Lainston House
/ About
Lainston House is a late 17th-century red-brick house at the head of a mile-long avenue of lime trees, set in 63 acres of parkland outside Winchester. It took its current form in 1981 and is run by Exclusive Collection, with 50 bedrooms and two restaurants: The Avenue, where MasterChef: The Professionals champion Tom Hamblet cooks a tasting menu, and The Wellhouse, where every dish is cooked over wood fire in a listed estate building.
For a birthday, an anniversary or a dinner among friends, the house has a room at most scales. Tilia is a wood-panelled dining room with an original fireplace and one oval table. Linden sits beside The Avenue with tall French windows onto the terrace and seats 50. The Chef's Table puts a small party in front of the kitchen for the tasting menu. The largest space is The Dawley Barn, a 17th-century barn with crossing beams, brick pillars, a working fireplace and its own bar, which seats 120 for dinner and holds 200 for a reception. The Wellhouse can be taken over whole for lunch.
The whole estate can also be booked for exclusive use: all 50 bedrooms, the lounges and every function space, behind a gated drive with its own helipad. In summer the South Lawn takes tipis and marquees, and the Kitchen Garden hosts drinks and dinners among the beds. Winchester station is under three miles away, an hour from London Waterloo.
/ Rooms Available
The Dawley Barn
PrivateA converted 17th-century barn and the largest space on the estate, with crossing beams, warm brick pillars and an enormous working fireplace. It is self-contained, with its own bar, toilets and kitchen, and has vehicle access.
Linden
PrivateA bright dining room beside The Avenue restaurant, with patterned wallpaper, red curtains and full-height French windows onto the terrace, looking down the avenue of lime trees.
The Wellhouse
Exclusive HireThe woodfire restaurant, set in the listed building that once held the estate well, with a rustic interior of beams and brick. It can be taken over whole for a private lunch.
The Drawing Room
Exclusive HireA lounge lit by sash windows overlooking both the South Lawn and the lime avenue, used for drinks receptions. The house lists it for events on an exclusive-hire basis.
The Houghton Suite
PrivateA large, spacious ground-floor room with oak panelling, lit by generous full-height windows.
The Hampshire Suite
PrivateA ground-floor room with an ornate ceiling, chandeliers and wood panelling, opening onto a private courtyard.
The Ash Suite
PrivateAn airy ground-floor room with original features and courtyard views, next to the Hampshire Suite and a short walk from the Dawley Barn.
The Avenue
Semi PrivateThe fine-dining restaurant, named for the lime avenue, where Head Chef Tom Hamblet serves a seasonal tasting menu.
Tilia
PrivateAn intimate wood-panelled dining room named for the lime tree, with an original open fireplace and one oval table.
The Chef's Table
PrivateA single table in the heart of the kitchen, serving The Avenue's tasting menu at dinner.
Tipis and Marquees
PrivateThe South Lawn takes tipis and marquees for outdoor celebrations. The house publishes this space for up to 200 guests without stating a seated or standing layout.
The Pavilion
PrivateAn outdoor wedding pavilion surrounded by greenery, with views of the original 17th-century house. The house publishes it for ceremonies of up to 120 guests.
The Kitchen Garden
PrivateThe estate's working kitchen garden, used for drinks, informal dinners and celebrations among the beds. The house publishes it for up to 50 guests without stating a layout.
/ Perfect For
/ Features
AV Equipment
- – Projector
Catering
- – In-House Luxury Dining
- – Private Bar
- – Bespoke Menus
Venue Specs
- – Dedicated Events Team
- – Outdoor Terrace
- – Wheelchair Accessible
- – High-Speed Wi-Fi
- – Load-In Access
/ Getting Here
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