You know a house is confident about itself when the drive begins with a pair of tall white pillars and nothing else by way of announcement. Rockbeare Manor sits a short run east of Exeter in more than 100 acres of its own parkland, a Grade I listed Regency house of the sort that looks effortless and almost certainly was not. Dartmoor and Exmoor are both within reach, but from the lawns the view is simply grass, mature trees and Devon sky.
Inside, the proportions do most of the work. The Ballroom is the centrepiece and it is a real one rather than a function room given a grander name — high ceilings, contemporary chandeliers and tall windows looking out across the park. It seats between 50 and 160 for the wedding breakfast and holds up to 200 once the evening gets going. Ceremonies take place in the stately Dining Room or outside on the terrace beneath an archway, and the house is thoughtful about the hours beforehand too: the Drawing Room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and little balcony, is given over to one half of the wedding party while the Billiard Room absorbs the other.
Every wedding here is exclusive use, so there is no other event to tiptoe around and no strangers wandering through your photographs. The 13 luxury ensuite suites sleep 30 guests, with a honeymoon suite and a proper breakfast the following morning, and couples pick their rooms through the house’s own accommodation hub. The kitchen is in-house and stays in-house — outside caterers are not taken — but the team is flexible about what appears on the menu, from plated dinners to hog roasts, and will work through halal, kosher and vegan requirements without fuss.
Where the band plays
A genuine ballroom is a rarer gift than it sounds. It was built for dancing rather than converted into it, which means height above the players, a hard floor underneath everyone and a shape that lets sound travel instead of dying in soft furnishings. A five- or six-piece flatters this room in a way a smaller act cannot quite manage, and with up to 200 people in the evening there are more than enough bodies to justify the extra horns. It is also a handsome backdrop — chandeliers and tall glass behind a band photograph beautifully once the lighting comes down.
Timings, and getting everyone in
Evenings at Rockbeare typically run to around midnight, with the licence allowing music to carry on a little past it, so the band’s second set lands while the room is still full. That is the shape you want: a first set that gets people up after the speeches, a break, and a closing run that finishes on a high. Occasionally a date is set to an 11pm finish instead, so it is worth confirming yours in writing and passing the time straight on to the band.
Access is off the A30 corridor near Exeter, which is about as convenient as Devon gets for acts travelling from Bristol or further east, and there is plenty of room to unload without hauling gear across a field. With 13 bedrooms, the heart of the party stays on site, which does more for the last hour of a night than any amount of planning.
Bands available in Devon and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Devon.
- Devon Wedding Bands
- Events Bands in Devon
- Tribute Acts in Devon
- Devon Wedding DJs
- Corporate Entertainment in Devon
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.