Venue Review: Swynford Manor

Why Book Swynford Manor?

Swynford Manor is an exclusive-use wedding venue offering bags of sylvan charm at the heart of Cambridgeshire (though happily, mere minutes from Essex and Hertfordshire). Swynford’s modern interiors, chequerboard floors, and clean lines offer bountiful space to play; here you can avoid any awkward guest list manoeuvring and include everyone in an epic ceremony for 150 and an effervescent party for 220. The lucky wedding party will indulge in twelve luxurious bedrooms at the manor – with other guests lodging in neighbouring Cambridge – creating a uniquely intimate atmosphere for everyone to relax, kick back, and, crucially, have fun into the early hours, thanks to Swynford’s late license and a designated cocktail lounge (for maximum mingling).

At Swynford you have a seasoned team on your side offering end-to-end support, from the moment you initiate proceedings and start regular planning meetings to the lead-up (where their worry-squashing can-do attitude offers ultimate reassurance) crescendoing to the big day. The team has a famed ability to simultaneously be there when you need them (perhaps with a glass of champagne in hand) and melt away at exactly the right moment in proceedings. Then there is the possibility of an invite arriving in the post years later, welcoming you back into the Swynford fold for a celebratory event to relive the matrimonial moment.

Venue Style

Swynford is rural but not remote, a boon for Londoners who can nip up with ease via the M11. With all of the bucolic beauty that comes with grounds that stretch as far as the eye can see – an extensive seven acres of grassy lawns and aged woodland – Swynford is, at the same time, a thoroughly contemporary option for a couple looking to combine the tranquility of the country with monochromatic modern design flair. In this way, Swynford offers an ideal canvas to exercise full creative freedom and create a weekend that feels distinctly ‘you’. And with exclusive use, guests can freely flow through Swynford’s many rooms, creating an organic, natural atmosphere, primed for memory-making.

Set The Scene

After all of the anticipation of the pre-wedding sleepover at The Lodge, celebrations are kick-started with a delivery: a knock at the door delivers a bridal brunch of fresh strawberries, pastries, waffles, compotes, fresh juices, and a bottle of bubbles to fuel a morning of getting ready for the bridal brigade. Swynford is full of singular spaces for singular moments, from saying your “I do”s under the shade of an ancient oak tree (rumoured to be where Lord Byron wrote in the summertime) to the post-nuptials celebratory sprinkling of biodegradable confetti from the great height of the Grand Staircase – an enviable photo op – to the wedding breakfast under the light of the glass-topped orangery, twirling the night away under the stars. And lest we forget, padding down the stairs the next morning to see your loved ones huddled over breakfast in the Drawing Room, indulging in the morning-after-the-night-before debrief.

Event Spaces

Swynford offers five indoor and outdoor spaces that will be exclusively yours to use as you see fit. For an indoor-outdoor ceremony of up to 150, the Garden Room is consistently flooded with natural light and verdant views, thanks to panoramic windows. Or there is the high-ceilinged elegance of the Study – saying your vows by the fireplace – or the Drawing Room, each accommodating 60 for the ceremony. Each indoor ceremony space is designed with the matrimonial moment in mind, offering a pared-back monochromatic design that sets the stage for you to imbue with your design vision and chosen colour palette. At the height of summer, the whimsical outdoor Pergola or the classic Lady Augusta Pavilion are both particularly lovely choices. The opportunity to say your “I do”s surrounded by the tranquility of the green paddocks and the twinkly song of tweety birds is a bucolic treat for the romantics (and definitely the place to take the photographer). These vast swaths of manicured green lawn would be an ideal stage for a long afternoon of croquet garden games.

As for the party, the Swynford team becomes your co-conspirators, seamlessly whisking your guests away from the action into the cocktail lounge for a light nibble, or, on balmier evenings, for gin and tonics on the terrace. Meanwhile, they get to work, transforming the Garden Room into a hub of jubilant activity. Blink, and the room will be decked out with a DJ, live band, and musicians, ready for up to 220 of your nearest and dearest.

Food & Drink

Even the most discerning couples will look forward to Swynford’s wedding breakfast. Food is seamlessly provided in-house and synthesised to the style and preferences of the couple, who are invited to a menu sampling session at Swynford ahead of proceedings. Flexibility is the key note here; for those who prefer a traditional sit-down menu, there is a three-course seasonal galore, while for the more relaxed, there are street food standing bites, homemade pizza picnics, or barbecues on the terrace. Whichever the couple prefers, the food is plentiful, abundant, and excellent, from stacks of Asian-inspired bao buns to hearty British classics like Beef Wellington. And rest assured, drinks will also freely flow, with a selection of wines and personalised cocktails on offer.

Accomodation

The happy couple will enjoy ultimate space and privacy in the sleek, luxurious Honeymoon Suite found squirrelled away upstairs. The suite is designed in the distinct contemporary style of the manor house, combining clean, monochromatic lines with expansive views over Swynford’s seven acres. Indulgence is key here, from the plush squishiness of the sofa – ideal for resting after a day of celebrating – to the steep sides of a freestanding roll-top copper bath to soak in. The rest of the party will lodge in twelve modern bedrooms, each with these luxuriating copper tubs, roomy king-sized doubles, and air conditioning (a real treat that guarantees every partygoer a good night’s sleep).

The Story

Swynford was built in the early 1800s, once the home of Lady Augusta Leigh, the half-sister of epic bad-boy romantic Lord Byron. He is rumoured to have spent summers – with their “cloudless climes” – writing poetry here; one can imagine him pontificating about starry skies and his lover’s eyes under the shade of one of Swynford’s ancient trees. Other esteemed guests include King Charles II, who held his 12-mile horse race along a neighbouring lane. A close connection with Newmarket horse racing has continued through to more contemporary times; the greatest racehorse of the 20th century, the legendary Brigadier Gerard, is buried in the grounds of Swynford.