We include the following in our venue hire fees: access to the gardens and grounds; use of the barns at no additional charge; event coordination; cutlery & crockery; wine glasses; choice of round or long tables; festoon lights; bunting outside; parking; use of the fire pits including logs; unlimited camping.  There are a few exclusions when outside caterers are used: please speak to a member of the team for details.

Yes you can choose packages which include venue hire, plus food and drink.  The midweek packages include food and drink for 40 people, and the minimum is 80 for weekends.  Please enquire for more details.

Owlpen is tucked away in a valley beyond the village of Uley, so it can be hard to find if you don’t have directions.  However all satnav (GPS) systems will take you straight to the estate if you type in our post code, which is GL11 5BZ.  If you do not, the best way to reach us is to head to Uley and turn off the main street at the Old Crown Pub, on the village green. The estate is just half a mile further on, and it is clearly sign-posted.  If you would like printed directions, we would be happy to send them to you or your guests by email, so just let us know. 

Yes.  The Cyder Barn is licensed for 100 people, the Pole Barn is licensed for 150, and the Great Hall of the manor house is licensed for up to 50 people.  Civil Ceremonies in the Cyder Barn, and in the manor gardens, are free when booked as part of one of our wedding packages above.

Please note: Gloucestershire County Council charges a fee for registrars to visit all licensed venues.  You can find more information here: https://gloucestershireregistrationservice.co.uk/ 

We are able to conduct official ceremonies outdoors, in certain areas of the gardens.  The final decision on this rests with the registrar on the day: usually it is dictated by weather.  We recommend hiring chairs for outdoor ceremonies: more below.

We also regularly hold unofficial ceremonies in a number of locations, either in the gardens or in a woodland glade near to the Cyder Barn.  These can take the form of a blessing, performed by an official celebrant, or even an informal exchange of vows conducted by a friend or family member. 

The Church of the Holy Cross is a stone’s throw from the manor house, and is used regularly for weddings in conjunction with the venue itself.  The church seats 120 comfortably.  It’s a great way to add a religious element to your wedding day, although you need to establish a ‘qualifying connection’ to the church in order to be married there.  This usually involves going to church at least one each month for six months, before your banns can be read.  You can find more information about this here: https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/your-church-wedding 

Please get in touch with Clare White at this email address: ewelmeparishoffice@gmail.com.  For more information about the history of the church, please follow this link: https://owlpen.com/holy-cross-church/  

Absolutely, yes.  This is a popular way of doing it if you want more flexibility with your main ceremony.  We can host an intimate official marriage in the Great Hall of the manor house, or larger ceremonies in the gardens or Cyder Barn, depending on your requirements.  Please note: there is an additional fee for ceremonies held the day before, and prices start from £450.

The pole barn is 10m x 15m.  The barn seats 120 people, on round tables or long tables.  Just tell us which configuration you would like on your seating plan, and we shall arrange it for you.  The barn is used primarily for dining, but is also for civil ceremonies for up to 150 people, on rare occasions.  Sadly the pole barn is not available for dancing at weddings; please enquire at the office for more info.

The Cyder Barn measures 6m x 12m.  The gallery above the barn, which is great for hanging flowers, is 4m long.  The ceiling height at the apex is 7 metres in both barns, and about 3 metres at the sides.  

The Cyder Barn is primarily used as a ceremony room during the day (licensed for 100), and as a bar and dance-floor during the evening party.  It is the perfect size for this as it creates a great atmosphere, although we advise booking a DJ instead of a band, as they are more compact and generally get people dancing more!  The Pole Barn is mainly used as a dining space, although it is also licensed for civil ceremonies for 150 people.  In the evening it is a calm place to sit and chat while the bar and dancing take place in the Cyder Barn.  Sadly we do not offer the pole barn as a location for dancing.

You are welcome to arrive from 12pm the day before your wedding, and stay inside the barns until 5pm that afternoon, so that you have all day to get everything ready.  If you’d like to get here early for any reason, just let us know and we’ll do our best to help.

Yes you can.  If you would like a drinks party in the Cyder Barn, or a sit-down meal for up to 48 people, we can arrange it for you.  We cannot do it in the Pole Barn, as it would be laid up, and ready for the Big Day, in advance. 

If you just want a drinks party, we charge £50 per hour and the bar is open. If you’d prefer to bring in your own drinks instead of using the bar, the service charge is £7.50 per head.  N.B. This only works if you’re bringing in your own drinks the next day as well.  If you do not plan to do so, the bar would be open.

There is no hourly fee if you use Well Seasoned Caterers for the event.  If you would like food, caterers must be used.

The office opens from 9am, and we are on hand to help with any pre-wedding prep that is required.  In the evening, we have a license until 11am on weekdays, and 12am on Saturdays.  If you would like to extend your party a little later, we can apply to the council to do this.  The fee is £250 to extend to midnight on a weekday, or 1am on a Saturday.  Please note that these extensions are in short supply, and they are offered on a first-come-first-served basis, so if you would like one, please let us know by email as far in advance as possible.

You can use the venue on the Thursday or Sunday if you are having a meal provided by our caterers, but we do not allow access to the space without staff supervision and you are not able to bring your own food.  The same applies to the gardens of the manor house, but it does not apply to the area around the lake, or holiday cottage gardens.

The day after the wedding we ask that decorations are taken down by 12pm, but if you need to extend this time, just speak to one of the team.

We try to be as flexible as possible, but we do ask that guests do not leave marks (including pin holes!), or place candles or other naked flames on tables without a glass jar or sconce beneath it.  If you would like to attach anything to the historic fabric of the building, please ask us first. 

We have a full collection of decorations that you can rent from us.  This ranges from a postbox and white chiffon ceiling runners to candlesticks, name holders and easels.  Please ask the team for more details!

We do not, but florists often bring them in for our weddings as they work so well at Owlpen.  We have a pulley and rope which the hoop can hang from. Abbey Meadow Flowers most regularly provide hoops, but other florists will of course do it as well.  The standard diameter of the hoops is usually 1 metre, but you can go up to 1.2m.

Yes we have one which usually sits inside, by the entrance. It can take a sign measuring about one metre square, maximum.

Not yet but we are looking into it, so watch this space!

We have a PA system in the both barns which is great for ceremonies, speeches and background music during a meal. However, it is not suitable for dancing and discos.  For outside ceremonies we recommend hiring a portable PA system.  We can advise on local companies which provide good sound systems (best to contact Chinnick Theatre Services in Stroud in the first instance), and they can install them as well. If you use a band or DJ, they will bring their own sound system.

We do not, although many choose to sit beneath the the large yew tree which was planted in 1616.  Sometimes musicians bring their own gazebo.  It is important to clarify whether they are bringing their own cover before the big day, to avoid confusion about locations on the day itself!

Yes of course you can, although often people find that bands can be a bit hit-or-miss and they cost a lot of money.  Plus they require enormous amounts of space, and Owlpen is not the largest venue.  We can accommodate a band in the Cyder Barn as long as they can occupy a space no larger than 5×2.5m.  There are also a small amount of reasonable restrictions that we have to place on bands, out of respect to our neighbours.  Please ask us about this and we would be happy to give you more information.  We find that at the best parties they have a DJ in the evening (see our approved suppliers page for some good recommendations) and a band in the afternoon, in the gardens during the drinks reception. This lifts the mood in the afternoon, and there are some great local musicians around. We find the most popular options are an acoustic guitarist, bluegrass band, swing band or string quartet.  It depends on what you are after! Often they can play during the wedding breakfast as well, but makes for a great atmosphere.  As above, if you do choose a band, please limit it to a four-piece outfit at most, so they don’t take up too much space.

We ask that all clients make their musicians aware of our policy on live and recorded music by sending them a link to the music page on our website here: www.owlpen.com/music 

For something a bit different, Silent Discos are now becoming really popular.  There are loads of options available, but you could try www.silentnoizeevents.com 

We are dog-friendly at Owlpen, so we encourage you and your guests to bring theirs.  We only ask that that they are kept on leads at all times, and if it is your dog we strongly recommend that they are looked after by a designated carer, as you won’t have time to watch out for your furry friend on the big day.

Yes!  We have some great local options on our approved suppliers page.  As the church is on the estate, and we have a license for civil ceremonies, it doesn’t happen too often however.  Bear in mind that cars with very low clearance are often not best suited to this country estate so best to steer clear or the brand new Ferrari option…!

The manor gardens marquee location can seat 200 people.  The pole barn seats 120.  A total of 150 guests can attend an evening party in the barns after the meal has finished.

In case of bad weather the Cyder Barn is quickly cleared of chairs to become a space for a wedding reception.  It takes ten minutes to do this, and in that time guests gather in the pole barn next to it.

We ask that all open flames have glass jars or sconces beneath them to protect our surfaces.

Sadly we do not allow fireworks at Owlpen: we find that it is stressful for pets, our livestock and surrounding wildlife, not to mention our neighbours!

We only allow organic material such as rose petals or lavender.  Confetti marked as biodegradable is sadly not allowed (it takes weeks to break down) and nor are confetti cannons or confetti dispensers containing micro-plastics.

We tend to hold meetings on weekdays (except Wednesdays), 9am to 4pm.  At weekends we are often busy with events, sadly.

We ask for a deposit of £1000, refundable after the event has taken place.  You also need to sign our contract, and fill out the first page of our event checklist, so that we know how to contact you.  After that you can rest easy, and we’ll schedule a meeting with you to discuss your plans, and make sure we are prepared for everything as we move forwards.

Historically we have always advised our clients to take out wedding insurance, and we now oblige everyone to take out wedding insurance under the terms of our contract.  it is more for your peace of mind than for anything else, but it also includes private liability insurance, which you need if you are bringing in your own cake or evening food.  It costs around £60, and you can find good insurance cover here: https://www.events-insurance.co.uk/.  Other competitive policies are available.

As Owlpen is set in a valley surrounded by hills, flat ground is at a premium.  The gardens are terraced, with steep steps leading to each one.  There is no wheelchair access in the formal gardens right in front of the manor house, but there is on the bottom lawn, beneath the round steps.  There is a disabled (DDA) toilet in the barns, but not in the gardens.  For more information, please see our accessibility statement here: www.owlpen.com/accessibility. 

Yes the make-up room is in the Cyder Barn itself, and is adjacent to the marital suite (known as The Apple Loft). It has its own entrance and parking, so suppliers can arrive early and start work before the venue opens officially.  Alternatively you can use one of our holiday cottages, all of which have a different style and character.

Yes please speak to us directly about the best plan which suits you. 

There is plenty of parking on the estate.  It covers a square mile of land so no shortage of places!

Yes we do.  Please ask at the estate office for details.

Yes, as long as you let us know in advance, and they provide us with a copy of their CAA licence.

Yes, please follow this link to download our estate map:

We do our best to let guests check in before 4pm.  Just speak to the team and we can prioritise the cottages that you want first, so that they are ready in good time. 

We do our best to allow late check-outs for a fee of £50, unless other guests are due to arrive that afternoon.  If you would like to stay, you can book the cottage for an extra night at 50% of the standard rate.

You do not need to take all of the cottages, but we find that almost everyone does.  The Apple Loft, Grist Mill, plus Manor Farm and Over Court, do need to be taken as they are so close to the venue.  We ask that you inform us within 90 days of your wedding if you do not require any of the others, so that they can be made available to other guests.

The holiday cottages are all self-catering. We provide a tea tray on arrival, with a pint of milk, tea and coffee, and biscuits.  The kitchens are stocked with condiments including cooking oil and herbs.  They also have washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, cloths and toilet roll.  The bathrooms have soap, shampoo, and shower gel.  All bed linen and towels are provided.

If you need travel cots for children, please let us know on the event checklist, so that we can plan accordingly. We provide a bottom sheet for them, but not duvets or pillows, as children have so many different requirements and so parents usually bring their own.  

Sadly none of the cottage have charging points, and we do not currently allow vehicles to be charged from the 13 amp sockets in the houses – whether to re-charge vehicle batteries or run power to vans etc.  Really sorry!

Yes we think it’s a fun way of greeting your guests and making the most of the estate, so we actively encourage it.  Our caterers can provide you with salads or locally sourced cold meats if you like, to get you started.  The Grist Mill is the most popular place for a barbecue, or similar, as it is central.  It has two outside tables and twelve chairs.  We recommend a maximum capacity of 50.  If you like you can rent our BBQ pack, which consists of two BBQs with utensils, 6 x 6ft plastic tables and up to 50 chairs.  The total cost is £100: just pop it onto your checklist and we will invoice you accoringly.  We also strongly advise that you rent a portaloo to stop everyone from using the one in the house!

The boutique holiday cottages here at Owlpen sleep 40 people in total, in nine holiday cottages.  We can also arrange glamping for another 40 people in our water meadows, not far from the Cyder Barn.

Owlpen is a village in miniature, and hte houses are spread out across the Owlpen valley.  Some are just a two-minute walk away and some are further away, and as Owlpen is a rural location it can get confusing in the dark.  If guests choose to walk back to their holiday cottages after a wedding, we strongly advise that they wear appropriate footwear, use a torch and do not go unaccompanied.

Yes, each cottage comes with a folder containing all info about the house, the estate, how to contact other houses, and where to go in the local area.  If you need them in advance just follow this link, and use the password 1706: www.owlpen.com/welcomepack

Guests can camp for free in designated, although we strongly advise that you hire a portaloo for them, so that they have their own privacy.  We recommend Abbey Loos.  Sadly we do not allow people to camp in cottage gardens.  Sorry!

Camper vans vand motorhomes are welcome if they contact us in advance so that we can register them, and give them directions.  We have a space next to the timber stacks – about 100 metres from Woodwells cottage – where they can park up, as the car park gets very full.  Sadly we do not have an electrical hook-up for caravans or vans.  We do not permit vans or motor homes to park next to holiday cottages, and we do not allow them to connect to plug sockets in holiday cottages either, due to insurance.  Really sorry!

Yes, we have put together a list of reliable local accommodation providers from self-catering properties, to pubs and hotels, which we can send to you.

We do not have our own in-house caterers, but we do have preferred catering partners who do the vast majority of the events that we hold at Owlpen, when the barns are used.  They are called Well Seasoned Cotswold Caterers and you can find them here: www.wellseasonedcotswoldcaterers.co.uk

For larger marquee weddings in the manor gardens you can select your own caterers, but most choose our preferred supplier.  You can also opt to use food vans if you prefer a more informal dining experience.

Yes.  If you would like to do this, we ask for a service charge of £12 per head, which covers all storage, staffing, licensing and glassware.  You can then bring in all of your own drinks until the end of the meal, when the bar opens.  If you would like to bring in all of your own drinks until the end of the night, the fee is £19 per head, in total.  We also offer a range of drinks packages, where we provide all of the alcohol for you, and run the bar at the same time.  Sadly we do not allow guests to bring in their own alcohol free of charge.

Yes we are fully licensed, and the bar accepts cash and cards.  We provide a range of wines, beers and spirits, plus our own signature cocktails.

Loads!  We also offer beer buckets, to serve during the reception, if your guests would rather not drink wine!  We can provide signature cocktails at the bar in the evening, as well.  You can find full info about our current drinks package by clicking here: +Owlpen Manor wine packages 2024.

Yes we provide apple juice, orange juice and still water. 

We include a cake table and knife, but not a cake stand.

Contact our caterers directly and they will be happy to supply sample menus to you.  If you would like to see a few examples of their most [popular meals, have a look at the choices outlined on our midweek weddings page here.

No problem at all.  There are so many great options out there and we have listed come of them here.  We sometimes have to charge an fee for admin and electrical hook-up if required, and if you need more information about this please do get in touch with us directly.  

It depends on what you want.  Usually there would be a fee of £2.50 which covers staffing and tableware for the cake, unless you plan to just provide napkins or paper/ bamboo plates and do all of that yourselves (up to you!).  If you do bring in your own cake, or any other food that you want the caterers to serve, you must have wedding insurance, or public liability insurance.  You must also provide a printed list of ingredients and possible allergens, for our records, and in case anyone asks on the day.  The caterers cannot accept responsibility for any illness that happens as a result of eating food which has been supplied by you and your guests.

We supply long trestle tables and round tables, according to your preference. Just let us know and we can put together a table plan for you.  We charge a fee for table cloths but you do not need them if you don’t want to: just choose ‘naked’ trestle tables and you have the natural wooden look of the long tables.

Our round tables are 6 feet in diamater and can seat up to twelve people, although we do not recommend more than ten. 

The tretle tables are six feet long and three feet wide, and they can fit three people along each side.

Our round tables are six feet in diamater and can seat up to twelve people, although we do not recommend more than ten per table. 

The trestle tables are six feet long and three feet wide, and they can fit three people along each side.

Napkins cost £1 each. Round table cloths cost £14 and trestle table cloths cost £9: we don’t charge you for these until your table plans are finalised, so that the fees are accurate.

We have a ‘no hidden costs’ policy here at Owlpen, so we won’t pass on stealthy fees to do things like light the fire pit or turn on the floodlights.  However there are a few areas where we feel that it is fair to ask for an additional fee, if the work involved requires extra staff.  Table linen and napkins are charged extra.  For outside ceremonies we charge a fee of £3 per chair: we set them up beforehand according to your preferred configuration, and make sure they are put away again afterwards.  There are costs if you would like to have a drinks party in the barns the day before, or after, the main event.  This is charged at £50 per hour.  If you would like us to set up a party for you in the grounds, such as the lake or a holiday cottage, the same fee applies for the setting-up.  The event itself would not need to be staffed, as you are outside the licensed premises and you can look after yourselves.  However, we can provide staff if you would like us to do so.

None of our fees include a service charge, either for catering or housekeeping.  We do not oblige our wedding parties to leave tips, but it is customary to do so: often the parents of the bride/groom take charge of this, but not always.  Any tips that are left go straight to the front of house and kitchen staff, or house-keeping staff where appropriate, and are divided up evenly.  They are most gratefully received by our hard-working team! 

At Owlpen we feel strongly that you should be able to do things your way. However we can advise about timings if you would like advice on it, given the extensive experience that we have of hosting weddings here.  To outline our thoughts we have put together timings based on a ceremony that starts at 2pm, but ceremonies can start any time from 11am to 4pm.

1.00: Guest arrival

2.00: ceremony

2.30: Drinks reception, ideally in the gardens

4.00: Wedding breakfast

6.00: Speeches (NB we feel that speeches work best after the main course and before dessert, but it is up to you!)

7.00: Cake!

7.15 Dancing

9.00: Evening food

Midnight: carriages

Bear in mind that there are lots of variables here.  Church ceremonies take longer, so allow an hour for these. If you are planning to have lots of formal photographs, and canapes in the gardens, then allow more time for your reception.  Also the speeches can last from ten minutes to 90 minutes, which affects the schedule afterwards.  

We hope that this information helps.  If you have any further questions, please ask one of the team.