Wedding Venue South of London
Blackstock Country Estate is a wedding venue south of London, set on a family-run working farm of more than 70 acres at Hellingly in East Sussex, around 90 minutes from the capital by car. We hold one wedding at a time, with two restored barns, courtyards, lakes and a wedding garden, and our catering and event management are handled in-house. Below you will find where the estate sits in relation to London, how guests can reach us by road, rail and air, and how London couples plan a Sussex wedding with us.
Where The Estate Sits
The estate is on Grove Hill in Hellingly, East Sussex, BN27 4HF. Drive south out of London and you arrive at meadows, lakes and farmland, with views over the Cuckmere valley from the courtyard and terrace, and the South Downs National Park beyond the field boundary.
For a lot of London couples, that distance is the appeal. Around 90 minutes is far enough for the day to feel like a break from the city, and near enough that guests can come down for it without a long trip. Many of the couples we work with live and work in London but would rather not get married there, and want the room around them that a city venue rarely has.
Getting Here From London
By car the journey takes around 90 minutes, and there is plenty of parking on site when you arrive. Use BN27 4HF in your sat nav. If you come in through Hellingly village, ignore the left turn into Mill Lane, which is very narrow, and stay on Station Road until you reach Park Road. Full directions are on our contact page.
Guests who would rather leave the car at home can come by train. Polegate station is on the main line to London Victoria and is seven miles from the estate along the A22. For anyone flying in, London Gatwick is 36 miles away.
As the estate is a working farm, we ask that no pets are brought on site apart from assistance dogs, which is worth passing on to any guests thinking of bringing a dog down with them.
Planning From The City
Choosing a wedding venue south of London means much of the planning happens from a distance, so every couple has a dedicated events co-ordinator who is with them at every stage, starting with the first viewing and staying with them on the wedding day. They build the timeline with you and keep your suppliers on track. If you would rather not find every supplier yourself, we have a list of trusted suppliers we have worked with for years.
Our office takes calls seven days a week, 9am to 5.30pm, excluding bank holidays, and enquiry forms are answered within 24 hours on weekdays. Ceremony registrars are booked separately through East Sussex Registration at Eastbourne Town Hall on 0345 60 80 198. Contact them soon after your date is held with us, as their diary has to match ours.
The Estate On The Day
Ceremonies take place in the Tudor Barn, a restored Sussex barn around 500 years old, whose ceremony wing holds 120 guests and has air conditioning for warm days. Between May and September you can marry outdoors in the grounds instead, and we set out white folded resin chairs, an outdoor PA and the registrars’ table for you.
Drinks and canapés follow in the courtyard or on the terrace, then everyone moves across to The Granary for the wedding breakfast, seated for up to 120 under exposed beams, with floor-to-ceiling glazing onto the landscaped courtyard. In the evening everyone heads back to the Tudor Barn, with its oak bar and minstrel’s gallery, for music and dancing. There is more about both buildings on our barn wedding venue south of London page.
We never host two weddings on the same day, so the barns, courtyards and grounds are yours alone. Couples coming down from the city usually notice that first.
Food From Our In-House Team
Catering and event management at Blackstock Country Estate are run by Circa, our exclusive in-house team, who started out in Lewes in 2000 and have been catering across Sussex ever since. Menus are planned with you around your tastes, budget and theme, using local Sussex produce wherever possible, and you taste them before the day. Options include a whole Sussex roast pig, feasting barbecues, champagne afternoon tea and three or four course wedding breakfasts, and the full range is on our catering page.
Guests From Across The South East
Not every guest will be travelling from London, and the estate’s position helps there too. Tunbridge Wells is 20.5 miles away, around 35 minutes by road, Brighton is 26 miles and about 40 minutes, and Uckfield and Battle are both within 14 miles. Eastbourne and Hastings are close by as well, so guests from the coast and the surrounding towns can join those coming down from the capital.
Staying The Night
With guests travelling down from London, staying over saves them the drive home after the evening. There is accommodation on the estate for close family and friends, and a bridal suite with a makeup room for getting ready, where a continental breakfast is served. Accommodation can be booked for the night before and the night of the wedding, and extended for a longer stay. Our wedding co-ordinator arranges discounted rates for wedding couples, so let us know your date and we will check availability.
There are also eight pitches on the estate for guests with caravans, motorhomes or campervans, each with fresh water, an electric hook-up and a chemical waste point. More detail is on our wedding venue with accommodation south of London page.
Download Our Venue Brochure
Book Your Private Viewing
A wedding venue south of London is easiest to judge in person, so come down for a private viewing, walk both barns and the grounds, and talk through your plans with the team. Blackstock Country Estate is at Grove Hill, Hellingly, East Sussex BN27 4HF. Call 01323 848006, email events@blackstockestate.co.uk or contact us, and download the brochure above if you would like the details in writing first.
