Winstanley House began life in 1775 as Braunstone Hall, built by Clement Winstanley on the strength of a Lancashire estate sold at a very good price, and it stayed in the family for roughly 150 years. The Winstanleys went on adding to it — a south wing arrived in 1911 — before Leicester City Council bought the land compulsorily in 1925 and the park around the house became public. The Georgian house is listed, and after a long stretch of decline it has been restored with real nerve: the historic rooms are intact and handsome, and the new work set beside them is unapologetically modern rather than pretending to be old.
The result is a curious and rather lovely mix. You arrive through rolling parkland barely 2 miles from the middle of Leicester, walk into a proper eighteenth-century house, and find the Black Iron restaurant, a quirky courtyard, and the Pavilion Ballroom with its floor-to-ceiling glass looking straight out at the grounds. The Grand Ballroom is the big room, with high ceilings, chandeliers and space for up to 450 seated, and a marquee can extend it further again. The Orangery handles ceremonies and smaller, more intimate dinners, with a Georgian-meets-contemporary feel that photographs beautifully in the late afternoon.
There are 19 bedrooms including a bridal suite, so the couple and the closest of the party wake up where the day happened. The kitchen is genuinely one of the reasons people choose the place: in-house chefs cover English, Asian and Caribbean cooking, with halal, vegetarian and vegan menus taken every bit as seriously as the rest, which makes it a strong choice for a wedding bringing two food cultures together. Exclusive hire is available, and the parkland, terraces and gardens give everyone somewhere to go between the courses.
Where a band fits best
A house like this gives you a choice, and the choice matters. The Grand Ballroom is the room built for a big band and a big crowd, with height, hard surfaces and enough floor that a large guest list never feels like a crush, while the Pavilion suits a smaller, warmer party where the glass wall and the evening light do half the work for you. Whichever room you settle on, ask where the stage area sits in relation to the bar and the doors, because a dancefloor wants to be the place people fall into rather than a corner they have to be herded towards.
Ceremonies, drinks and the run of the day
Ceremonies can be held indoors or outside, with the Orangery a favourite for the vows and the courtyard and terraces taking the drinks reception afterwards. A duo or an acoustic set earns its keep in those in-between hours, when people are milling about with a glass in hand and the volume wants to sit under the conversation rather than over it. The house does not publish a fixed finish, so agree the hour with your coordinator early and shape the evening around it — two full band sets, a break with a playlist, and the last song landing while the room is still full.
Bands available in Leicestershire and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Leicestershire.
- Leicestershire Wedding Bands
- Leicestershire Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Leicestershire
- Wedding DJs in Leicestershire
- Corporate Entertainment in Leicestershire
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.