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Barn Wedding Venue in Oxfordshire/History of The Great Barn in Oxfordshire

The Great Barn is a beautiful 18th century stone barn that was converted in 1986 by the Stephenson Family, set in rolling wooded hills on the Northamptonshire/Oxfordshire border. It was traditionally used as farm storage buildings and was originally built in 1770 as part of The Cartwright Estate. It has stunning views and is surrounded by 250 acres of wooded estate, with three large trout lakes which provide fantastic back drops for wedding pictures. Adjacent to the lakes there is an arboretum which can also be used for photographs. The barn has been sympathetically converted to retain many of its original charm, along with the beautiful arrow slit windows, natural stone 2 foot thick walls and exposed beams, The Great Barn has a gothic feel that a lot of venues lack. A portion of the original brick floor in the Aynho Room has been preserved and was originally used for thrashing the corn out of the straw. Decoration of The Great Barn includes original historic tapestries based on the theme of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table.

The Great Barn comprises The Aynho and The Croughton Room which are both licensed for Civil Ceremonies. The Croughton Room is also the main dining and dancing area with its natural wooden floor. Once the ceremony is finished, guests make their way through to the Aynho Room for drinks, canapés and photographs whilst The Croughton Room is prepared for The Wedding Breakfast. Both barns have beautiful exposed beams and arrow slit windows with the Aynho Room boasting two open log fires. There are two minstrel galleries, one small one in The Croughton Room and a larger one in The Aynho Room. These galleries make excellent areas for photographers to take large group photos and for quartets to play.

The Patio Room adjacent to The Croughton Room and facing out onto the Patio Area and Gardens is also available for use for weddings and private parties and is an ideal location for children to be fed and entertained. With its traditional flag stones and natural stones walls, The Patio Room is an ideal addition to the Croughton and Aynho Rooms if required.