Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Saffron Otter

Inside Boris Johnson's posh country estate wedding venue - with waterfalls and orangery

Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie are set to host a lavish wedding bash at the grand country estate of Daylesford House.

The newlyweds will welcome family and friends to the Grade-I listed home this weekend - which is owned by billionaire Tory donor, Lord Bamford, who has ploughed £14million in cash and gifts to the Party over the last 20 years.

As first revealed by the Mirror, the happy couple is understood to have organised an outdoor marquee for the celebrations, making use of the 1,500-acre landscaped grounds.

Here, we take a closer look at the wedding venue of the out-going Prime Minister.

A white gazebo has been erected in front of Daylesford House (Peter Macdiarmid/LNP)

Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here

Daylesford House is located near the village of Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire.

It's an accessible location for Mr Johnson's family with it being just 30 minutes from his private country home in Thame, Oxfordshire.

The Georgian house previously belonged to Warren Hastings - the first Governor-General of India in the 1790s - and was designed by architect S P Cockerell of the East India Company.

While there is little design influence from the Far East, there is a dome structure derived from Muslim architecture and a fireplace showing a Hindu sacrifice, according to a write-up in Parks & Gardens.

Gardener John Davenport formed a lake especially for Mr Hastings, along with an orangery.

West of the House, there is an apron-like lawn where you can observe views across the park.

One of the walled gardens at Daylesford (@carolebamford/Instagram)
One of the light-filled wedding settings at Daylesford (@carolebamford/Instagram)

Steps lead up to the 50m x 20m balustraded South Terrace - a lawn with a box parterre of Indian fabric design laid out at each corner.

To the east of the House lies another landscaped terrace, where you can see views of the ornate orangery.

Both the orangery and House look south, down a shallow wooded valley with pools, walks, and planting.

A network of paths runs around and between the pools, while the streams are connected by waterfalls.

Meanwhile, the 21st-century Millennium Garden contains a shell grotto with a flight of steps leading down to a hexagonal pool surrounded by statuary and parterre beds.

Just a stone's throw from the House and Gardens is the Bamfords' Daylesford estate, where Carole Bamford grows organic fruit and vegetables for their chain of farm shops and cafes.

Since the Lord and Lady moved there in the 1970s, they've revived the gardens and although it is a private property, they welcome visits from the public once a year.

What the Johnson's set up could look like (@carolebamford/Instagram)
Lady Bamford shared this photograph of an elegant lunch in the gardens of Daylesford House (@carolebamford/Instagram)

Their estate serves as a wedding venue, where engaged couples can choose to marry in either the Chelsea Garden Room or the Glasshouse.

During the pandemic, the Johnsons dined in style thanks to a secret £12,500 gourmet food supply from Daylesford organic.

The No 10 couple had initially planned to throw a big wedding party at Chequers and had already sent save-the-date invitations to guests.

But plans for the extravagant event, first revealed by the Mirror, led to accusations that Mr Johnson was trying to delay his departure from Downing Street.

The pair officially tied the knot last May in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in front of just a handful of guests.

They then celebrated in the Downing Street garden but were only allowed 30 guests because of Covid restrictions in place at the time.

Do you have a story? Please get in touch at webfeatures@trinitymirror.com

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.