£2750 - £6500 for Venue Hire
Up to 100
3 Bedrooms
Exclusive Use
Wedding Licence
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A wonderful idyllic venue where you can have a Civil Ceremony & Reception in a 16th Century Barn, Gilbert White's Historic House, or Marquee in 30 acres of stunning Heritage Gardens and parkland.
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Pricing & Costs
Venue Hire Only
Prices Start At
£2,750
Maximum Price
£6,500
Barn Package
Our 16th Century Hampshire Barn Package includes the full use of the Barn and its facilities. As well as exclusive use of the barn for the day, your package also includes time the day before to allow you to arrange the barn and the day after to clear up.
A dedicated member of staff will be on hand so that you can relax knowing that everything will flow smoothly. Tables and chairs are provided for your wedding breakfast. Garden furniture, fire pit, lights and garden games are at your disposal. You have full use of the garden and grounds for photography and additional parking is available in the Ewell field.
Great Mead Package
The Great Mead package includes our vintage pole and canavas marquee (June-August) or the space to erect your marquee the rest of the year. The package also includes electricity and water to the marquee, parking, garden games and full use of the garden and grounds for photography. There is also the option for a furnished marquee.
What is included in this pricing:
Exclusive use
Day before set up available
Wedding coordinator available on the day
Non consumables (e.g. linen, lights etc.)
Choice of preferred caterers
Private room(s) included (non-exclusive use)
In-house catering(price per head)
Prices Start At
£15
Maximum Price
£60
What is included in this pricing:
Menu tasting included
Table linen included
Cutlery included
Bespoke menu available
Features & Capacity
Overview
Venue Type
Barn
Dining Capacity
100
Reception Capacity
150
Usual Access Time
08:00 AM
Usual Finish Time
11:00 PM
Yes
Venue
Landscaped Gardens
Exclusive Use
Marquee Permitted
Pet-Friendly
Disabled Access
Grade I/II Listed Building
On-Site Parking
Outdoor Reception Space
In-House Wedding Coordinator
Food and Drink
External Catering Permitted
Corkage Charge for Own Alcohol
In-House Wine List
In-house Catering
Alcohol Licence
Ceremony & Reception
Church Within Walking Distance
Sound System Available
Wedding Licence
Dancefloor Available
Outdoor Ceremony Available
Confetti Permitted
Full Description
Celebrate your special day in our idyllic setting, beneath the Selborne Hanger of the South Downs National Park. Gilbert White & The Oates Collections provides the perfect venue with a variety of informal yet distinctive spaces to hire for your ceremony, reception or party. Gilbert White’s House and the Hampshire Barn are set in thirty acres of heritage gardens and parkland. Steeped in history, the whole retains a charm and serenity quite of its own. Enjoy your day in the 16th Century Hampshire Barn, with glorious views over tranquil meadows, or for a more intimate ceremony, the historic house – former home of famous naturalist Gilbert White. Indulge in a Champagne reception on the formal lawn – perfect too for enjoying chamber music. The Great Mead affords a charming location for a marquee reception, surrounded by meadow with views to the house and across parkland. Our vintage pole and canvas marquee is erected June - August in the Great Mead and is a beautiful location for your wedding reception. Whichever location you prefer, the heritage setting affords unique photo memories. To complete the occasion, choose from our three nominated caterers. Ranging in price and style, they each offer a high quality and personalised service, to ensure you enjoy your dream wedding.
Personal Message from the Manager
Name of Wedding Contact: Charlotte Docherty
Congratulations on your engagement!
We like to help you to create your own unique day that suits your personalities and styles. Gilbert White’s provides beautiful areas for your ceremony and reception. Our aim is to flexible to your plans & style with no enforced style or format.
I look forward to hearing from you and showing you what Gilbert White & the Oates Collection can offer you for your big day.
Experience
Year Business Was Established
2015
No. of Weddings Hosted
More than 50
Public Liability Insurance
Yes
No. of People In Team
2
Reviews
(6)
B
Bethany
Happy couple married in June
September 2022
I wouldn’t change a thing but the organisation of the venue was poor
I had the best wedding, the venue is beautiful.
But expect multiple parking fines even if your told your details have been added in. 6 members of the wedding party got fines, the registra had already had 4 fines for other weddings they had attended, it took 2 months to resolve.
Hard to speak to anyone about our wedding, we had to keep chasing to organise things. Also wasn’t great that the day we were setting up they told us they had outside games and decorations we could have used instead of renting them. Wasn’t great communication.
Also took us 2months to get the vouchers to give out in thank you cards, we were originally told we would get them the day before the wedding.
Also not great that they keep forgetting the grooms name
Great venue but you need to take on more responsibility
K
Kate & George
Happy couple married in August
August 2021
The most amazing venue
Gilbert Whites are the perfect venue. The setting is completely stunning, the people are so kind and helpful, the barn itself is gorgeous and the venue added so much character to the day. All of our photos are so stunning. Monique was such a help both in the lead up to the day and on it. The Team was so friendly and it really made planning the day so much easier. The flexibility of the venue added so much personality to our day and we loved the Gilbert White Brewed Beers!
L
Lynne & Michael
Happy couple married in July
July 2020
Great Parlour Wedding
We had an amazing wedding in the Great Parlour which had a wonderful historic atmosphere and made an intimate setting for our small wedding. Having the string trio perform during the ceremony was perfect for the setting. The drinks reception in the garden with them playing outside was wonderful.
Thank you for all your help on the day and with planning. It is such a special place and we have many happy memories to take forward.
S
Stephanie & James
Happy couple married in August
August 2019
August Barn Wedding
Thank you for making everything run so smoothly on our day and bringing such a calm, positive energy to the process. We’ve so enjoying working with you and it turned out to be even better than we could have imagined.
S
Steph and Ade
Happy couple married in April
April 2019
Our Perfect Venue
This venue doesn't host very many weddings, and that's what we liked about it - it's not a faceless wedding factory. We wanted the freedom to do things our own way, and the staff at Gilbert White's were more than happy for us to do that while also helping out when asked. When we first went to look round it was a miserable, grey, muddy day in December, but even then we could see that it would be absolutely beautiful in the spring and perfect for how we wanted our day to be; it ticked all the boxes. Even though there wasn't a wedding coordinator in place when we booked, the Directors went above and beyond in answering all our questions and giving us ideas throughout the planning process until the new wedding coordinator came on board, and on the day itself they were all on site and we genuinely felt like they were part of the day too. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the barn at Gilbert White's for couples looking for a flexible, relaxed venue in a stunning countryside setting.
M
May & Adam
Happy couple married in August
August 2020
Magical character and beautiful meadow
From the outset, we knew we wanted a barn wedding. We looked at a few places but were a bit put off by being told all the things we couldn’t do. When we went to look at the barn at Gilbert White’s House and saw it was pretty much a blank canvas, we were sold. For me, the rolling meadow that stretched in front of the barn was just the biggest selling point. It’s magical character and beautiful meadow.
The food from our caterers at Clementine Catering was flipping fantastic. Not being lovers of ‘posh grub’, we opted for an afternoon tea and a barbeque which went down really well.
Location & Contact Details
Address
The Wakes, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 3JH, England
Travel Notes
Nearest Town
Alton
Nearest Motorway & Junction
Nearest Train Station
Alton
Nearest Airport
Southampton
Press & Awards
(1)
Press & Awards (1)
FAQ
(5)
Describe your venue in 5 adjectives.
Quirky, wild, natural, rustic, relaxed
Where’s the best photo spot at your venue?
The Wild Garden.
What’s your favourite canapé?
Arancini Balls with Tomato & Herb Dip
What is your venue's most unique feature?
The Wine Pipe - a barrel on a hill that spins as you sit in it.
What part of your business are you most proud of?
How flexbile & adaptable we are to every couples needs and styles.