A Spectacular Georgian Country House set in the North Devon Countryside
Moreton House is a large Georgian country house on the outskirts of Bideford, near the North Devon Coast.
It was the former stately home of the Stucley family, now of Hartland Abbey. Moreton was first built in the 1760s, updated in the 1820s, modified again around the mid 1800s, and then internally redesigned in 1913, ready for a Stucley family wedding.
The main house has a number of stunning formal rooms, which we have restored over the past few years, and are now available to hire for private functions, corporate events, location shoots and weddings. We count about 100 rooms in the house, and during the lockdown we found an extra cellar so we like to think of this as room 101.
Portico Entrance
The main entrance to the house has a grand Palladian style columned portico with stunning black and white tiled mosaic floor. It leads into a formal panelled entrance hall (6m x 6m) with a gothic black marble fireplace.
The entrance hall makes a splendid reception room for any formal function, and the portico itself makes a stunning backdrop for a wedding ceremony. There is a baby grand piano in the hall.
This entire wing is not as old as its classical Georgian styling, however, as the original house was ‘aggrandized’ somewhere around 1845 to create an additional wing of guest rooms, and two extra large function rooms, one either side of the entrance hall, both with a large bay window.
To the left of the portico, behind the other bay window lies the Drawing Room. This retains the original highly decorative plaster ceiling, but is not currently available for guest use, awaiting restoration.
A Destination Venue in North Devon
Moreton House is set in five acres of mature tree-lined gardens, just minutes from the sea. Enjoy the feeling of seclusion and privacy yet with easy access and the convenience of being just an hour from the M5, 3.5 hours from London, and on the outskirts of the historic port town of Bideford. You can have a destination style wedding without the airport.
Our Wedding Capacity
We offer plenty of intimate spaces to suit smaller weddings and elopements, and we can even provide witnesses if there are just two of you. Alternatively, we can seat up to 70 guests for a ceremony or formal dinner, and cater for 100 revellers for an evening party, with accommodation for 30 overnight guests in 15 bedrooms.
02 – Our minimum number, we love an elopement.
30 – Overnight guests, in 15 bedrooms.
70 – Max number for sit-down dining.
100 – Max number for an evening part.
Whats Included?
We love to invite couples to bring their nearest and dearest to enjoy exclusive use of Moreton House and its grounds for a leisurely long weekend wedding package. Arrive on a Friday to dress and prep the venue, with ceremony and celebrations on a Saturday and there’s no hurry to check out as you enjoy a lazy Sunday with brunch or BBQ.
We also offer smaller events mid-week.
Venue hire includes the use of our four stunning function rooms, meaning you can set everything up in advance and move from ceremony space to dining room, on to the dance floor or relax in our elegant club room bar, with no furniture moving or waiting around on the day.
Enjoy free run of our gardens for drinks, casual entertaining or photos. Accommodation for up to 30 guests can be included in a mix of interconnected self catering apartments and independent guest rooms.
Our Accommodation
Our four characterful and newly renovated interconnecting apartments, each offer one or two bedrooms. Each room is slightly different – some have wood burning stoves, others have roll top baths and walk-in showers. There is ample space for hairdressers or make-up artists to visit, and outdoor dining spaces for casual gatherings either side of the big event. In addition we have a number of more budget-friendly rooms, some with shared bathrooms, so that more of your guests can stay. No need to feel rushed, before or after the wedding. You can take your time setting up the venue the evening before and enjoy the full day after to sleep off the celebrations, catch up with loved ones, and get to know your new family.
The Ceremony
We offer a choice of rooms and outdoor spaces for your ceremony, and we are fully licensed for civil weddings and civil partnerships. If you have taken care of the legal formalities already, you can say your I do’s in a celebration or blessing to suit your style, or we are happy to help with your reception plans after a ceremony at your chosen place of worship.
The Details
Moreton House is a grade-II listed country house on the outskirts of the historic port town of Bideford, near the beautiful north Devon Coast. We are easy to reach, at just 1 hour from the M5, 3.5 hours from London and 2 minutes from the north Devon link road. Travel by train to Barnstaple (20 mins away) or Tiverton Parkway (50 mins away).
For more information, dates or sample menus, licensing or ceremony option information, please contact us at moretonhousedevon@gmail.com, or call 01237 425519. We are happy to arrange viewings, or to offer a live virtual tour, and for visitors from further afield we are happy to offer accommodation and dinner options, with the cost deducted from any wedding booking.