As we head into the season of cocktails with colourful umbrellas, dusky evening sunsets and the familiar smell of Bank Holiday barbeques, we take a look at some of London’s most scenic outdoor spaces to take your event al fresco:
Southwark Cathedral’s churchyard is situated on the River side of the venue, whilst the Millennium Courtyard offers up to 400 standing guests with a vibrant outdoor setting in which to soak up the surrounding atmosphere of the Borough Market. Both spaces lend themselves perfectly to a creative brief, whether that be outdoor cinema, theatre performances, brand residences and corporate exclusive use.
The venue’s Darwin Courtyard offers a tranquil environment for any drinks reception of up to 350, whilst also lending itself perfectly to informal street food stations to create a contemporary cuisine dining setting. Guests can alternatively utilise the additional space with the Darwin Centre for a more formal sit-down dining experience, combining any event with the opportunity for guests to explore the Cocoon, a chance to watch the in-house scientists at work.
Situated within Chiswick House and Gardens’ Italian Gardens, the Conservatory can welcome up to 150 guests for a drinks reception or 24 for a seated dinner set-up. The grounds provide a backdrop filled with attentively planted roses, wisteria and an array colourful blooms – it’s a romantic setting in which to indulge in pre-dinner congratulatory drinks among the sweet of roses.
Who would have thought just a 10 minute drive from Hammersmith, delegates could enjoy an outdoor venue boasting 42 hectares of scenic lakes pools and meadows?
The WWT London Wetland Centre’s Water’s Edge Room opens its doors onto a wooden decked balcony from which guests can enjoy the lakeside views and sounds of lapping water. The space offers a seating capacity of up to 150 delegates theatre style or 110 guests for a seated dinner and drinks reception.
Syon Park’s gardens are situated in front of the impressive main building and can only be used exclusively by Great Conservatory clients, offering a series of formal paths and yew bashes, with fountain sporting a statue of winged Mercury. The rear of the building opens out onto lakeside lawns with access to the main gardens too, capable of hosting up to 200 guests for a standing buffet.
Kew Gardens’ Nash Conservatory provides up to 200 guests a beautiful glasshouse which opens onto stunning manicured lawns bordered with the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world.
The Laban Building’s amphitheatre is a striking space for imaginative open-air functions with the building itself providing a dynamic backdrop onto which digital imagery can be projection mapped to fully customise the venue to your event style. The outdoor theatre space totalling 600sqm can also be used a marquee site, seating up to 250 people for a seated dinner.
Ranelagh Gardens is more of the capitals’ hidden gems, tucked away in extensive grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea. This outdoor space offers up to 250 guests the option of both the middle and Lower Ranelagh spaces, both of which can act as the home to sizeable marquees in which to put your own stamp on the event. The gardens themselves have hosted a wealth a theatrical productions, summer drinks receptions as well as corporate team building activities from July through to September.
For a look at all our venues with outdoor spaces, please visit here.