Historic woodland in growing list of council wedding venues

Sheffield City Council is to add the beauty spot to its selection of wedding locations, which already includes Sheffield Botanical Gardens and Weston Park bandstand.

The site’s new JG Graves Centre will begin hosting wedding from Spring next year and couples eager to have the woods as a backdrop to their big day have already begun putting their names down.

Coun Leigh Bramall, cabinet member for environment and transport at the council, said: “It is great that we are able to open up our parks, woodlands and open spaces for everyone to enjoy, after all they belong to everyone in the city.

“Sheffield is the greenest city in the country and what better place to hold a ceremony or reception than in beautiful natural surroundings.”

The ceremonies themselves will be held in either the Sycamore Suite, which faces out onto the woods and which has a capacity for 70 people, or the smaller Hectors House cottage on the site.

Ecclesall Woods, which stretches over more than 350 acres, is of both historical and archaelogical importance. The site is home to a number of neolithic stones and Grade II listed monuments.

Coun Bramall added: “Whatever your ceremony may be you can make a special day perfect by holding it at beautiful sites across the city. All have their own secret qualities just waiting to be discovered.”

Anyone who is interested in holding a ceremony or reception can call 0114 205 3500.