Briery Hill House is taken for one wedding at a time, a country house of ochre render at the end of a long drive near Newent in West Gloucestershire. The couple have the house, the walled garden and the estate lake to themselves, and the day can be arranged around a ceremony in a stone room under a chandelier or out in the garden.
A private house at the end of a long drive
The house stands in acres of quiet countryside in the west of Gloucestershire, close to the Forest of Dean and the Malvern Hills. Because only one wedding is held at a time, the day has the feel of a family estate opened up for the occasion, and there is no other party to share the lawns with. The house has ten bedrooms, so the wedding party can stay on after the celebration.
The walled garden and the lake
A walled garden of flint and brick is the heart of the grounds, full of flowers and used for ceremonies and for drinks and canapés. Beyond it the lawns slope down to an estate lake with a wooden rowing boat, which is a favourite place for photographs at dusk. Llamas live on the farm beside the house, and Guides for Brides notes that they can meet guests or join the photographs with the couple.
Vows indoors or out
For an indoor ceremony the house has a room with an exposed stone wall and a chandelier, and the orangery is licensed for civil ceremonies. Outdoors, couples can marry in the walled garden. The same guide lists the house as a venue that works as a blank canvas, so a planner and the couple choose their own caterer, florist and design rather than working from a fixed package, and a marquee can be added for a larger party.
Dinner under an open sky
The reception can be laid outdoors, with the countryside falling away behind the tables, and a lounge under a chandelier gives the wedding party a room indoors for the quieter moments of the day.
West Gloucestershire around the house
Newent is a small market town in the Gloucestershire countryside, with the Forest of Dean to the south and the Malvern Hills on the horizon. Gloucester, with its cathedral, and Hereford are both within an easy drive, and the Wye Valley is close by for guests who like to walk. For a couple who want a wedding in the English countryside without a long journey from the motorway network, the area has the advantage of being quiet and green and reachable from the Midlands, Bristol and Wales.
One way to shape the day
A ceremony in the stone room or in the walled garden can be followed by drinks and canapés among the flowers, with photographs by the lake as the light goes down. The reception can then be laid outdoors or in a marquee, and guests who stay in the house can end the evening in the lounge. Because the house is taken for one wedding, the schedule belongs to the couple and the planner, with no other booking to work around.
Planning a wedding at Briery Hill House
Ask first how many guests the ceremony room, the orangery and a marquee each hold, because the numbers depend on the layout. Ask what the hire costs for your date, when the music must finish and how the catering works. It also helps to ask how the ten bedrooms are shared out and whether the llamas can join the photographs on your day. Gloucester, Hereford and the Malvern Hills are all within an easy drive for guests who arrive by car.
A country house wedding of your own
Briery Hill House suits a couple who want a private country house with a walled garden and a lake, and who are happy to bring their own planner and suppliers to fill it. Check your date through the Briery Hill House page on 5 Star Weddings, or look at more wedding venues in the United Kingdom.
