My wife and I were married here on 29th Feb 2016. From start to finish every facet of dealing with Janie and Mike at Lower Barns was perfect.
I was looking for an elopement venue for us to be marry at and came across Lower Barns, having not been aware previously. The reviews were all fantastic, with particular praise reserved for Janie and Mike. Being a cynical city boy I took these on board with a ‘we’ll see’ kind of attitude… And, much to my chagrin, each and every one of those reviews, and all the praise for Janie and Mike was bang on!
After email contact with Janie to determine availability and dates etc. I called to finalise arrangements. I spent 10 minutes on the phone with Janie and left the conversation feeling like an old friend. And very much like we were making the right decision in choosing Lower Barns for our very special occasion.
We arrived on the Sunday, a day before the wedding. The place was remote, gorgeous and everything we’d hoped for. We met Mike and Janie and spent a while chatting in the breakfast area, the room is so bright and vibrant! Mike and I got chatting about cycling and training and I think we’d have carried on all afternoon had Janie not pushed for us to go and try the room!
Nook is just stunning. So much room, the wonderful kitchen area, beautiful bedroom and magnificent bathroom. Bright colours abound and there is real welcoming feel to it. I was very happy this would be home for a few days. Once settled in we discovered a very welcome meat and cheese platter in the fridge, along with milk and fresh orange juice. In the kitchen was fresh bread and cake for us. Perfect after the 4 hour drive.
The afternoon was spent lazily enjoying the food and accommodation before using the sauna in the garden at Nook, and then the hot tub. Despite the somewhat changeable weather we very much made the most of both sauna and hot tub, using them everyday. A lovely way to while away some time with a bottle of red!
On the morning of the big day Janie came over to take our breakfast order. My wife opted for sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms while I had the scrambled eggs and salmon. Both were wonderful and, despite trying the full English (really good) the next day, so good that I had it the rest of our stay. Highly recommended!
The wedding was set for 1300, just the 2 of us, with Janie and Mike as witnesses. We were ready early (unheard of!) and the registrar arrived to finalise details around 1215, in the room. All in order, we headed to the Wed Shed. The ceremony was lovely. Brief, touching and most of all fun, with laughs had by all. Mike very kindly took photos for us and I honestly don’t think anything could have been better.
After the ceremony (and after my wife changed into her DMs!) Mike took us to a local beach/harbour for more pics and the results were IMO, outstanding. We were both over the moon and Mike really did capture the fun and laughter we enjoyed on our most special of days.
Once back to Lower Barns we were directed to the Party Shed where champagne, canapés and cake awaited. The room is amazing with a wonderful feel to it, being full of travel memorabilia and maps on the ceiling. We loved it!
We asked Mike and Janie to join us for a drink and spent some more time chatting and laughing with music on the Zeppelin, before they headed back and left us to enjoy some time on our own. Their timing was so perfect, knowing exactly how long to stay… they really are the most amazing hosts with a knack for getting everything just right.
We spent the rest of the day enjoying each others company in wonderful surroundings.
We had another 3 days booked to enjoy the area and used the info provided in the room to plan some visits to local beaches, walks and restaurants over the course of that time. I’d heartily recommend Sam’s On The Beach for the location, the lager, and most of all the food.
Also, when looking for walks and finding one labelled ‘Challenging’ please do not do as we, sorry I, did… ‘ 6 miles? Challenging? Meh, how hard can it be? What’s the worst that could happen?!’ Yeahhhhh. Take water, and some food. It was hard!
We packed up to leave on the Friday having spent a thoroughly relaxing few days, in peaceful surroundings, with great people. What more could you ask for?
I’ll be honest, I generally don’t do reviews. I’m inherently lazy and, and as witnessed here, they tend to be long and take too much time. I like to cover everything to do something justice. Which is why I’ve reviewed Lower Barns. It really did need a review, and one to do it the justice it deserves. I’ve never been anywhere where the reviews are so glowing, so positive, yet it’s even better than you could have imagined. A truly wonderful magical place. One we look forward to returning to. A massive thank you to Janie and Mike.
Hope to see you again soon.
Johnny & Den