Gilbert White & The Oates Collections

Alton, Hampshire View map Visit website

Rating 4.8 out of 5

16 reviews

Starting at £1,500

2 to 300 Guests

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About

Set in Alton in the Hampshire region of England, Gilbert White & The Oates Collections is an elegant events venue that hosts weddings. This idyllic property is set beneath the Shelborne Hanger of the South Downs National Park. Surrounded by heritage gardens and parklands that span across 30 acres, this remarkable location is resplendent with natural beauty that makes a stunning backdrop to any nuptial celebration. As this venue accepts only one event per weekend, you can enjoy an intimate and private celebration surrounded by stunning scenery and your loved ones.

Facilities and Capacity

Gilbert White & The Oates Collections offers a selection of event spaces for engaged couples to choose from. The Hampshire Barn, originally built in the 16th century, offers a special setting for large ceremonies and receptions. Featuring beams stretched across soaring wooden ceilings and complete with stunning views across the surrounding meadows, it provides a rustic and elegant backdrop for celebrations. Couples who are hoping to host a more intimate occasion can avail of the Great Parlour, located inside the historic house itself. This venue also offers an array of outdoor ceremony and reception spaces. The Great Lawn is ideal for reception drinks, while the Great Mead offers a fantastic setting for tipi and marquee erections after a drinks reception on the great lawn. For alternative receptions, couples can choose between the surrounding woodlands, or amongst the wildflower meadows.

Services Offered

Gilbert White & The Oates Collections offer a range of facilities to ensure seamless and stress-free events. They can provide in-house catering options, accommodating both banquet-style seated meals and buffets. This venue holds an alcohol licence and offers a corkage option for couples. They also hold an evening licence, with facilities for both live bands and DJs. Throughout the planning process, this team can also provide the services of a dedicated wedding coordinator to assist with every detail. Confetti is permitted at this venue, which is also pet-friendly, allowing your furry friends to share in your day.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Venue Type:

Exclusive Use

In the Country

Unusual Weddings

Historic

Marquees and Tents

Woodland and Festival

Civil Ceremony Licence

Barn

Outdoor License

Tipis and Yurts

Unique Weddings

Dining Options:

Seated Meal Facilities

Corkage Option

Alcohol Licence

Buffet Meal Facilities

In House Catering

Evening Entertainment:

Marquee Available

Entertainment Licence

Live Band Facilities

Evening Reception Facilities

DJ Facilities

Overnight Accommodation:

Overnight Accommodation for Wedding Couple

Overnight Accommodation for Guests

Venue Staff Assistance:

Master of Ceremonies/ Toastmaster

Wedding Coordinator

Other Features:

Disabled Facilities

Car Parking

Confetti Permitted

Pets Welcome

Do you have any questions?

Request pricing

Rating

4.8

out of 5.0

Recommended by 100% of couples

Quality of the Service

Rating 4.8 out of 5
Response time

Rating 4.7 out of 5
Professionalism

Rating 4.8 out of 5
Value for Money

Rating 4.8 out of 5
Flexibility

Rating 4.8 out of 5

27 User photos

+ 23Photos

Featured

Rachel Married on 05/09/2020

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Wedding on 5th September 2020

We had initially planned a full ceremony and reception at Gilbert White's on the 5th Sept, although we quickly realised it probably wasn't going to be as we had initially planned! We decided to go ahead with a smaller ceremony for 30 people, and we're so glad we did!
The venue is beautiful, the barn itself is stunning, and the meadow and gardens around the house are so lovely- great for photos.
Charlotte was our point of contact and the events organiser, she was super helpful and really responsive. She really helped us through the slightly tricky process of planning a wedding through a pandemic! She was really relaxed and friendly, but was clear on what the new guidelines were which really helped us plan it all safely, but most importantly still have fun!
She helped us arrange lots of little extra touches, like printing our own labels for beers for our wedding favours, recommending suppliers and being really flexible with us coming in to decorate etc.
If you're after something more personal and unique then I can't recommend them highly enough. Beautiful venue in stunning surroundings, and you get a responsive and really personal service- we're so happy we went ahead with our ceremony.
Sent on 09/09/2020
Katherine G. Married on 07/08/2021

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The Perfect Venue

Gilbert Whites are the perfect venue. The setting is completely stunning, the people are so kind and helpful, the barn itself is gorgeous and the venue added so much character to the day. All of our photos are so stunning. Monique was such a help both in the lead up to the day and on it. The Team was so friendly and it really made planning the day so much easier. The flexibility of the venue added so much personality to our day and we loved the Gilbert White Brewed Beers!
Sent on 10/08/2021
Sharon S. Married on 31/05/2021

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Stunning venue

Such a stunning venue. Everyone involved were so helpful. I would highly recommend having your special day here. The open space is beautiful, the barn is spacious and the other extras help to make any wedding magical.
- + 13Photos
Sent on 17/10/2021

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Katie C. Married on 04/11/2020

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An excellent wedding venue and wonderful staff

Charlotte and the team at Gilbert White's went over and above to make our day incredibly memorable. Leading up to the wedding Charlotte was always on hand to provide advice and assistance and was a great help on the wedding day. The food prepared by the inhouse caterers was also excellent.
Sent on 07/04/2021
Amy J. Married on 10/10/2020

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Great wedding venue

We had a fantastic day at Gilbert White's House. The team had a challenging time as we were originally due to get married in May 2019 and the date had to be moved about 4 times! The process was smooth and everyone on the team was really helpful. They were very accommodating and patient with us as we a bit hectic in the last few weeks of planning! It was a great day and everyone raved about the venue. Special thanks to Monique, Tasha and Jo who were all very kind to us and put up with my lack of knowledge of wedding planning! xx
Sent on 01/11/2021

Gilbert White & The Oates Collections's reply:

Thank you so much for your kind words. So glad you had such a smooth and special day. Wishing you and your family all the best!
Jade A. Married on 10/09/2021

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The perfect place for an authentic barn wedding in Hampshire!

We had the BEST day ever celebrating our wedding at Gilbert White's House! Thanks to the amazing events and catering teams our day went so smoothly and we didn't need to worry about a thing! They were there for us every step of of the way and made sure all our questions were answered.

The team were so kind, flexible and understanding when it came to arranging (and re-arranging... and re-re-arranging - thanks covid!) our day, from going to see the venue, to suggesting vendors for flowers, transport and everything in between, and during the set up, day and pack down.

We were allowed access to the barn the afternoon before and morning after the wedding, which made set up and pack down a lot less stressful than if we had to do it all on the day, and meant that we could spend the whole afternoon the day before making the barn look exactly the way we wanted. We even had some time at the end of the afternoon to practice walking down the aisle!

We also decided to use the on-site catering team for our wedding breakfast, canapes and evening food, which was all absolutely delicious and our guests are still talking about the pork belly one month on! Our tasting was also an amazing (and delicious) experience and the team were happy to work with any and all of our dietary requirements.

Thank you so much Gilbert White's House for making our wedding day the best and most special day it could possibly have been, we would not hesitate to recommend this venue to any couple looking for a gorgeous, relaxed, spacious and authentic place to celebrate your big day!
- + 5Photos
Sent on 11/10/2021
Toby R. Married on 12/08/2021

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A beautiful day

Tasha and her team at Gilbert White's House were amazing, they couldn't do enough to help, we had free reign on the barn do dress as we pleased. The transition between ceremony and reception was seamless. We couldn't thank them enough for making our day perfect!
Sent on 02/09/2021
Louise Married on 13/04/2021

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Our Perfect Day

We cannot thank Charlotte and the team at Gilbert White’s enough for their approach to making our day exactly what we wanted. From the first time we arrived to view the venue, we knew that the history of the place and the surrounding natural environment was perfect for us. We were treated to a wonderful food tasting to get our menu right, as many visits to the venue as we needed to plan things, and easy, straightforward communication at all times. We were very lucky that we were able to maintain flexibility with our dates as well, since we had to postpone three times during the height of the pandemic. Ultimately, our small wedding was more than perfect and the relaxed yet professional approach at Gilbert White’s meant that our day felt intimate and special.
Sent on 16/04/2021
Laura Married on 07/12/2019

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Barn Birthday Party

I arranged a joint birthday party at the Barn at Gilbert White's
House, in December, at quite short notice. The staff were absolutely
fantastic, they arranged everything for us from tables and tablecloths
to a sound system, all included in the price. The venue looked
beautiful, and Ellie kindly came down that morning to help us add some
extra decorations. The chef, Jo, put together a selection of delicious
food options at very reasonable prices, and we eventually chose a
shared starter and "fork buffet". There were a wide range of options
to suit everyone, and the food was widely complimented (and the staff
kindly packaged up the leftovers for us to take home!). The staff on
the night were all fantastic, everyone had drinks at all times, but
they were very discreet. Several of our guests commented
(independently) to us that it was "the best party we've ever been to".
We couldn't have been more delighted.
Sent on 23/12/2019
Lynne Married on 03/07/2019

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Great Parlour Wedding

We had an amazing wedding in the Great Parlour which had a wonderful historic atmosphere and made an intimate setting for our small wedding. Having the string trio perform during the ceremony was perfect for the setting. The drinks reception in the garden with them playing outside was wonderful.

Thank you for all your help on the day and with planning. It is such a special place and we have many happy memories to take forward.
Sent on 10/02/2020
Steph Married on 20/04/2019

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Our perfect venue

This venue doesn't host very many weddings, and that's what we liked about it - it's not a faceless wedding factory. We wanted the freedom to do things our own way, and the staff at Gilbert White's were more than happy for us to do that while also helping out when asked. When we first went to look round it was a miserable, grey, muddy day in December, but even then we could see that it would be absolutely beautiful in the spring and perfect for how we wanted our day to be; it ticked all the boxes. Even though there wasn't a wedding coordinator in place when we booked, the Directors went above and beyond in answering all our questions and giving us ideas throughout the planning process until the new wedding coordinator came on board, and on the day itself they were all on site and we genuinely felt like they were part of the day too. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the barn at Gilbert White's for couples looking for a flexible, relaxed venue in a stunning countryside setting.
Sent on 02/05/2019
Louise Married on 29/07/2017

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Great Location, Awful Service

We got married in July 2017- the barn and surroundings are beautiful however the service we received was terrible, To begin with our wedding coordinator left the barn and we were without a coordinator until 6 weeks before we got married. We were not told certain information, they kept getting confused with what we had requested, what we had paid and the plan for the day. Additionally the new wedding coordinator was rude to us and our guests. My father-in law had to mow the meadow the day before the wedding and the coordinator messed up the music as I was walking down the aisle and ruined the ceremony. These are only a few of the issues we faced. Despite numerous emails we have received an inadequate response from the Directors and the coordinator has still not apologised. I hope other couples and their guests do not go through the same experience as us.
Sent on 17/01/2018
Jessica Married on 27/08/2016

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Beautiful rustic barn to decorate how you want

We had our wedding day here on the 27th august 2016. Becky and her team allowed us to decorated how we wanted inside and outside. They where so helpful with all the decisions. Having our wedding in the barn created a relaxed safe environment for all our guests. Children loved the meadow and played safely all day. The food provided by gilbert whites (afternoon tea party) was delicious. Becky and her team and the setting of the barn in the meadow was our dream vintage country wedding we always have wanted. Highly recommended this venue and it's team to create your dream wedding.
Sent on 11/09/2016
Amy Married on 23/07/2016

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A beautiful venue for a dream day - thank you.

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Gilbert White barn and couldn't have asked for a better venue. The setting is absolutely stunning and secluded but still easily accessible. All of our guests commented on how beautiful the scenery was and that it was so unique. The staff couldn't do enough for us. From our initial conversation right up to and including our big day, they were nothing but friendly, professional and accommodating. They worked so hard to help our special day run smoothly. The team were so flexible with our requirements and always went out of their way to accommodate us. It was the perfect venue for our wedding and we can't recommend the venue and team highly enough - thank you!
Sent on 16/08/2016
Abbie

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Our prefect venue

We hired the barn for our wedding breakfast, 80 guests, and evening do for 120 guests.
We had a country wedding which this venue suits perfectly, we also had lots of children as guests, having outside space and a bouncy castle proved to be invaluable! We had space outside to put up a gazebo, a hog roast and giant garden games without feeling at all cramped! The character of the barn meant we could decorate the inside with homemade bunting, candles (battery ones) fairy lights and flowers, creating a beautiful setting and a wonderful atmosphere, the views outside the doors are also incredible and the whole setting was a massive talking point for our guests!
Having access to the gardens for our photos also meant that our photographer captured some stunning shots.
Josh and the rest of the team were incredibly helpful....especially when a very special guest turned up to surprise us on the day!
I would 100% recommended this venue.
Sent on 10/10/2015

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