Barn Wedding Venue South of London
Blackstock Country Estate is a licensed barn wedding venue south of London, set on a working farm of more than 70 acres at Grove Hill in Hellingly, East Sussex, about 90 minutes from the capital. Two restored barns sit at the centre of it, the Tudor Barn, which is licensed for civil ceremonies of up to 120 guests, and The Granary, which seats 120 for the wedding breakfast. Only one wedding is held here at a time, and the catering, the event management and the co-ordination are all handled by our own team.
The sections below cover the journey down, where guests can stay, how the day runs and what it costs. To talk it through, ring us on 01323 848006, or use the button below to arrange a viewing.
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Take your time and see the whole estate.
Click the button below and tell us when you are free.
How Long Is The Journey From London?
Around 90 minutes by car. Blackstock Country Estate is in Hellingly, East Sussex, and there is plenty of parking on site once you arrive.
By train, Polegate is seven miles away via the A22 and sits on the main line to London Victoria, so guests can travel down by rail. For anyone flying in, London Gatwick is 36 miles away.
The full route is set out on our contact page.
Download Our Venue Brochure
Making A Weekend Of It
When guests are coming down from London, staying the night saves them the drive back. There is accommodation on the estate, a farmhouse and cottages set among the meadows and lakes, and a bridal suite with a makeup room for the morning.
Wedding guests can also use the eight pitches on the estate, each with fresh water, an electric hook-up and a chemical waste point, suitable for caravans, motorhomes and campervans.
Our wedding co-ordinator arranges discounted rates for wedding couples, so give us your date and we will tell you what is free. There is more on our wedding venue with accommodation south of London page.
The Tudor Barn And The Granary
The Tudor Barn at Blackstock Country Estate is five hundred years old, restored with the ancient oak structural timbers left visible overhead. Antique cartwheel chandeliers hang through it, white or coloured lighting can be added, and there is a refurbished minstrel’s gallery above a large oak bar serving beers, spirits and wines. The ceremony wing holds 120, with a reveal curtain across the entrance and air conditioning for warm days.
The Granary takes the wedding breakfast, seating 120 under a vaulted ceiling with exposed beams and a sandstone floor. One wall is floor-to-ceiling glazing opening onto the landscaped courtyard, and a mezzanine runs above the main floor.
Drinks and canapés are served in the courtyard or on the terrace, with views over the Cuckmere valley and horses and llamas grazing beyond. From May to September you can marry outdoors in the grounds instead of in the barn.
Why London Couples Come Out To Sussex
Only one wedding runs at Blackstock Country Estate at a time, so the barns, the courtyards and the grounds are yours for the day with no second event alongside.
Registrars are booked separately through East Sussex Registration at Eastbourne Town Hall, on 0345 60 80 198. Worth doing early, because your date depends on a registrar being free as well as the barn.
If you are weighing the area up more broadly, we also have pages on our wedding venue near London and our exclusive wedding venues south of London.
Who Cooks, And What It Costs
The kitchen here is our own. Circa run the catering and the event management at Blackstock Country Estate, and have been doing Sussex catering since they started out in Lewes in 2000. Menus are built with you around your tastes, budget and theme, with ingredients sourced locally wherever possible, and the full range is on the catering page.
A full day is quoted individually, because the figure moves with the date, the guest count and what you want included. For a fixed number to plan against, our twilight weddings start at £5,450 for 2026, £5,950 for 2027 and £6,450 for 2028, based on 50 guests Monday to Thursday. Included in that are the Tudor Barn and grounds, a 4pm ceremony, the makeup room from 11am, a prosecco or bottled beer per person, three canapés each and one choice from the evening buffet menu.
There is a supplement Friday to Sunday, additional guests are priced per head, and the date is secured with a £1,500 deposit.
Come And Look Round The Barns
If a barn wedding venue south of London is on your shortlist, come and walk both barns and the grounds before you decide. Bring the questions about numbers, timings and wet weather.
Blackstock Country Estate, Grove Hill, Hellingly, East Sussex BN27 4HF. Our office takes calls seven days a week between 9am and 5.30pm, bank holidays excepted.
Phone 01323 848006, write to us by email, or book a viewing online. The venue brochure can be downloaded from the site too.
If you are still comparing venues, we also have our barn wedding venue in Sussex, barn wedding venue near Brighton and barn wedding venue near Eastbourne pages.