ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY

Escape toCOUNTRY HAVENS THE COUNTRY

We round up some of the region’s beautiful countryside venues

ORCHARDLEIGH ESTATE

01373 472 550 | www.orchardleigh.net

Orchardleigh is a family-owned country estate boasting a 19th-century stately home, romantic island church, 18-hole golf course and plenty of luxurious accommodation. Set within 500 acres of private parkland and lakes, Orchardleigh House and its accompanying grounds will be exclusively yours for the duration of your wedding day. With expansive gardens and views across the estate and lake, the venue offers no shortage of stunning backdrops for those all-important photographs.

You have the choice of four locations for your vows. Inside there’s The Ballroom (up to 100 guests) and The Great Hall (up to 144 guests). Or outside there’s the option of the venue’s newest ceremony spot, The Belvedere (up to 144 guests) and The Pergola, which can host unlimited numbers. Alternatively, St Mary’s Island church at the heart of the estate, illuminated by candlelight, is an oh-so romantic place to say “I do.”

The Terrace and gardens offer a space for reception drinks with sweeping views across the estate. Ideal for winter wedding receptions, The Great Hall and vestibule have open fires, and the former also offers a great alternative for post-ceremony drinks if it’s too chilly outside. The Ballroom meanwhile, with capacity to seat up to 165 loved ones for the wedding breakfast and 200 for the evening, boasts high ceilings and feature windows and is an elegant space to host your celebrations.

BATCH COUNTRY HOUSE

01934 750 371 | https://batchcountryhouse.co.uk

A comfortable home with a traditional farmhouse feel, Batch Country House boasts cosy lounge areas and ample space. An exclusive-use venue it only hosts one wedding per day. The venue’s beautiful, awardwinning landscaped gardens overlook the Mendip Hills, and you’ll find plenty of water features dotted around including ponds, waterfalls and fountains. Plus, the outdoor photo opportunities are endless.

Batch Country House is licensed for indoor and outdoor civil ceremonies. Outside, the garden gazebo is available and can seat up to 130 loved ones. Indoor ceremonies are held in the Somerset Suite with beams, minster fireplace and hand-crafted oak doors. It can seat up to 120 for the ceremony.

Receptions are most often hosted in the Ivory Suite for a maximum of 250 guests. It’s a permanent building decorated in a marquee style with ivory drapes, chandeliers, starlit dancefloor and canopy. There’s also a full working bar, air conditioning and central heating so you’ll be comfortable whatever the weather.

The venue offers a complimentary overnight stay in the bridal suite on the night of the wedding.

THE LONGHOUSE

01749 812 307 | www.longhouseweddings.co.uk

The Longhouse is an environmentally-friendly wedding venue, ideal for creative couples with an original outlook and joie de vivre. Set high in the landscape, its beautifully-maintained and abundant gardens are inviting all year round and overlook the river Brue.

Outdoor ceremonies are held in the handmade oak gazebo that sits in the Longhouse gardens at the base of the small vineyard. It can comfortably seat 140 loved ones. Inside, The Longhouse can also seat 140 for the “I dos” and in the cooler months it offers a sense of welcoming the outside in with its wonderful views.

The covered patio is located above the gardens and is the ideal spot for enjoying post-ceremony drinks even if the weather isn’t great. The space can accommodate 140 standing. The Wine Cellar is available to be used throughout the day for drinks or coffee and tea after the wedding breakfast. It offers a quiter space for guests to sit and can accommodate 30 chairs around the edge of the room with space for a further 30 people to stand. The Longhouse is home to your wedding breakfast, before it’s reset for the evening celebrations. It can host up to 140 nearest and dearest with a further 60 for the evening reception. An interior of simple white with accents of soft, sage green is complemented by a wooden floor, providing the ultimate modern yet neutral canvas for your own decorations.

Rivermead House is available as self-catering accommodation for up to 36 people for the wedding weekend and hire of The Longhouse includes exclusive-use of a bridal suite located in the farmhouse.

OLD BRIDGE

01460 240 855 | www.old-bridge.co.uk

This 16th-century manor and mature gardens provide a glorious backdrop to your special day. Built in the local honey-coloured ham stone, the house is close to the venue’s marquee and is integral to the whole ambience.

The gardens, available for guests to enjoy, are dominated by a massive 400-year-old sweet chestnut tree, from which there hangs a triple seat swing where you can capture some memorable shots with your photographer. The venue is also blessed with formal lawns, rose beds and colourful borders. Plus, there’s a wooded area with gravel paths and a small stream flowing past weeping willows. The woodland is uplit at night, making a wonderful place for the two of you to go for a romantic stroll if you wish to grab some alone time for a few minutes. You can even use the gardens for lawn games, a bouncy castle, street food, an ice cream van, garden furniture and more.

Ceremonies take place throughout the year in the Great Hall, seating 75. If the weather smiles on you, the front porch is also licensed, so any number of guests could be outside with you witnessing the formalities as you say “I do.”

Receptions are hosted in the marquee, complete with its own bar, from May to September – it has a capacity of 200. The venue offers you complete freedom to arrange your own catering, music and décor. You’ll also benefit from having access at least one day before the main event to set up and also the day after to clear away.

YARLINGTON BARN

07871 368 819 | www.yarlingtonbarn.co.uk

A gorgeous lakeside wedding barn in the heart of Somerset, Yarlington Barn is a family-run venue located on a cider farm. A versatile space, it boasts a woodland backdrop and a gorgeous rose-clad gazebo in the most beautiful spot for capturing those all-important photos. Be it the frost of winter, the apple blossom of the spring, smell of cut grass in the summer or the colours of autumn, this venue has something wonderful to offer your big day whatever the season.

Inside, rustic exposed beams and wrought iron chandeliers create a touch of countryside magic and the unusual barrel bar reflects the venue’s heritage as a cider farm.

The barn is licensed for civil ceremonies, so from beginning to end you can host your big day there. The ceremony room can seat up to 80 of your nearest and dearest for the “I dos.”

The Lakeview Room, the main function space, can accommodate up to 80 for a seated wedding breakfast at round tables of eight or 10. It also boasts a fully-stocked bar, and being a cider farm there’s certainly plenty of Somerset’s favourite tipple on offer.

There’s room for 160 loved ones for the evening do for a hog roast or buffet with a disco and dancing.