The Post Barn

About the venue

A purpose-built English oak barn on Snelsmore Common near Newbury, opened in July 2021 by the team behind the Donnington & Co. hotel. It seats 150 for ceremonies and dinners, takes 220 in the evening, and hosts weddings, Christmas parties and conferences for up to 150 delegates.

The Post's floor-to-ceiling front window opens wide enough to let a car drive into the barn. That matters for product launches, and it also gives the barn its main view across the lawns.

The barn is not a conversion. It was built new in English oak and opened in July 2021, designed by ARK architects, engineered by Archibald Shaw and built by Morris and Blunt, all local firms. It stands on Snelsmore Common outside Newbury.

Inside are roaring open fires, a mezzanine balcony called The Rafters, and underfloor heating with a cooling system for summer. The main room seats 150 for a ceremony or wedding breakfast, and the gallery can take another 20 to 30 guests. Up to 220 attend evening receptions.

Outside, couples marry under an ornate arch by the main lawn or beneath a pavilion on the green. The OutPost, an outdoor kitchen with a rotisserie, barbecue and pizza oven, sits beside a terrace bordered by scented planters.

The kitchen team handles canapés, street food and formal feasts, and offers menu tastings. Tables are handmade from real wood, and wines can be paired from the group's own Californian vineyard.

The Post belongs to the same group as Donnington & Co., a four-star hotel with 111 bedrooms, so guests can stay nearby. The very first couple to marry here met while scanning ID badges at an HR conference.

There is no noise limiter. Music levels are left to the duty manager on the night, within the premises licence.

New-build English oak barn near Newbury, opened July 2021

Floor-to-ceiling glass wall with car access

150 seated for ceremonies and dinners, 220 for evening receptions

Outdoor ceremonies under an arch or a pavilion

The OutPost outdoor kitchen with rotisserie and pizza oven

Mezzanine balcony, open fires and underfloor heating

Twilight weddings from £7,995 for 60 guests

Day delegate rates from £85 per head