Notley Abbey spoils you for choice. You might say “I do” in the Abbot’s Hall, the original ‘main room’ of the house with its ancient, beamed ceiling and inglenook fireplace. You might prefer the more expansive Monks’ Refectory, a spectacular stone barn for larger guest lists. For summer weddings, you’ll find the walled garden a delight. Fringed with cherry blossom and wisteria in season, it makes for magical al fresco ceremonies.
Looking much as it did eight hundred years ago, the hall can host up to 100 guests for your wedding ceremony. High ceilings are set with carved oak beams, and the fireplace dates back to the days of Henry V. Light, airy, and beautifully unfussy, the Abbot’s Hall is the perfect blank canvas.
As you enter from the adjoining Cloister Gardens, through floor-to-ceiling glass doors, the historic Monks’ Refectory is quite a spectacle. Illuminated by elegant crystal chandeliers, this soaring space hosts up to 164 guests (look closely at its ancient walls and you might just spot one or two more carved into the stone).
The Walled Garden
Birds sing; butterflies (and hearts) flutter; leaves rustle gently in the breeze of a summer’s afternoon. It’s an idyllic scene. For summer weddings, choose to walk a white carpet aisle, or simply a perfectly manicured lawn, in the company of up to 164 guests. Even the ivy-clad nook in the wall is licensed.
The Riverside Lawn
Notley Abbey’s new wedding gazebo offers a beautiful backdrop for spring or summer ceremonies, set on the lawn alongside the River Thame. Flanked by greenery, with woodland across the water, it’s a beautiful addition to the venue.
Enjoy post-ceremony celebrations al fresco in either the Cloister Gardens or on the lawn in front of the house. In winter, The Hall and The Drawing Room are beautiful spaces for reception drinks and canapés, warmed by open fires.
For the banquet itself, The Monks’ Refectory can host up to 164 guests, swelling to 250 of your nearest and dearest for drinks and dancing. The magic is palpable as seats are taken for the wedding breakfast – a sea of crisp white linen and soaring candelabras, set against the ancient carvings of honey-coloured stone walls, beneath four statement chandeliers. Let the feasting begin.
After coffee and petit fours, you can return to the main house and enjoy the run of the ground floor, house-party style – or host your evening guests in the Monks’ Refectory, transformed for the first dance. This barn-like space comfortably accommodates 250 for an evening reception, spilling out onto the Cloister Gardens on warm summer evenings.
A show-stopping fireworks display lighting up the night sky? Think of it as the icing on the cake. Subject to local authority permission, we’ll happily help you arrange this.
