Going to a wedding at Fairbank Wedding Barn near Staveley? Windermere is about a 10-minute drive away, and our large holiday houses there let the whole wedding party stay together. The five Terrace houses sleep 12 to 16 each (71 in total), Orrest Head House and Cottage sleep 20 together, and booking them all gives room for 91 guests. Fairbank wedding guests can ask us for a code for 5% off.
Fairbank Wedding Barn is one of the most private wedding venues in the Lake District. It sits in the centre of 370 acres of rolling countryside near Staveley, at the end of a private drive that meanders through open fields, with uninterrupted views in all directions. Windermere and Kendal are both only a 10-minute drive away.
If you are a wedding guest, a bridesmaid, a family member or part of the wedding party, you will want somewhere to stay that keeps everyone together before and after the big day. That is where we come in.
A quick look at Fairbank Wedding Barn
Fairbank is a stone-built traditional barn on a working farm. The wedding is hosted over two nights or more, so couples and guests have time to settle in and celebrate properly. The barn was carefully restored in 2020 and can host anything from a small, intimate gathering to a celebration of up to 150 guests.
Here is how a Fairbank wedding typically flows:
- The ceremony: held in The Shippon, the former cattle shed, which has kept its character and makes a stunning, intimate space. The Main Barn and the lounge in the house are also available if you need more room for your guest numbers.
- The drinks reception: the Lower Courtyard has its own undercover area, so it works whatever the weather. When the sun shines, guests spill onto the large, flat lawn and gardens, with views over Reston Scar. Lawn games or a singer fit in well.
- The photographs: the lawned garden is a good spot for group shots, with open fields and mountain backdrops all around. Fairbank Farm also has a private 12-acre tarn, a 15-minute walk across the fields. On the wedding day the Fairbank team can transport the couple and their photographer up there for a few quiet moments.
- The wedding breakfast: held in the Main Barn, with exposed wooden beams and white lime-rendered walls. All your guests can be seated comfortably in one place, and couples are free to choose their own caterer.
- The evening reception: the Main Barn becomes the dancefloor, with room for a band, DJ or jukebox. Couples can bring in a hog roast, pizzas or a street food truck, while the Fairbank team keep the drinks flowing from a fully stocked bar. Many couples finish with a sparkler run under the night sky.
You can browse the full venue brochure here:
View the Fairbank Wedding Barn brochure
Where do the guests stay?
Fairbank has on-site self-catering accommodation, and it is included in the wedding package for two nights. The Main House has exposed beams and traditional fireplaces with wood-burning stoves. It sleeps ten guests in five bedrooms, plus an extra sofa bed, and it is designed as a base for the couple’s closest family and friends.
That is lovely for the inner party, but a wedding of up to 150 guests means plenty of other people will need somewhere else to stay. That is where we come in. Think of us as the next level: a comfortable base for the wider family and friends, in Windermere, only 10 minutes away.
Why stay in Windermere for a Fairbank wedding?
You are close, but not on top of each other. Windermere is 10 minutes from the barn, so you can stay in the heart of the Lakes and still get to the wedding easily. Our houses are in and around Windermere, on the route towards Staveley.
Everyone can stay under one roof. Wedding weekends work best when family and friends are together. Our houses sleep groups of 12 to 16 in comfort, with big kitchens, dining tables for the whole party and plenty of lounge space for getting ready, catching up and the morning-after breakfast.
It suits a multi-day celebration. With a two-night wedding weekend, a big house lets your group arrive, relax, celebrate and unwind in your own space, with no one having to leave early. Fairbank’s own house sleeps ten, so booking one of ours means the rest of your party can stay together too.
Where you could stay
The Terrace Windermere
The Terrace is made up of five large houses, each sleeping a big group.
| House | Sleeps |
|---|---|
| Number One | 14 |
| White Moss | 12 |
| Alice Howe | 14 |
| Boston House | 15 |
| Bannerrigg | 16 |
Dining tables are generous too: Number One seats 20 and Bannerrigg seats 18, so everyone can sit down together for a pre-wedding supper or a post-wedding brunch. Alice Howe and Boston House each have seven bedrooms with seven bathrooms, which is helpful when a lot of people are getting ready at once.
Orrest Head House and Orrest Head Cottage
Orrest Head House sleeps 14 and sits at the top of Windermere village, on the Kendal side. Orrest Head Cottage sleeps 6 and shares the grounds, so the two together can host a wedding party of up to 20. You can walk straight from the grounds onto the path up Orrest Head, a classic Lakeland viewpoint, which makes a good early-morning leg-stretch before the wedding or a quiet reset the day after.
Booking more than one house? You could have the wedding party in one property and the wider family in the next.
Feeling ambitious? Take over the whole Terrace
If you want the whole wedding party in one place, you could book all five houses at The Terrace and fill every one of them with wedding guests. Together they sleep 71 (14 + 12 + 14 + 15 + 16). Add Orrest Head House and Cottage and that rises to 91.
That means friends and family sleep within a short distance of each other, ready for the 10-minute journey to Fairbank, with a big dining table and lounge in every house for pre-wedding gatherings and next-morning catch-ups. Get in touch early and we’ll check availability across the houses for your dates.
Planning tips for wedding guests
- Book early. Wedding dates fill quickly, so book as soon as you know the date.
- Plan your transport. Fairbank is rural, and the evening reception can run late, so arrange taxis or a minibus in advance, especially on a busy weekend.
- Pack for the weather. The drinks reception has an undercover courtyard, but guests may still step onto the lawn and into the fields for photographs, so bring sensible shoes and a warm layer.
- Think about the season. From October to April we supply logs for the fires, so an autumn or winter wedding weekend gets a cosy base to come back to.
- Make a weekend of it. Use the time before or after the wedding to explore Windermere and Bowness.
A thank-you for Fairbank wedding guests
Attending a wedding at Fairbank? Get in touch with us, tell us you’re staying for a wedding there, and we’ll send you a code for 5% off your stay.
Want to check availability for the wedding weekend? Get in touch and we’ll help you find the right house or combination of houses for your group.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where should wedding guests stay for a wedding at Fairbank Wedding Barn?
Many guests choose Windermere, which is around a 10-minute drive from Fairbank. The Terrace Windermere and Orrest Head House and Cottage are large group houses in and around Windermere, so a whole wedding party can stay together close to the venue.
2. How many guests can stay at The Terrace Windermere?
The Terrace has five houses sleeping 12 to 16 guests each: Number One (14), White Moss (12), Alice Howe (14), Boston House (15) and Bannerrigg (16). Together they sleep 71.
3. Can a whole wedding party stay at The Terrace?
Yes. You can book more than one house, or all five, and fill them with wedding guests. Add Orrest Head House (14) and Orrest Head Cottage (6) and you can sleep up to 91. Get in touch with your dates and we’ll check availability.
4. What is Orrest Head House and Cottage?
Orrest Head House sleeps 14 and Orrest Head Cottage sleeps 6, sharing the same grounds at the top of Windermere village on the Kendal side. Together they sleep up to 20, and you can walk from the grounds straight onto the path up Orrest Head.
5. Is there somewhere for the whole group to eat together?
Yes. Number One has a dining table that seats 20 and Bannerrigg’s seats 18, so a big group can sit down together for a pre-wedding supper or a morning-after brunch.
6. Are there enough bathrooms when everyone is getting ready?
Alice Howe and Boston House each have seven bedrooms with seven bathrooms, which helps when lots of people are getting ready for the wedding at the same time.
7. Do the houses have open fires?
Most do. Bannerrigg and Alice Howe have open fires, White Moss and Orrest Head House have wood-burning stoves, and Number One has a living flame fire. We supply logs from October to April, so an autumn or winter wedding weekend gets a warm, cosy base to come back to.
8. Do any of the houses have a ground-floor bedroom?
Not currently. If someone in your group has mobility needs, get in touch and we’ll talk through the layouts so you can choose the right house.
9. Is there a discount for Fairbank wedding guests?
Yes. Get in touch, mention that you’re attending a wedding at Fairbank, and we’ll give you a code for 5% off your stay.
10. How do guests get from the houses to Fairbank?
Fairbank is in the countryside, so we suggest booking a taxi or minibus in advance, especially for the end of the evening. Windermere is around 10 minutes from the barn.
11. Can we use the houses for gatherings before or after the wedding?
Yes. With big kitchens, dining tables and plenty of lounge space, the houses work well for welcome suppers, getting ready on the day and a relaxed catch-up the morning after.
12. How do I check availability and book?
Get in touch with us through the website with your wedding dates and the number of guests, and we’ll help you find the right house or combination of houses.
13. Do the houses have hot tubs?
Yes, all five Terrace houses have their own private 7-seat hot tub, which closes at 10pm. Orrest Head House and Cottage don’t have hot tubs.
14. Is there parking for wedding guests?
Yes. Every house has its own parking: 6 to 8 cars at each Terrace house, and more at Orrest Head House.
15. Can guests arrive by train?
Yes. Windermere station is a couple of minutes’ walk from the Terrace, with connections to the West Coast main line at Oxenholme. From Windermere, Fairbank is about a 10-minute taxi ride.
Andy and Barbara (owners)
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