let for three days over a weekend, so the party has the house to itself. Ceremony choices are the Norman church of St Peter, less than 200 meters from the house, the ballroom for civil ceremonies, or a blessing in the gardens. Drinks are served on the terrace above the lakes, in a formal garden with clipped Portuguese laurels. The wedding breakfast is held in a marquee or tipi in the Italianate water garden. For larger weddings the park above the house and the lakes is suggested. On the Sunday, breakfast or a poolside brunch is served at leisure, and checkout is at 5 pm.
Rooms and capacities
The ballroom seats up to 100 guests for a civil ceremony. St Peter's church holds 80. Larger churches in Kingham, Churchill and Chipping Norton are within a ten minute drive. The site does not give a total guest number for the marquee or the number of bedrooms, so ask for both before you plan the guest list. A tariff page and a list of preferred suppliers are published on the website.
Accommodation
The house is let as a whole and the party stays on site over the weekend. The site does not state how many bedrooms there are. Checkout on the Sunday is at 5 pm, later than in most hotels.
Catering
The site lists preferred suppliers rather than an in-house kitchen. Drinks receptions with champagne and canapés, a seated wedding breakfast and a poolside brunch are described as options.
History and setting
Cornwell Manor has a Georgian facade, terraced gardens, flowerbeds, a water garden with a fountain and canals, and parkland. It is a Grade II* listed building. The estate lies near Daylesford Organic, Soho Farmhouse and Estelle Manor, and near Cotswold villages with pubs and restaurants.
Getting there
The manor is in Cornwell, near Chipping Norton, postcode OX7 6TT. The official site says it is within easy reach of Heathrow airport, London and Oxford.
