We established Down House Events in April 2022 after a lengthy renovation of this beautiful Georgian house and gardens. The house was built in 1810 and was used by the owner of Scotney Castle whilst it was having extensive development. We have several additional buildings near the main house which comprise an old bake house and granary dated back to around 1600, a long barn which housed livestock and a coach house dating from 1810 which served the main house. The house currently stands on the site of an old medieval Hall House called Geldenhalle and some of the oak timbers from Geldenhalle still exist in the property now.

One of the projects we also embarked on was designing and building a substantial and glamorous ballroom which we modelled on a mixture of a contemporary barn and a 50’s dance hall.

In the house, gardens and outhouses we host a mixture of private events, from weddings to ballroom dances and parties, and community based events which include ballroom lesson classes, complementary health courses, mindfulness and health focussed weekends. The house is set among 18 acres of fields and woodland and we have, within that land, 6 acres of gardens which include woods, a nature pond, a couple of C16 outhouses, lawns suitable for a marquee and an orchard which houses our flock of hens and runner ducks.

We have 18 acres of land, the majority of which is fields and we have recently planted 2,000 native trees to extend the current woodland and create habitat for the wildlife. We are already seeing an increase in birds of prey with the return of owls, sparrow hawks and buzzards who visit us from nearby Bewl Water. This year we have four new hives being erected to provide much needed nesting places for wild honey bees and we are in the process of creating a large meadow to further support them and other insects.
The substantial pond was created when the house was built and is home to greater crested newts and wild mallard ducks. It is also a popular spot for our flock of Indian runner ducks.

Our orchard is currently home to five cockerels and around 60 laying hens, half of which are rescue hens who have been re-homed from commercial egg farms. There are several different varieties of apple which we send to the local press to produce our own delicious juice.  We also produce wildflower cordials like elderflower and rose.

BBQ

Prepare your BBQ and we'll cook it for you or let us know what you want and we'll do the lot.

Fire Pit

The Fire pit comes into its own as the sun goes down. You can cook over it or just relax and watch the flames and chat with your friends

Wood Burning Stove

Set in our Long Barn, the stove has an oven and top plates for an alternative cooking experience.

Fire Circle

There is a fire circle in the woods which is used by our local Forest School but offers a more secluded evening by the fire.

We have around five acres of garden which includes one large games lawn and one smaller lawn by the outdoor pool and stream and close to the BBQ area and the long barn. There is also an oak pergola, a generous patio and a hot tub in the surrounding area.

We are in the process of building a bespoke tree house wrapped around an old tree, with a daybed and a veranda planned. This looks over an oak lined valley of farmland and woods, popular with the local deer.

Outdoor Pool

Our heated outdoor pool is right in the middle of our socialising area.

Hot Tub

Our spacious hot tub and jacuzzi is beside the pool and is a lovely way to relax and a great place to look at the stars at night.

Pergola

At the end of the patio this is a great place to hold a wedding ceremony

Tree House

Being built right now is our low level tree house with its beautiful views.

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