Your Surrey Wedding - April/May 2022 (Issue 94)

Few Surrey venues have quite the façade as that of exclusive-use wedding venue Horsley Towers. The widely used photography of the picturesque lake view with the towers in the background is simply enchanting, like something plucked straight from the pages of a fairytale. In real life, it’s the definition of breathtaking as the Towers slowly come in to view as you approach via the driveway and pull up alongside the lake, eager to enter the historical property to see what awaits inside. The ancestral home to the Lovelace family, the Towers were bought by Lord Lovelace from William Currie in the 1800s. Lord Lovelace added the iconic Italian tower, the clock tower and Great Hall, and commissioned the cloisters and beautiful chapel for his wife Ada Byron. Its historic significance and impressive backdrop has been recognised by TV and film crews featuring in popular Netflix drama The Crown, BBC’s Call the Midwife, and Disney’s Through the Looking Glass. Visitors will certainly not be disappointed as the interior is all that you would expect, equally complementing the exterior in charm and aesthetic. Sympathetically refurbished, it retains many of its historical features, with furnishings synonymous with the De Vere hotel brand. LORDS AND LADIES OF THE MANOR Of course, the exterior of Horsley Towers is picture-perfect, but inside the Victorian mansion, couples really are spoilt for choice with standout rooms perfect for nuptials. History buffs will adore the authentic 19thcentury splendour of the Great Hall, which remains mainly untouched in its appearance boasting a beamed cantilever roof and trusses, oakpanelled walls, fireplace, and 150 coats of arms. The Minstrel’s Gallery also gives a sweeping bird’s eye view of the magnificent room and boasts a working organ. This traditional banqueting hall can host 110 loved ones for the ceremony and wedding breakfast. For those looking for a more elegant space with plenty of light and luxe furnishings, the Sopwith Suite is ideal. Still perfectly complementing the splendour of the Towers, this space is suitable for 120 guests for ceremonies and the wedding breakfast. When tying the knot here, there are three aptly named wedding breakfast packages, The Ada Byron, named after the daughter of the romantic poet Lord Byron who married Lord Lovelace; The Charles Barry the designer of the wonderful towers, and Lord Lovelace who bought Historical splendour Horsley Towers has been one of managing editor Danielle Harvey’s bucket list of Surrey venues to visit; so she jumped at the chance to spend some time at this renowned wedding venue... 32

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