Celebration has always been at the heart of Hedsor House, a luxurious country estate set within 100 acres of historic parkland in Buckinghamshire.
The breathtaking property has welcomed countless stars for parties and weddings, and has even served as a filming location for productions including Downton Abbey and Quartet.
Sir Elton John has walked its halls, Victoria Beckham’s brother Christian married there in 2017, and Gemma Collins once described Hedsor as ‘a bit of me’ when discussing her upcoming wedding with Hitched.
Beyond its A-list appeal, Hedsor House has distinctly regal roots. The current building was constructed in 1868 for Queen Charlotte and King George III.
With its high ceilings, grand pillars and ornate décor, it’s easy to mistake the 19th-century manor for a scene from Bridgerton – fittingly, a series that features Queen Charlotte. As co-founder Hamish Shephard points out to the Daily Mail: ‘Her portrait hangs at the bottom of our royal staircase.’
Hamish, 41, is one of three brothers – alongside Nick and Mark – who now run Hedsor House. The estate has been in the Shephard family for four generations, after Hamish’s great-grandfather purchased it in 1932 and gifted it to his son as a wedding present two years later.
By the early 2000s, the brothers faced a major decision: restore the house and return it to its former glory, or sell it.
‘It’s incredibly costly to run a building like that,’ Hamish says. ‘But our joy of Hedsor has always been hosting wonderful celebrations. My grandparents used to gather the 100 most interesting people they’d met that year and throw an incredible party.’
Hedsor House is a glorious country manor located in Buckinghamshire that has been used for many lavish events, weddings and as a filming location
It has featured in many hit series and films, including Downton Abbey (pictured)
Pauline Collins and Maggie Smith pictured in Quartet, as Hedsor House stands behind them
The turning point for the brothers came when producers of The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman, considered Hedsor as a filming location.
‘We were approached by The Golden Compass and they essentially restored the whole house for us,’ Hamish explains. ‘They brought in around 150 craftsmen and reinstated everything – the gold leaf, the floors.’
During filming, his great-grandfather’s portrait was temporarily replaced with one of Kidman – something Hamish jokes ‘he would have been delighted with’.
He describes the production as a ‘real saving moment’. Soon after, the brothers decided they had to ‘hold onto Granny’s house’ and turn it into a business.
Transforming the manor into a world-class events space took years of investment and effort – and even after two decades, the work continues.
‘We just restored the library this year, we restored a hidden door in the house,’ Hamish says. ‘We reinstated the turning circle last year, which is where horse and carriages used to come.’
According to Hamish, Queen Victoria used to travel from Windsor Castle by carriage for tea at Hedsor – a legacy reflected in a driveway now named after her.
Today, Hedsor House is recognised as the UK’s top wedding venue by Vogue, hosting lavish celebrations – including those of Hamish and his brothers, as well as Daily Mail deputy travel editor Hayley Minn.
Hamish Shephard (pictured centre) runs the business with his two brothers
The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman, features Hedsor and the crew restored much of the house’s gold leaf and flooring
From helicopter arrivals to hot air balloon departures, the sky is the limit when it comes to possibilities for weddings, with the team focused on making every event unique.
‘We had a bride who was very into Harry Potter the other day, so her rings came down the aisle flown by an owl,’ Hamish adds. ‘We want people to embrace whether it’s a birthday party, a wedding, we do a lot of charity events, but people really like doing what’s special for them.’
Music producer Mark Ronson celebrated his 33rd birthday at Hedsor in 2012, transforming the boudoir into an ultraviolet ‘jelly room’ filled with glowing desserts.
The country house has been the venue of choice for ‘many incredible’ events over the years – from ancient oak forest themed parties to one of the BBC’s animatronic dinosaurs joining a first dance.
‘We had someone recently bring the cast of some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows in the West End come down and perform in the centre hall as a surprise after dinner before the party started,’ the businessman adds.
Hedsor has also been a sought-after filming location, with Zara Larsson shooting her 2017 hit Ain’t My Fault there, and Jay Sean and Lil Wayne featuring it in their 2009 track Down.
Tom Hardy, George Clooney, Ricky Gervais, Billy Connolly, Maggie Smith and Richard E Grant are just some of the big names to have graced Hedsor House.
One stand-out memory for Hamish is when Dustin Hoffman directed Quartet entirely at the manor. The film stars icons including Dame Maggie Smith and Billy Connolly.
The team at Hedsor have hosted countless magical weddings at the manor, including Hamish’s own (pictured)
The manor is a beautiful setting for a wedding, and it has seen everything from guests arriving my helicopter to couples departing by hot air balloon
Jay Sean and Lil Wayne chose it as the spot star in Down, which was released in 2009
The film crew left behind a summer house which featured in the movie and still stands on the lawn today.
Hamish says: ‘We named a room the Dustin Suite, because he stopped filming each day for gin and tonic there.’
Brad Pitt has also filmed scenes in Hedsor, and during one of the filming days there was a humorous interaction between the actor and a member of staff when he tried to bring coffee on set and was stopped.
The star ‘looked shocked’ and Hamish chuckles as he describes how, ‘Our lovely staff member was like, “Rules are rules, they apply to everyone”‘.
For Hamish, transforming Hedsor House into such a beautiful destination and venue has been a ‘long, long journey’ driven by family passion.
‘We realise we’re the luckiest people on the planet, we know how lucky we are, we’re like the custodians of Hedsor,’ he adds.
As for the future of the house, there are big plans in store.
‘We have not finished,’ Hamish insists. ‘We want to create the best place on the planet and the best celebrations of people’s lives.
One stand-out memory for Hamish is when Dustin Hoffman (pictured) directed Quartet entirely at the manor
Hamish hopes to continue the impressive history of Hedsor ‘for another 250 years or more’
‘We are always hunting for how can we make it more magical and more special, and we have lots of surprises up our sleeves.’
The drawing room has recently been restored, as well as the bridal suite, which Hamish claims is the largest in Europe.
‘An artist has painted plates on the wall that are all memories of the adventures of my grandmother, who was like a superstar,’ he adds, showing just how thoughtful each addition is to Hedsor House.
‘Our aim for Hedsor is to thrive for another 250 years or more,’ Hamish finishes.
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