Billesley Manor Photo Gallery

Step through the grand oak doors of Billesley Manor, and you’re transported to an era of knights, poets, and whispered vows. Dating back to the late 1500s, this Grade II-listed gem was once a retreat for William Shakespeare himself—legend has it he penned parts of As You Like It in the very Library where modern couples exchange rings today. Just three miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, the Bard’s birthplace, the hotel feels like a natural extension of that literary legacy. But it’s the grounds that truly steal the show: 11 acres of meticulously tended lawns, wildflower meadows, and that iconic 120-year-old Topiary Garden, where sculpted hedges frame portraits like something out of a fairy tale.

And then there’s the jewel in the crown—the adjacent 11th-century church, etched into the pages of the Domesday Book over 900 years ago. I’ve lost count of the ceremonies I’ve shot here, with sunlight filtering through ancient stained-glass windows onto tear-streaked smiles. It’s these historical layers that make every wedding at Billesley feel epic, timeless, and deeply personal.

Offering a wealth of history waiting to be discovered. From being first mentioned in the deed of the year 705 AD to being the location where Shakespeare penned his comedy ‘As You Like It’ in 1599.