Luxury wedding venue planned for the Apley Estate

Plans for a wedding venue have been unveiled after award-winning caterers, Caviar & Chips, co-founded by Jonathan Carter-Morris and Marc Hornby, partnered with Apley Estate near Bridgnorth to transform Stockton House into a wedding venue.

Plans started with Lord Hamilton of Dalzell and the estate team back in 2018.

Marc Hornby said: “It starts with a purpose built 100-seater secret walled garden dining room. This beautiful open space will be licensed for civil ceremonies and can host both the wedding breakfast and evening party.

"With state of the art technology in lighting, sound and heating and with a full commercial kitchen this will feel like your very own exclusive restaurant."

Marc said they are going about the plans in a very optimistic way, as the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many businesses over the last year, but they are hoping for the best.

"We are planning with optimism," he said. "On the build itself, the first bit is not going in until May, and we could be in lockdown still then, so we have factored that in and have two month contingency.

"We just want to plan things to look forward to. Our first wedding is booked for April 2022, and our deposits are refundable just to give people a bit of peace of mind."

Built in 1702 as a rectory to the Church of St Chad just 100 yards down the lane, Stockton House was a family home for more than 300 years but has been unoccupied for five years.

Owned by the Apley Estate and steeped in history, the Georgian building will be brought back to life with seven double bedrooms and a 100-seat secret walled garden dining room.

The team have recently received planning permission from Shropshire Council and, working with English Heritage, will get underway with building and refurbishment through 2021 with finishing touches completed ready for the first Stockton weddings in spring 2022.

Apley Estate manager Graeme Manton described how the partnership fits perfectly with the Apley Plan.

“For Apley, not only does it allow the sustainable re-use of a beautiful old building, it also provides further diversification of businesses across the estate and gives us the opportunity to support local businessmen," he said.

"Add to that it gives us an ideal opportunity to showcase our local food offer and the best that the Farm Shop and our award-winning butcher can provide."

Visit stocktonhouseweddings.co.uk to find out more.