St. Nicholas Abbey

St. Nicholas Abbey is a working plantation at Cherry Tree Hill in St Peter, in the north of Barbados. The Great House dates from the mid 17th century and is a Jacobean house, one of only three left in the western hemisphere. A drive lined with mahogany trees planted in the 18th century leads up to it, ending at a view of the east coast.

Around the house are tropical gardens, cane fields, a windmill, a rum distillery and a gully of ancient trees. By day it is open to visitors, so big weddings happen on Saturdays and in the evening, when the estate is yours.

There are four spaces. The split-level Café Terrace over the gully takes 60 to 70 seated or 120 for cocktails in the evening. The cobbled Sandbox Tree Courtyard, once the stable yard, suits 40 to 100. The Mango Tree Lawn by the house seats 80 to 120, and the Croquet Lawn takes 120 to 350, though it comes bare, so tents, kitchen and dance floor are hired in. Music stops at 11pm, with extensions to 2am by arrangement. Catering and bar sit outside the venue fee, and a professional planner is required from 45 guests.

There are no rooms on the estate, so everyone stays elsewhere. The Abbey points guests to villas, hotels and condominiums nearby, naming Cobblers Cove and Sugar Cane Club among them. Wedding guests can tour the Great House in groups of 25, and early arrivals can visit by day for the rum tours and the heritage railway. Parking takes vans and buses, so a shuttle from the west coast hotels is simple to run. Ask the team about the drive from Grantley Adams airport and which transport firms they recommend.