Ardington House is the kind of Georgian house that makes you slow the car down. Built in the 1720s in the village of Ardington, just outside Wantage, it is admired above all for its brickwork — unusually fine even by the standards of the period — and for the Imperial staircase that rises from the hall and splits in two, a piece of theatre that very few English houses of this size can offer. The family still own it, and it is hired exclusively, which means the whole place, gardens and all, belongs to one wedding at a time.
The grounds are the other half of the story. Formal gardens give way to parkland and a river, and within it sits Temple Island, a private island licensed for ceremonies and possibly the most quietly showing-off place in Oxfordshire to say your vows. A riverside marquee, included in the hire and strung with chandeliers, looks out over the water and the house, and there is a swimming pool and a tennis court for the guests who arrive early or stay on. The village church stands a 2-minute walk away for couples who want a traditional service first.
Inside, 12 bedrooms sleep up to 25 people, with the run of the house’s kitchen and its comfortable, lived-in rooms rather than the sealed-off feeling of a hotel. Catering comes through a long-standing local partner, though the house will also do dry hire if you would rather bring your own team. Numbers stretch to 200 in the marquee, and because you can take the estate for a weekend rather than a day, a great many couples here end up with a rehearsal dinner on the Friday and a barbecue by the pool on the Sunday.
Where the band plays
The marquee is where the dancing happens, and it is an easy, forgiving space for a live act: plenty of headroom, a proper dancefloor and none of the hard reflections that make a stone-walled room a fight. A marquee absorbs a lot, so bands tend to bring a little more PA here than they would for an equivalent room indoors, and a six- or seven-piece with horns has room to be properly loud without overwhelming anyone. Smaller line-ups suit the house and the gardens — a solo pianist or a string trio in the hall during drinks is a very good use of that staircase.
How the evening runs
Days here have an unhurried rhythm, starting mid-morning and drifting through the gardens and the island before dinner in the marquee. Evenings run to around midnight, with the band’s last set landing while the room is still full and the party spilling out towards the river between numbers. Load-in is straightforward, with free parking on site and vehicle access close to the marquee, though it is worth checking the route across the grass with the venue if there has been a wet week — a riverside setting is a riverside setting.
Bands available in Oxfordshire and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Oxfordshire.
- Oxfordshire Wedding Bands
- Oxfordshire Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Oxfordshire
- Wedding DJs in Oxfordshire
- Corporate Entertainment in Oxfordshire
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.