HorwoodHouse

  Horwood House | Country House Hotel Breaks | Countryside Getaway UK  

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Our charming hotel is nestled in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside and combines heritage, comfort and warm, friendly service to create an unforgettable experience.

Built in 1911, the beautiful Grade II listed Manor House is the focal point, and the birthplace of the famous gardener, Percy Thrower. The house, lily pond and manicured Pytheas Gardens provide a truly stunning backdrop for our guests and visitors to enjoy.

[horwoodhouse]

Our charming hotel is nestled in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside and combines heritage, comfort and warm, friendly service to create an unforgettable experience.

[horwoodhouse]

Wedding Trends – 2023 | Hotel Wedding Venues | Heritage Hotel

At Countryside Wedding Venues Horwood House, we are lucky enough to play a part in many special days throughout the year. As we approach the warmer months, we know that new fiancées will be starting to plan their big day and with this in mind, our dedicated wedding planner here at Horwood has shared their predicted trends for 2023. We work closely with all of our couples to bring their visions for their special day to life and can’t wait to plan another beautiful season of summer weddings.

Al-fresco ceremonies Understandably, the last few years have seen al-fresco weddings soar in popularity. While lockdown restrictions are thankfully a thing of the past, the trend for taking events outdoors doesn’t seem to have lost its appeal, and what could be better than saying “I do” with a backdrop of lush greenery and blooming seasonal flowers? Between the months of April – September, our idyllic outdoor ceremony space – set amongst the Pytheas Garden – offers a truly romantic and wild oasis for al-fresco ceremonies. Enter through the Secret Garden gate and pass our beautiful lily pond before arriving at the picturesque setting of our white wedding pavilion.

Big and bold blooms We’re seeing more and more couples look to break away from the traditional pastel hues of roses and lilies, instead favouring bolder blooms that bring a pop of brightness to bridal party bouquets, table centrepieces and arrangements. As well as colour, couples are open to adding texture into their arrangements by adding fragrant foliage such as fern, jasmine or eucalyptus. At Horwood House, we work closely with local floral designers such as The Flower Company Milton Keynes to bring your vision to life – whether you fancy sticking to the classic bouquet or adding a splash of colour!

Seasonal plates The wedding breakfast is such an important part of their day, and many couples are consciously choosing to embrace the seasonal ingredients in their menus. Our Executive Chef Will Dimartino is passionate about celebrating seasonal and local produce in the bespoke dishes he creates for our wedding guests. Summer highlights include goat’s cheese and truffle mousse with pickled beetroot and toasted walnuts; salt cod and gruyere croquette with sorrel and caper mayonnaise; and 24-hour braised pork belly served with fondant potato and burnt apple sauce.

Spotlighting… lighting Often seen as an oversight, lighting is an integral part to any wedding, setting the tone for the day and ensuring gorgeous photography throughout. Increasingly, couples are looking for venues with unique lighting arrangements which enhance the atmosphere and ambiance of the day. At Horwood, we worked with leading lighting designers, Imagin Global, to create a number of signature chandeliers for our freshly refurbished Manor House. Inspired by the 19th century lighting found in many stately homes, the fixtures speak to the Manor’s rich history, and ensure a stunning backdrop for photography.

We at Horwood House look to make everyone’s dream wedding come to life, whether you choose to follow the trends, go traditional or with your own vision!

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The Manor House Refurbishment Journey

Our historic property is now well into its final phase of redevelopment, with the closing chapter of over two years of work focused on the beautiful Grade II-listed Manor House. The building is currently underdoing a complete transformation which will reimagine the original bricks and mortar into a new collection of stunning spaces including 9 spacious bedroom suites, a breathtaking wedding ceremony space, expansive lounges and a private dining room. It’s been a fascinating time for us here at Horwood House, and we wanted to share a little sneak preview of what you can expect when renovations finish later in the year.

Horwood House has a rich history which dates back across many centuries. Originally a farmhouse (some 300 years ago), the Manor House was upgraded in the early 1900s by Frederick Denny – whose name is honoured by “The Denny” – a pork and apricot croquette – on the menu at Harry’s Bar & Kitchen. However, the building is best known as being the birthplace of the famous gardener, Percy Thrower, who created our famous lily pond and the beautifully manicured Pytheas Gardens that surround the hotel. These gardens have proved to be a rich source of inspiration for the new interior scheme within the Manor’s refurbishment.

When we began planning the renovation of the Manor, we worked closely with our designers, ICA, to start afresh with the interior scheme but to ensure we are in keeping with the building’s original features and reflect the surrounding 38 acres of grounds.

The colour scheme is light with subtle grey, green and gold accents whilst our carpet has been created specially for us by one of the finest producers in the UK, Oriental Weavers Hospitality.

Our ground floor lounge, layered with rich textures of buttoned leather, paisley prints and plush velvets, will be a luxurious and elegant space, worthy of the special weddings, events and parties that the space will host for years to come. The upper floors of the manor will house 9 stylish suites, each with its own individual character, featuring freestanding baths, grand bay window seating and luxury king-sized beds.

Ensuring our public areas sparkle, leading lighting designers, Imagin Global, have created a number of signature chandeliers for the Manor, inspired by the traditional 19th century heritage lighting found in many stately homes. A statement piece hangs above the Manor’s feature staircase – this showstopping three-tier chandelier is made from steel with a plated finish, features smooth and ribbed glass tubes, and faux candles.

Finally, in a nod to our history, we have commissioned new artwork for the Manor that explores 1911, the year in which the Manor House as we know it today was built and the landmark events that mark the period, such as the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary, along with the publication of “The Secret Garden” and works by the celebrated poet, D.H. Lawrence. 1911 is also the name of our new dining concept, which we hope to launch later this year.

If you’d like to keep up to date with the refurbishment, you can see more behind the scenes content on our Instagram @horwoodhouse – we can’t wait to welcome you to the Manor House soon.

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Classic Heritage Hotel Stay | Weekend Staycation in Buckinghamshire

Horwood house offers classic heritage hotel rooms to stay that combine heritage & comfort. Cozy warm rooms.Best place for a weekend staycation.

Décor inspiration for our newly refurbished bedrooms is drawn from our historic gardens. Where heritage and contemporary elements are blended to create comfort and wellness during your stay with us.

We have created new bedrooms of varying sizes and styles. You may be looking for more workspace, a dressing room or a connecting room.

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Horwood House | Country House Hotel Breaks | Countryside Getaway UK

Horwood House has been many things over the years: a family home, a prep-school, offices, and now finally, a beautiful countryside hotel. As the building has such an incredible history, we thought we’d share some of it with you…

The story began in 1911, when Horwood House was built on land which housed the former Old Horwood, a 300-year-old farmhouse previously known as Rectory House, which was said to be haunted by a Colonel Daucy that used to reside there. Spooky!

Frederick Denny, a local businessman who made his fortune in the bacon trade – whose family name is still known today – commissioned the building of the new property to well-known architect, Detmar Blow, giving him a large budget and a specific brief; he wanted an impressive looking house which would also serve as a comfortable family home. Blow created a Jacobethan-inspired manor house incorporating tall brick chimneys, bay windows and Bath stone surfaces. He also used old tiles to create a gable roof and imported light red handmade bricks from Holland – the same red bricks you’ll see in the Manor House today!

The renovation also saw the 14 acres of bare fields and woodland converted into a working garden. The grounds of Horwood House were very important to the Dennys, and the family employed sixteen gardeners who, under Frederick’s instruction, ensured that the gardens and greenhouses yielded produce all year round for the kitchens, whatever the season, and there were always freshly cut flowers for the house.

The Head Gardener’s son, who was the first child to be born at Horwood House after its completion, was the famous Percy Thrower, the world’s first TV gardener who inspired a national interest in plants and growing. Best known for presenting Gardener’s World, he wrote numerous books and columns for newspapers and magazines.

Unfortunately, Horwood House’s days as a family residence were to end as the economic depression of the 1930s took hold, which led to many English country estates having to be sold to make ends meet. From there, the building existed under various guises, until it was acquired by current owners, Ziz Properties in 2019, and restored to the gorgeous space that it is today.

At Horwood, we look back to the early custodians, the Dennys, for much of our inspiration, so the gardens now contain gorgeous seasonal ingredients for our talented chefs to use in the meals we serve in Harry’s Bar & Kitchen. Our spring menu, curated by our Executive Chef Will Dimartino, features delicious home-grown purple sprouting broccoli, currently being served alongside pan-fried salmon.

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Offers - Horwood House Hotel

Make memories at Horwood House with our limited time only offers and specials.  Shopping, treatments, afternoon tea – this really is the ultimate way to spend Mother’s Day.FIND OUT MORE

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Horwood House  Country House Hotel Breaks  Countryside Getaway UK

Our charming hotel is nestled in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside and combines heritage, comfort and warm, friendly service to create an unforgettable experience.

Built in 1911, the beautiful Grade II listed Manor House is the focal point, and the birthplace of the famous gardener, Percy Thrower. The house, lily pond and manicured Pytheas Gardens provide a truly stunning backdrop for our guests and visitors to enjoy.

A range of spectacular and flexible meeting spaces, a dedicated events team and accessible location makes Horwood House Hotel the perfect location for any event, from unique business meetings and conferences to special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.

For leisure, guests can explore Bletchley Park, Woburn Safari Park, Blenheim Palace and Bicester Shopping Village, which are all close-by. Our own extensive grounds provide plenty of opportunity to discover the local countryside, from a gentle stroll along our nature trail to a more challenging hike in our 38 acres of grounds.