Why book?
It’s within easy striking distance of London but you’ll feel a million miles away from the city grind. Bring everyone and have a wedding weekender with the house and grounds all to yourselves.
Venue style
Country chic in the ‘Queen of the Cotswolds’
It’s all wellies, long walks and warm Scotch eggs during the day, then cocktails and canapes by an open fire come dusk with a strong home-from-home vibe.
Set the scene
The kind of hotel everyone seems excited to be at. It’s chic but informal. There are free sweeties on arrival. No one will mind if you curl up on one of the sink-into sofas, get animated over a game of pool in the games room, or help yourself to some of the in-house wellies and waterproofs – this is England after all, you’ll need them! There is a buzz to The Painswick but also plenty of spots to escape to for privacy – the wisteria-covered stone balcony just off the largest drawing room, a sun-lounger at the end of the outdoor terrace with sweeping views of The Painswick Valley or a tiny table for two at the bottom of the lawn.
Event spaces
Weddings are exclusive use for up to 50 guests for the daytime and up to 8o for the evening. They have a license for civil ceremonies which you can choose to host in the former Sunday-school and now the hotel restaurant (think wood-panelling, parquet flooring and sash windows) or on the outdoor terrace. Two further lounges are available to host your guests for drinks and dancing. If it’s a church service you’re after, St Mary’s is a very short walk through the village with its wedding-perfect 99 Yew Tree archway.
Food & drink
There is no one size fits all approach to the wedding breakfast here. You can speak directly to the chef and work out exactly what you would like to serve and when. A look at the restaurant menu gives a good feel for what they deliver well. Here you can start with warm truffle pudding or Wye Valley asparagus before Cotswold lamb rack or rib-eye steak with triple cooked chips. We didn’t have room for pudding but the dark chocolate and praline delice was very tempting. They describe the wine list as ‘a traveller’s tale of a sommelier’s secret vineyards’ so expect plenty of pocket friendly options with some vintages thrown into the mix.
Accommodation
Seventeen rooms, all of which will be yours for your exclusive-use wedding, range from ‘cosy’ up to the largest George’s Suite with its four-poster bed, wood burner and Romeo and Juliet balcony. We stayed in a large Palladian room with a King-sized bed and dual aspect views over the grounds below. There are special touches that set these rooms apart – chef’s freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies and almond tarts; ‘yours’ and ‘mine’ matching toothbrush holders and luxe full-sixed Ren bathroom products.
The story
Dating back to the late 18th century at the height of the wool trade, the building was a bed and breakfast for passing travellers. By the 1960s it had transformed into a hotel and was bought by the current owners in 2015 who have worked since then to restore and maintain all the features of this Palladian home.
Eco-friendly
Some good solid nods to caring for the planet are in place including electric vehicle charging points, the composting of excessive food, a ban on single use plastic water bottles and straws and eco-friendly toiletries in all the rooms.
The need-to-know
Budget: Prices start from £14,000 for a 24-hour mid-week wedding or £27,000 for a 48-hour weekend wedding to include the 17 bedrooms, food and drink and venue hire fee.
Capacity: 50 guests for the day, rising to 80 in the evening.
Location: The Painswick, Kemps Lane, Painswick, Gloucestershire GL6 6YB
For more info: www.thepainswick.co.uk
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