Planning a countryside retreat?
The UK is home to plenty of stylish getaways for an idyllic staycation, many of which double as picturesque wedding venues. Gina Jackson, travel writer and author of British Boutique Hotels and London Hotels, collates five of her favourite hideaways across the UK that make the perfect location for celebratory gatherings and stylish staycations.
Words by Gina Jackson @ginagoesto
Babington House | Chapel | @sohohouse | Photography by Sam Docker
Babington House Somewhat of a Somerset icon, Babington House is one of the UK’s longest standing and most lauded country house hotels. A honey-coloured mansion near the quaint villages of Bruton and Frome, this palatial party pad sits under Soho House’s umbrella. Thanks to its famed Cowshed spa and refined culinary offering, guests can expect to be pampered all day, and enjoy dinner at the hotel’s namesake restaurant that is far more elevated than your regular members’ club - along with a daily afternoon tea spread that rivals some of the country’s finest. For weddings, whole-house takeovers are essential; ceremonies take place in the sweet chapel onsite, followed by champagne receptions that spill out onto the lawn and segway into al fresco suppers or lakeside barbecues. The bridal couple can bed down in the lavish Playroom (the hotel’s honeymoon suite) - or opt for the Rooftop room, complete with an outdoor hot tub perched among the treetops.
Heckfield Place This super-luxe Hampshire escape is the ultimate venue for elegant countryside celebrations. A meticulously restored Georgian manor set within 400 acres of rambling woodland, Heckfield Place quickly established itself as one of the country’s most exquisite retreats when it first opened its doors six years ago. Elaborate weddings require whole-house takeovers that are often stretched across a languid weekend: think feasting in the woodlands, and farm-to-table suppers at Green Michelin-starred Marle, along with intimate rehearsal dinners at Hearth, the hotel’s wood-fired grill restaurant. Colourful wild flowers plucked across the estate frame each dinner setting, and guests can expect to dine on home-grown produce sourced from the hotel’s biodynamic farm at all mealtimes: with the kitchens under the culinary direction of acclaimed Skye Gyngell (of Petersham Nurseries and Spring fame), expect to be wowed by the fresh, flavourful dishes. It’s no surprise that newlywed couples often choose to spend their honeymoons here: each suite is kitted out with plush furnishings and plenty of considered touches (think personalised room keys, and complimentary minibars stocked with homemade treats).
NoMad London For a chic wedding reception in the city, The NoMad is easily one of the most stylish hotels in London. Occupying the former Bow Street Magistrate’s Court and proudly presiding over Covent Garden Market, this gargantuan building offers plenty of revelry within its storied walls. Designed by interior hotshots Roman and Williams, expect draped curtains, chintz sofas and original artworks around each corner, along with oodles of New York-style glamour - plus a multitude of elegant restaurants to span out across, including a glitzy underground speakeasy. For wedding celebrations, the moody, muralled Magistrates’ Ballroom plays host to cocktail receptions and candlelit seated dinners; and you’ll be guaranteed plenty of privacy for your celebration thanks to its dedicated bar and entrance. After partying, newlyweds can slip upstairs to one of the sumptuous Royal Opera Suites, some of which are split-level, and all of which guarantee deep bathtubs to soak in, and views over the neighbouring Royal Opera House.
NoMad London | Magistrates Ballroom | @thenomadhotel | Photography by Simon Upton
Heckfield Place | @heckfield_place
The Rectory Hotel | @therectoryhotel
The Rectory Hotel Located in one of the prettiest patches of the country, within the sleepy village of Crudwell, this beautifully restored rector’s home offers a secluded retreat in the heart of Cotswold country. Guests can spread out across a clutch of relaxed bedrooms, each kitted out with luxe furnishings, and awash in calming colour schemes - and with its generous four-poster, and views onto the perfectly pruned gardens below, room number 6 makes the ideal honeymoon suite. Meanwhile, the light-filled Orangery can be used for small ceremonies and celebratory dinners, with guests feasting on a delicious, Mediterranean-accented menu, and spreading across the manicured lawns for champagne receptions; inside, the hotel’s relaxed living spaces are just as inviting, with guests kicking back on squashy sofas and gathering by the fire in the colder months.
Middleton Lodge Nestled in north Yorkshire, this family-run hotel encompasses a handsome country pile, walled gardens, and cosy bedrooms spread across several outbuildings - all set within a sprawling 200 acre estate. Weddings often take place in the historic manor, which offers sweeping gardens and views over the rolling hills beyond, or within the contemporary, light-filled Fig House that sits within the walled gardens - and can even spill across both venues. After partying into the early hours of the morning in the cellars of the manor, guests bed down across relaxed bedrooms within the former dairy and farmhouse - many of which come with outdoor hot tubs. Gourmands will appreciate the estate-to-plate ethos of the hotel’s two restaurants, with local suppliers and seasonal produce heralded at all mealtimes.
Middleton Lodge| The Fig House in the Walled Garden | @middletonlodge | Photographer Rebecca Tappin