Danesfield stands on a chalk spur high above a bend in the Thames between Marlow and Henley, and the approach is unashamedly theatrical: a long, white, neo-Tudor mansion with turrets, mullioned windows and a forest of chimneys, built between 1899 and 1901 for the soap magnate Robert William Hudson to a design by W. H. Romaine-Walker. It is Grade II* listed, and only the latest house to stand here; a Georgian mansion came before it, and the earthworks the estate takes its name from are older still.
The 65 acres of grounds are the other half of the pleasure: formal terraces and clipped yew, wisteria in early summer, a Pulhamite rock garden with water tumbling through it, and lawns that simply stop at the edge of the escarpment so that the Chilterns and the river valley open out in front of you. The house has had a serious life in between the pretty bits: requisitioned in 1941, it became RAF Medmenham, home of Allied photographic intelligence, where aerial reconnaissance was read and interpreted throughout the war. It opened as a country house hotel in 1991.
Inside it is comfortable rather than austere, with ornate plaster ceilings, deep sofas and log fires in winter. There are 51 bedrooms and suites, enough for around 180 guests to stay over, a spa with a 20 metre pool, and the Orangery restaurant carrying 2 AA rosettes. Four rooms are licensed for ceremonies, taking from 10 to 100 guests, and the named suites — the Grand Hall, the Versailles, the Henley, the Chiltern — give you options as the day moves along. Around 120 is the comfortable number for a wedding breakfast, and exclusive use of the whole hotel is available if you want the place to yourselves.
Where the band plays
Most couples marry in one of the licensed rooms, spill out onto the terrace for drinks with that view doing all the work, and then sit down in one of the banqueting suites for dinner. The evening happens in the same room once the tables are cleared, which is the kindest arrangement for a band: there is a dance floor, the ceilings are high enough for the sound to breathe, and nobody has to be herded anywhere at the point in the night when they are least inclined to move. At around 120 guests the room fills nicely with a five or six-piece.
How the evening tends to run
Receptions here draw to a close by midnight, which shapes the night rather pleasantly: a first dance at a civilised hour, two proper sets from the band, then a last half hour to send everyone off. Because so many guests are sleeping in the house the room stays full to the end rather than thinning out as taxis arrive, and the lounges are still there afterwards for anyone not ready to stop.
Practical things worth knowing
There is parking on site and a straightforward run up the drive, so loading in is easy, though do agree an arrival time so that nobody is carrying gear through the middle of your drinks reception. Live music and DJs are both welcome. Ask the wedding team which suite you have been given and whether any volume restrictions apply in it — a country house hotel with bedrooms above the function rooms will usually have a view on the matter, and it is a far easier conversation to have months out than on the day.
Bands available in Buckinghamshire and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Buckinghamshire.
- Wedding Bands in Buckinghamshire
- Buckinghamshire Events Bands
- Buckinghamshire Tribute Acts
- Buckinghamshire Wedding DJs
- Buckinghamshire Corporate Entertainment
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.