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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2022

Last update: March 2024

Highden Estate is a country wedding venue located in Washington, West Sussex. This setting offers a picturesque backdrop immersed in South Downs National Park in the heart of England's countryside. It covers nearly 1,000 acres of woodland and lush fields, offering exclusivity and serenity. This venue has been owned and managed by the Denman family for more than 80 years, and they take great pride in maintaining its natural beauty. In the estate, you'll find a walled garden, a field, and a forest school where you can host a celebration. This wedding venue is easily accessible, with Gatwick Airport being just 40 minutes away, while Horsham train station takes 20 minutes to reach by car.

Facilities and Capacity

The walled garden at Highden Estate offers a romantic backdrop where couples can celebrate their love story. The garden also offers the use of a marquee, offering shelter despite the season. It dates back to the Victorian era and has been lovingly maintained, adding a touch of historic charm to the space. The garden covers an acre and is surrounded by high walls, creating a whimsical yet private setting. Weddings can also be held in Cowdown, a 20-acre field setting that's perfect for dancing the night away. Here, you can enjoy stunning views from the top of the South Downs National Park. A final setting is available in the Forest School, which offers a magical charm for your milestone celebrations. It has lots of wooden features, perfect for adding some rustic romance to any event.

Services Offered

Highden Estate has an exclusive-use policy, giving couples the opportunity to celebrate their milestone in peace and privacy. The team at the venue is also happy to provide their list of recommended suppliers to help inspire your wedding planning. The vendors on this list range from catering companies to car hire

  • Woman-owned
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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Sporting
Marquees and tents
Woodland and festival
Outdoor license
Tipis and yurts

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Private catering allowed

Evening entertainment:

Marquee available
Dance floor
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Swimming pool
Beautician

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Confetti permitted
illustration notebook

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Reviews for Highden Estate

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to make your big decisions easier.
4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8 out of 5 rating
10 reviews
97% recommend it
  • Quality of the service
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
Laura
Laura W. Sent on 10/08/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The most beautiful venue and wonderful team

We got married at the Highden Estate at the end of July. It is truly the most beautiful space and we loved that we could make it our own. The Walled Garden is stunning, especially in the summer when it is in full bloom. There are so many ways you could use the space and we loved having several options for where we wanted to hold the ceremony.
Louisa has been fantastic all the way through, from first visiting Highden and booking, to the wedding day itself. Nothing is ever too much trouble and she is so quick to respond to any communication. On our wedding day, both Louisa and Kirsty were amazing and helped the whole day run smoothly. They even stole us and our photographers away to capture some sunset photos at another spot nearby - we can't wait to get those photos back!
So many improvements and updates to the Walled Garden have been made since we originally booked, which we benefited from, including the additional stretch canvas canopy in one section of the garden and the wooden decked flooring of the marquee.
A big thank you to Louisa, Kirsty and the Denman family for helping us have the most magical day!
Laura & Brad
Kerry
Kerry Sent on 07/10/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect place

I honestly cannnot recommend Louisa, Jane & everyone at Highden enough!!!! We were told by Jane that they started doing weddings there when their children got married, and one by one, they all had their weddings in the walled garden where they grew up. The family enjoyed the experience so much, they now hire it out as a wedding venue & you can really see the passion & excitement there, especially from Jane!
Hand on heart, we first visited last February & with it being winter, I liked it, but it didn't hit me. My now husband is an awarded gardener (very proud!!!!) & told me that the bones were there & this was our venue. I wasn't sure & was worried about the possibility of poor weather & a mainly outdoor venue. We revisited in June a few months later & yes, my husband was very, very right! The venue is beautiful, the garden is beautiful, the huge lavender bushes smell divine, the climbing roses & wisteria were gorgous. The tunnel made from apple & pear trees with fairy lights were just beautiful, & reminded us of a part of The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall which hold very important memories for us. We met Soph & Simon the wedding singers there too, & everything just felt right. It was so beautiful that we knew that even if it rained all day, we would still spend a wonderful day together in the marquee, looking out at the beautiful garden.
The run up to the wedding, Louisa was great at communication & gave me a list of information they needed, so I think I had a year to go through everything & knew there wouldnt be any surprises before! She also gave me a list of suppliers that had already been there, but we were free to choose whoever we wanted. This flexibility turned out to be very rare with wedding venues, but ensured we got the day we wanted! We did use glamping tents, entertainment & caterers from their vendors list though, which was incredibly helpful as a starting point, especially with the caterer as there are so many options there! For anyone looking, we would 1000% recommend Mid Sussex Catering for food & drinks all day, as well as the evening bar. We were also able to visit the venue whenever we wanted (just check before, dont just turn up haha!) & came back for this years open day with some of our immediate family where we could take notes for later that year. They hold a maximum of one wedding a week on Saturdays only, meaning our tables & chairs were delivered 5 days before the wedding, & when we arrived on thursday to start decorating, the lovely gardener was there cutting the lawns! With thursday & friday to set everything up, Jane came over & asked that we walk her through where we wanted to get married *weather permitting* as they have several sites in the garden that you can marry. The morning of our wedding, Jane, Vicky & Richard set up everything outdoor with our wedding arch & guests chairs, while my husband & some of his family put out flowers etc. The day was perfect. Vicky was the day organiser & I only saw her a handful of times, but teh day was perfect & she must have been incredibly busy! Vicky & Richard were both there at midnight & did some initial tidying so that we could go to bed in our tent. The morning afterwards, I felt horrendous (I think I was just so exhausted & didnt drink enough) but while I was napping in a rattan armchair, Jane came by & made my husband & mum a cup of tea/coffee & had a lovely chat about the day. We had both Sunday & Monday to take everything down which was easily done. Start to finish, the Denman family have been wonderful. Thank you for giving us the most beautiful wedding day, with blue skies, beautiful surroundings & wonderful memories. Every time we drive past your sign we smile (:
Francesca
Francesca N. Sent on 13/09/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Most Amazing Venue and People

Louisa, Jane, Philly and Kirsty were the most incredible venue suppliers I could have asked for. They supported me every step of the way and the venue itself was everything I dreamed of.
Secret Garden was my favourite film as a child and I felt I was there for my wedding thanks to this venue.
Fully flexibility on how I wanted to have the layout and decor, full support in the lead up and throughout the day itself.
Can’t thank you all enough.
I highly recommend having your wedding, reception, party or any special event at this venue.
Jade
Jade Sent on 18/07/2022
5 out of 5 rating

The most incredible views!

We hired cowdown field for our wedding reception and we couldn’t have asked for anymore. Louisa and the family were absolutely fantastic to deal with, we had postponed the wedding twice due to covid and they were incredibly flexible and understanding. The venue has the best views in Sussex which make for the perfect back drop to an outdoor wedding! Thank you highden!
T
Tom Sent on 24/06/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Highden made it so easy on our special day

From day one, Highden made it so easy and chilled in the lead up to our special day. The grounds looked incredible on the day and the support team were fantastic throughout. Being able to begin set up on the Thursday meant we could enjoy it rather than rush through and this made a real difference. We couldn’t really speak more highly of Highden as a venue, team or experience.
M
Maddy S. Sent on 03/06/2024
3.4 out of 5 rating

The natural beauty of Highden Estate is exactly what we wanted for our wedding.

Highden Estate is the most beautiful backdrop for your wedding. Highden allows you to have the flexibility to have whoever and whatever you want at your wedding. They have a great list of recommended suppliers but you are also free to use who you like making your wedding that extra bit personal and unique which is exactly what we wanted.
A
Ava M. Sent on 11/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding of our dreams at Highden!

We held our wedding reception at Highden on a gloriously sunny September day.

It was the perfect venue for us as we wanted a high-end English garden party feel, with live music all day and lots of food and drink! The walled garden was idyllic, magical. Guests couldn’t believe how beautiful it was! We could have been in the south of France.

The Denman family were marvellous and so helpful! They couldn’t have done any more for us. Everything was stress free and the day went without a hitch! 10/10!
J
Jessica R. Sent on 14/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful wedding venue!

The walled garden at the Highden Estate was the most beautiful setting for our wedding. The team at Highden were super friendly, professional and efficient. We had the perfect day!
U
Umang Q. Sent on 25/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Out of this world!

The walled garden at Highden was the most magical setting for our wedding in late May. The Denman family have created such a special place and Louisa was very accommodating throughout, allowing us full freedom to make the space our own for the weekend. Kirsty was a star on the day and helped everything run smoothly. We can’t thank them enough for helping us create a spectacular celebration…we just wish we could do it all again!
H
Hannah N. Sent on 22/08/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Magical - a hidden gem of Sussex!

Everything about our day at Highden was absolutely spectacular – with the breath-taking walled garden making the day feel truly magical. Jane, Louisa & Kirsty couldn’t have been more helpful in the lead up and on the day. A true hidden gem of Sussex that won’t be forgotten by me, my husband or wedding guests for years to come!
illustration stars

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Badges

Highden Estate Real Weddings

Fari & Rob
24 photos · 25/06/2022

Preferred suppliers

Hire Your Day
4.9 out of 5 rating , 3 reviews
· Decor Hire and Styling

Map

Highden Estate RH20 4BA Horsham (West Sussex)
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