8 of the Best Manor House and Stately Home Wedding Venues in Hampshire
Spanning over 753 square kilometres and home to the whimsical New Forest National Park and 40 miles of beautiful coastline, the pretty county of Hampshire provides you with the best of both worlds. Due to its abundance of rolling countryside, you’ll find plenty of manor houses and stately homes nestled within the county that were made ready to host a party. Below we’ve listed 8 of our favourites to help get you inspired.
Approached via a leafy private driveway, the elegant Botley’s Mansion is a Palladian house with a mysterious royal past located just 30 minutes out of London. It has a variety of different celebration spaces to choose from, with the ability to host up to 288 guests for the ceremony and reception, and up to an impressive 500 guests in the evening. Their Green Room is perfect for intimate and romantic ceremonies, or for larger soirées their contemporary glass roofed atrium is ideal. They also have 11 luxury bedrooms available for your nearest and dearest, in addition to a bridal suite.
2. Highfield Park
Nestled within 35 acres of parkland on the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire, Highfield Park has stunning views over the English countryside. They have spaces both inside and out for the wedding ceremony and reception, and smaller adjoining rooms that are perfect for cocktail hour and guest arrivals. They have a lavish bar lounge with a full service bar and 85 guest bedrooms, so everyone is able to stay close by.
3. Somerley
Surrounded by an impressive 7,000 acres of Hampshire countryside, Somerley is a privately owned country estate that is home to Lord and Lady Normanton and their family. For this reason it feels wonderfully welcoming and warm, with an eye for detail and comfort. Perfectly combining luxury and elegance with this laidback style, they have an abundance of spaces for you to choose from for both your ceremony and reception. They can host up to 160 guests for a ceremony, 140 guests for a reception inside or up to 200 guests in a marquee outside. They also have 9 bedrooms available in the main house and a recently refurbished Georgian Farmhouse that can host a further 12 guests.
4. Pylewell Park
Voted Tatler’s ‘Most Glam Venue to Say I Do’ in Hampshire, Pylewell Park is a well-loved country house wedding venue surrounded by acres of parklands and gardens. A wonderfully British home away from home, they have a licensed sail structure looking out to sea where you can say your vows and a pavilion for the wedding breakfast that can seat up to 180 guests. During your special day you’ll have exclusive use of the main house with 10 bedrooms and a 3 bedroom bridal penthouse available, along with private beach access for the days surrounding your wedding.
5. Frensham Hall
Built back in 1898, Frensham Hall is known to have thrown an abundance of lavish parties, whilst also played host to wounded soldiers during the Great War. The venue has plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces to choose from, with the main building home to the Edwardian Ballroom with Minstrels’ Gallery, the Louis XVI Drawing Room and their Jacobean Hall, all licensed to host ceremonies. Outside they have a beautiful terrace and intimate walled garden, both of which can be used as you wish. The venue can host up to 150 guests and has a dedicated wedding coordinator to help you throughout the full process.
6. Froyle Park
Located in a quiet and idyllic village, the charming Froyle Park is surrounded by 80 acres of parkland and sheep dotted fields. With a history that dates back to 1086 when William the Conqueror gifted the property to the nuns of St Mary’s Abbey in Winchester, its fair to say this venue is absolutely brimming with stories and celebrations of the years gone by. The manor house was built in 1620 and retains many of its original Jacobean features, including a grand staircase and ornate fireplaces. They’re able to host wedding ceremonies of up to 300 guests both inside and out, with an Outdoor Dome and decked seating area that has panoramic views of the sprawling Hampshire countryside. Their Great Hall is a majestic and welcoming setting for a reception, their Drawing Room a cosy and intimate choice and finally their Grand Ballroom is their largest room, and can accommodate up to 300 guests inside. The venue can also sleep up to 66 guests within the main house.
7. Stansted Park
Nestled within a 1,800 acre estate in the South Downs National Park, the Grade II listed Edwardian country house of Stansted Park is a wonderfully private and peaceful retreat. The house originally began its life as a hunting lodge back in the 11th century, and it has since then been reinvigorated many times over. They have spaces within the house for both the ceremony and reception, and for larger events a marquee can be placed beside the house on the South Terrace. For receptions inside the house, their grand blue Drawing Room is a lovely and elegant choice. The venue is great for weddings both large and small, and can host up to a whopping 1,000 guests if you so wish.
A privately owned stately home surrounded by 150 acres of historic parkland, the majestic Avington Park can be traced back to 961 AD where it is recorded in the Doomsday Book. Once described by the famous composer William Corbett as ‘one of the prettiest places in the county’, it’s fair to say this venue is extremely picturesque and quintessentially English. The venue has a choice of rooms for you to host your nuptials within, with the Ballroom being its most spectacular, complete with gilt plasterwork, paintings and large windows that look out onto the rolling parkland. The venue can host up to 180 of your guests, and their South facing Orangery is particularly popular for larger weddings.