Nether Winchendon House, a Grade I listed medieval and Tudor manor near Thame in Buckinghamshire, hires out its gardens and barn for weddings on an exclusive-use basis. The Carriage Barn seats up to 85 guests for dinner, with up to 120 in the evening. Three lawn locations take marquee receptions for up to 250 guests. The house has stayed in the same family for nearly 500 years and has hosted weddings for over 30 years.
Weddings and receptions
Venue hire is exclusive: no other function takes place at the house on your date. The couple also uses the gardens and grounds for photographs, and the official site states that there are no additional unseen charges and no corkage. The family does not set a one-day limit on set-up, and relatives and friends are welcome to come and decorate.
The Carriage Barn is an 18th-century vaulted building in the grounds, built for the owners' carriages. Hire includes the barn for the wedding breakfast, the Carriage Stand for the drinks reception, the Bridal Garden and orchard, the bar area, a dance floor, the stable yard, round tables and 85 Limewash Chiavari chairs. The couple has access to the barn two days before the wedding for a relaxed set-up. Smaller receptions of 40 dining guests or fewer are also possible there.
For a marquee reception there are three locations: the East Lawn, surrounded by rustic walls and flowers, the smaller Walled Garden, suggested for winter weddings, and the South Lawn, which runs down to the River Thame with views over the estate. Marquee hire itself is not included in the venue hire. The terrace on the south front of the house is included for three hours for the arrival drinks.
Rooms and capacities
The Carriage Barn seats up to 85 guests at dinner, with a limit of 120 in the evening. Marquee receptions can reach 250 guests, in the East Lawn, the Walled Garden or the South Lawn. Inside the house, the Great Hall and the Dining Room are used for more formal photographs, thanks to the Gothic windows and stained glass.
Accommodation
The house site has an accommodation page. The pages reviewed for this entry do not give bedroom numbers, so check the current offer with the family.
Catering
The pages read do not name a caterer. There is no corkage, and the couple arranges the catering for the barn or marquee. Ask the team for the list of suppliers it works with.
History and setting
The house is set in seven acres of gardens with old walled gardens, wrought iron gates and water, surrounded by 600 acres of parkland on the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire border. It has Tudor chimneys, partial stucco and a mix of styles that grew from medieval origins.
Getting there
The address is Nether Winchendon House, Nether Winchendon, near Thame, Buckinghamshire, HP18 0DY. Enquiries go through the form on the official site or by phone on 01844 290101.
