The Woods at Oakley
The Woods at Oakley is home to 12 acres of enchanting, private woodland nestled in the heart of Wiltshire. With London under 2 hours away it offers a unique location for a woodland wedding, rural retreat or corporate away day. It is your exclusive woodland to use as you wish, be that to celebrate, reinvigorate or build your team.
Our woodland story
Our family fell in love with the woods many years ago, making it our home and vowing to protect it, and the wildlife that lives in it. We are passionate about conservation and pledge for every event held that a proportion of the proceeds will be used to replant our trees, which are under great threat from Ash Dieback. We would love you to plant your own tree to commemorate your event and would welcome you back to visit it in the future. So not only are you hosting your event in these ancient woods, you are playing a vital role in supporting the future of our country’s precious woodland and the wildlife it sustains.
The Venue
Nestled in the heart of the woods is the Bluebell Glade, a beautiful open space where you can erect a marquee, tipi or simply dine and dance under the woodland canopy. Just a short stroll along a meandering pathway through the woodland takes you to the Hazel Bower where you can exchange your wedding vows in our charming handmade Oak Arbour. Whilst your family and friends sit under a stunning cathedral roof of ancient trees. It can also be used as an intimate event space for parties. And if the trees are not enough to protect you from the elements we have a bespoke stretch canvas we can erect for big downpours and brollies to share for light showers. On the edge of the woodland is the Oak Grove an enchanting space where the wildlife crosses from our woods through to the open fields beyond. Used for guests to mingle following a wedding ceremony, a peaceful place to meditate on a retreat, or a canopy to sleep under the stars in, whatever you decide to use it for the Oak Grove will be truly magical.
Hidden throughout the woods are secret spaces for you to discover, from romantic tree swings, to meditation benches, cosy fire pits and mysterious wishing trees we are sure you will delight in finding them.
We have built two stylish toilet blocks sourced from local materials, a charming woodland kitchen fitted with industry standard appliances, have our own pure spring water from the Stonehenge aquifer and electricity in the woods, but don’t expect wifi! We have a list of trusted suppliers who we can wholeheartedly recommend for tipi’s, marquees, bars, catering, celebrants, florists and photographers. But you are welcome to source your own, we just ask that they comply with our Ts & Cs and the necessary health and safety legislation.
Guests are welcome to stay the night in the Woods at Oakley. They are invited to snuggle up in our luxurious bell tents hidden amongst the trees in the Oak Grove or to relax in our stylishly renovated WW2 Nissen Hut on the edge of the woods. Wherever you spend the night we can bring you a breakfast hamper filled with delicious local produce the following morning.
The woods are available for limited weekdays and weekends between the months of May and September. Please contact us to discuss your requirements we are sure we can put something together that will be perfect for your event.
We warmly invite you to visit the Woods at Oakley, perhaps bring a picnic and your dog. We encourage you to spend some time here so you can truly experience the magic of these precious woods. Please complete our contact form or email [email protected] to arrange a visit.
We are blessed with a growing bunch of friends of The Woods at Oakley, who we have collaborated with to offer you bespoke services and one of a kind products. We have included their stories, photos and offers in this brochure.
However, we whole heartedly believe there are no strangers in this world, only friends we have not met yet. So if you have any recommendations please do share them with us.
The Nissen Hut is included for Weekday (1 night) and Weekend Woodings (3 nights), but if you would like to stay longer it costs £170 per night. It sleeps 4 and can be booked by emailing [email protected]
For further information on the house and to read our fabulous reviews from previous guests please see our Air BnB page; https://airbnb.com/h/the-nissen-hut
The Bell Tents cost £150 per night or £25o for two nights, they sleep 4. For further information and to book for events please email [email protected]
We can also deliver breakfast hampers so you can enjoy a lovely lie in!
Yes, our stunning Oak Arbour in the Hazel Bower is licensed for wedding ceremonies, but you must ensure your service is conducted by the ceremonies team at Wiltshire County Council. This is the link to their website; https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/registrations-ceremonies
There are a series of carefully laid hard trails that we encourage guests to use, each is wide enough to allow for wheelchair access. So you do not need to worry about getting stuck in the mud, but we do advise against stilettoes!
There is domestic electricity, water and toilets in the Bluebell Glade and Oak Grove. All the woodland tracks and event areas (Bluebell Glade, Hazel Bower, Oak Grove and parking paddocks) have lighting. There is also a woodland kitchen fitted with industry standard appliances and a refrigerated container.
Reviews
Teri and Chris
This venue is absolutely stunning, the photos do not do it justice. The woods are a perfect place for any event, they’re big enough to feel like you’re in the wild and can explore and small enough that you can’t lose anyone! You immediately feel at peace when you arrive, it’s either in the air or in the water but I can assure you that you’ll have the best time in the woods!
This isn’t just a venue though, Lindsay and Charlie were absolutely phenomenal the entire time, not only did they help set up, make the place look amazing and build new benches the day before the ceremony, but they made us feel at home which was so important to us, they even helped us find our runaway dog! We will be forever grateful for them having faith in us to host our wedding festival, in all of its craziness.
If you’re looking for confirmation that this is the right venue for you, then here it is x
Marysia and James
The Woods at Oakley was the perfect location to host our outdoor wedding. We are nature lovers and really struggled to find a magical setting that would fully embrace the magic and beauty of the countryside, until we found the Woods at Oakley. From the breathtaking bluebells to the oak arbour, the campfire to the little fairy doors on trees, everything about the woods was perfect and you could see the love and care for its conservation from the wonderful owners Lindsay and Charlie. As part of our wedding, we were also able to plant our own tree to add a personal touch, so that we can visit the woods in the future and check in on our little oak tree. We are just so sad that the day has been and gone so quickly, we absolutely loved it, and it will always be our special day!
Ffion and Dave
What an incredible place and incredible owners. We could truly make our wedding our own with how flexible and understanding Lindsay and Charlie were. They made our day so fun and got fully stuck in with helping us get set up. They were so friendly, fun and joyful to us and our family and friends. We could not have asked for a more beautiful venue and beautiful people to help us achieve our wedding dreams. Thank you so, so, much!
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We look forward to hearing from you, so please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your plans further
Ash Tree Dieback
Ash is one of our most beloved and common trees in the UK and at the Woods at Oakley, but it is under great threat from ash dieback. It is estimated that the disease will kill around 80% of ash trees across the UK in the next 10-20 years. This will have a devastating impact on the landscape, the biodiversity of our woodlands and will cost the UK £15 billion! The UK's woodland needs your help to protect it.
