iChauffeur Your London Chauffeur

Ham House and Gardens is now owned by the National Trust, who describe the property as "unique in Europe as the most complete survival of 17th century fashion and power" Ham House overlooks the River Thames, in Ham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Marble Hill House on the opposite bank of the river in Twickenham.

As you approach the property you are greeted rather appropriately by a statue of Father Thames crafted in Coade stone by John Bacon the younger. Meander around the beautiful Stuart gardens you will find the famous Cherry Garden, featuring lavender parterres flanked by two vaulted trellises of pleached hornbeam with a statue of Bacchus as a centre piece.

It was built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour. In 1626 it became the property of William Murray the "whipping boy" of Charles I. Murray remodelled the house, before it passed into the hands of perhaps it’s most infamous owner, his daughter Elizabeth, Lady Dysart, who through marriage became The Duchess of Lauderdale. Her legacy continues to this day not only with the extravagant work she had carried out to the house, but it is said that her spirit and that of her dog are still roaming the corridors of this mansion. Making it one of Britain’s most haunted buildings.

Weddings and Filming

Along as being a great place to visit, Ham House is often used as a filming location as well as a stylish wedding venue.

Ham House Resources

• Ham House Chauffeur Service
• Ham Wedding Car Hire
• Ham House Wikipedia entry

The Royal Hospital in Chelsea was founded by King Charles II, who authorised the building of the hospital in 1681, especially for old or injured soldiers. Over 3 centuries later the Royal Hospital is a retirement home and nursing home for British soldiers who are unfit for further duty due to injury or old age, and often known as “Chelsea Pensioners”.

Since 1913, the Royal Hospital has been home to the Chelsea Flower Show.

Events at the Royal Hospital

Along with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show the hospital hosts special events including weddings at the The Conservatory at Chelsea, a luxury marquee erected in the grounds of the hospital, which makes a breathtaking wedding venue.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea
Royal Hospital Road
Chelsea
London
SW3 4SR
Tel: 020 7881 5200
Official Website

This 312 bedroom establishment is a grand hotel in every sense of the word. The Midland is situated on Peter Street in Manchester city centre, and was built by Charles Trubshaw for the Midland Railway Company in 1898-1903. Today it is a Grade II listed building and has always been a favourite with celebrities, with the likes of Paul McCartney, The Spice Girls, The Beckhams, George Best, Tom Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, Mike Tyson, Jennifer Lopez, Prince Edward and Tony Blair all staying at this iconic hotel. Famously, the Beatles were once turned away from the French restaurant for being inappropriately dressed.

The Midland is perhaps most celebrated for being the meeting place of Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce, which lead to the formation of Rolls-Royce Limited.

The Midland is available to hire as a wedding venue and also for other special occasions.

The Midland
Peter Street,
Manchester
M60 2DS
Tel: 0161 236 3333
Fax: 0161 932 4100

Official Site

Woodlands Park Hotel is a stylish retreat in Cobham, Surrey. Oak panelled rooms and antiques take visitors back to it’s Victorian roots.

The hotel has a reputation for good cuisine and fine wines. The Oak Room holds an AA rosette. The Brasserie offers contemporary food in a more laid back fashion.

With 52 ensuite suites, the Hotel also hosts events and is used as a wedding venue.

Woodlands Park History

Woodlands Park House was built for Mr F.C. Bryant and designed by Rowland Plumbe in 1885. Bryant was the son of the founder of the match company, Bryant and May. Plumbe was commissioned to design a Gothic Style mansion, “with a free hand, unfettered in the slightest degree by economical considerations”. Woodlands Park became one of the first country houses with electric light, and was renowned for the grandeur of its oak panelled Grand Hall.

The Bryant family held regular weekend house parties and lavish dinners at Woodlands Park. The house soon became a centre for Edwardian Society in Surrey. Regular visitors included, the Prince of Wales (later, King Edward VII), Lillie Langtry and Oscar Wilde.

Over the years the house changed hands several times. Following extensive alterations, the house was re-opened as a hotel in 1981.

Woodlands Park Hotel
Woodlands Lane
Stoke D’Abernon
Cobham
Surrey
KT11 3QB

Tel: 0845 072 7581
Website

Kew Gardens was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. Over 250 years earlier, in 1752 Princess Augusta instructed her head gardener, to “compleat all that part of the Garden at Kew that is not yet finished in the manner proposed by the Plan and to keep all that is now finished”.

Over the years, and especially under the “superintendence” of Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), Kew Gardens evolved into a world class centre of botany. Banks paid for his own passage and those of 8 companions on several collecting expeditions including, Captain James Cook’s round the world expedition in the Endeavour.

Today Kew Gardens is a popular tourist destination and is also available to hire for events and as a wedding venue.

Weddings at Kew Gardens

Cambridge Cottage, is Kew Garden’s only licensed premises for civil ceremonies and civil partnerships. A former royal residence that is ideal for wedding receptions of up to 80 guests.

The Orangery is one of Kew’s most striking venues and is ideal for evening wedding receptions of up to 200. During the summer, the Palace Pavilion Marquee is built next to Kew Palace and overlooks one of Kew’s lakes. It can seat up to 400 guests and is available for both day and evening hire.

Kew Gardens Resources

• Kew Gardens Chauffeur Travel

Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 3AB
Tel: 020 8332 5655
Website

This magnificent neo-classical house features fine Robert Adam architecture and interiors, 18th-century gardens with ornamental lakes and floral displays. Set in the heart of West London the Osterley Park and House has a farm shop selling home-grown produce along with the Jersey Galleries which exhibits art from local artists.

Robert Adam was commissioned in 1761 by the the founders of Child’s Bank to transform the existing Tudor mansion into an elegant neo-classical villa. It became the Child’s house in the country, created to entertainment and as a lavish display impress friends and business associates.

Today Osterley House and Park are managed by The National Trust, and it’s unique setting offers a tranquil retreat in west London and a perfect setting for a events and weddings.

Osterley Park House
Jersey Road
Isleworth
Middlesex
TW7 4RB
Tel: 020 8232 5050
Website

Marble Hill House was built in the 1720’s for Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk and the mistress of the Prince of Wales, who later became King George II. It became one of the most fashionable residences of the time, a place where artists, authors, poets and politicians would frequent.

Marble Hill House is set in wooded parkland with views towards the River Thames. With its tasteful interiors and superb collection of paintings, Marble Hill House is an elegant venue for special events and in particular weddings.

Today, the House is managed by English Heritage and is one of their ‘newest’ properties available for hire, only becoming available for civil wedding ceremonies and drinks receptions since September 2005.

Marble Hill House
Richmond Road
Twickenham
Middlesex
TW1 2NL
Website

Hedsor House is a Georgian style mansion in the village of Hedsor near Taplow, Buckinghamshire. The ancient seat of the de Hedsor family who owned it at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086.

In 1583 Rowland Hynd built a new Tudor Manor House which was badly damaged by fire in 1795 and eventually demolished in 1865. Then architect James Knowles was commissioned by the fourth Lord Boston to design a new manor house. Completed in 1868 and styled in the Italian Villa manner. Both King George III and Queen Victoria were frequent visitors to this mansion.

The house is at the end of a kilometre long private drive. Set in 85 acres of land, with several acres adjacent to the house available for the erection of marquees. The surrounding park is Grade II listed on the English Heritage register.

Today, Hedsor House is used for filming, conferences, events and also as a magnificent wedding venue.

Hedsor House,
Hedsor Park,
Taplow,
Buckinghamshire
SL6 0HX
Telephone: 01628 527391
Website

The Macdonald Compleat Angler is superbly located overlooking the Thames in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. This historic hotel dates from 1640 and became a very popular and fashionable place frequented by artists and intellectuals including; Edgar Wallace, Dame Nellie Melba, J.M. Barrie, Scott Fitzgerald and Noel Coward. Today it remains a spiffy location and has welcomed the late Princess Diana, Omar Sharif, Clint Eastwood, Naomi Campbell and even HM The Queen.

The Compleat Angler was named after Izaak Walton’s book on angling, written in and around Marlow in 1653. Although the book is about fishing it paints a beautiful picture of rural England and the river.

The Compleat Angler is also close to Windsor Castle and is the ideal starting point for a walk along the Thames.

Perfectly placed for visits to Ascot and Henley.

With 64 en-suite bedrooms, along with fine-dining at the Bowaters Restaurant, which offers modern British heritage food. The Compleat Angler’s green river terraces provide a relaxing and idylicc location.

Weddings at the Compleat Angler

This lush location makes an ideal wedding venue, with stunning backdrops for wedding photos and video.

Compleat Angler Facilities

• 64 en suite bedrooms
• Bowaters Restaurant
• Conference and Meeting Rooms
• Weddings and Private Functions
• The Lawn Bar and Grill
• Boat Hire

Macdonald Compleat Angler,
Marlow,
Buckinghamshire,
SL7 1RG
Tel: 0844 879 9128
Fax: 01628 486388
Website

It doesn’t get much more British than this: Blenheim Palace, the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill. Set in Woodstock in Oxfordshire, Blenheim Palace is a magnificent country house, and the only non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title “palace”.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site - Blenheim Palace is set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by the legendary Capability Brown. The palace was originally intended to be a gift to the 1st Duke of Marlborough as a reward for his military triumph against the French and Bavarians. It was built between 1705 and 1722 and it makes a fantastic location to visit.

Functions and Weddings at Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace offers the most extravagant setting for a wedding ceremony and reception or private function. The Orangery, with its private entrance and terrace overlooking the Italian Garden provides a stunning daytime and evening venue for up to 180 guests.

"have an evening reception evening in the Palace’s magnificent State Apartments. Dance on the Water Terrace and announce your departure with fireworks over the lake with blazing torches lining the drive."
Source - The Independent’s 50 Best Wedding Venues.

Blenheim Palace
Woodstock
Oxfordshire
OX20 1PX

Telephone: +44(0) 1993 811091
Website