Shendish Manor is perfect for those seeking a historic wedding venue

It may seem as if almost anywhere can serve as a wedding venue these days, but let’s be honest: when it comes to the most romantic day of our lives, great numbers of us like to keep things traditional. English country houses continue to attract loved-up couples who want to get married in a truly idyllic setting – but Shendish Manor has a more fascinating history than most other venues. 

Humble beginnings

Our original Manor House may date from the mid-19^th century, but the site’s developed history goes as far back as Norman times. It is thought that William the Conqueror’s brother sublet the farmhouse that then occupied the Shendish Manor site to Ralf de Chenduit, with the corruption of his surname over time gradually leading to the present Shendish pronunciation.

At the forefront in the Victorian era 

The Victorians transformed the UK in more ways than one. The Shendish site had remained a farmhouse, with some 300 acres, right up to 1853, when it was purchased by Charles Longman, whose fortune partly came from the famous publishing family of that same name. However, he was also a partner in the papermaking business of the local inventor, John Dickinson (1782-1869).

Strong links with the Dickinson family 

John Dickinson will always be irrevocably associated with the Apsley area in which Shendish Manor stands. It was he, after all, who invented a continuous mechanised papermaking process and founded paper mills that played a dominant role in the local economy. His company – John Dickinson Stationery Limited – acquired Shendish Manor in 1936, using it as a sports and social club.

Truly impressive wedding suites 

Shendish Manor may have been a hotel and conference centre since the 1990s, but it is also now one of the most sought-after wedding venues in Apsley, in part due to its impressively well-preserved historical fabric. The Manor building itself boasts such original features as a Jacobean fireplace, high ornate ceilings, oak panelling and a sweeping staircase. The all-round setting is unspeakably romantic, and evocative of how it would have been like in Charles Longman’s day.

Would you like to immerse yourself in a piece of true living history when you get married? If so, don’t hesitate to enquire to the Shendish Manor team about how we can help you to plan the nuptials that you will remember for – hopefully – many years and decades to come.