CHALKNEY WATER MEADOWS
Nestled in ancient woodland and bordered by a peaceful river and tree-lined lake, Chalkney Water Meadows is a one-of-a-kind outdoor venue for weddings and events. Located near Colchester, this exclusive-use destination offers the perfect setting for weekend weddings or midweek gatherings, combining the beauty of nature with everything you need for a memorable occasion.
At its heart are three interlinked tipis, offering space to host up to 180 seated guests or 200 standing. For weddings, the lakeside willow pontoon provides a picturesque setting for ceremonies, while the open grounds offer endless flexibility for all kinds of events, from corporate retreats to milestone celebrations.
Accommodation is just as thoughtfully planned. Guests can glamp under the stars in beautifully furnished bell tents, while two luxurious lakeside cabins—complete with hot tubs and a sauna—offer comfort and style for couples, families, or the bridal party to enjoy.
Availability for 2025: 25-27 April | 2-4 May | 9-10 May | 1-3 August
Looking for something more intimate? Check out our woodland venue, Teybrook Orchard.
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Triple Tipi Marquee
Three interconnected tipis for the reception: seating up to 180.
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Glamping Accommodation
Luxury bell tents to accommodate your guests as well as two lakeside cabins.
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STRETCH TENT
Additional chill-out area doubling up as the undercover ceremony option.
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Ceremonial Pontoon
A willow pontoon over the lake for a truly unique marriage ceremony.
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drinks bar
We have a tented undercover drinks bar next to the Tipis and our staff will keep the drinks flowing until 12 pm.
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Fire Pit and lighting
A roaring fire and colourful lighting on the surrounding trees.
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Dancefloor and soundsystem
DJ sound system and dance floor in the Tipi with amplified music allowed until 11pm.
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Showers and toilets
Luxury shepherd’s hut lavatories and converted horse box showers for your guests.
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Exclusive and personal
Exclusive use of the venue and a personal venue coordinator to help you plan.
What’s included:
Exclusive use of the venue from midday Friday to midday Sunday – your wedding, your way.
Breathtaking lakeside ceremony area, surrounded by nature’s beauty.
Three Giant Kata Tipis (seating up to 180) with wooden flooring, 20 dining tables, and flexible layouts.
A spacious 15x10m stretch tent for additional covered space.
Dance floor with a Zone Array sound system, plus a PA system for your ceremony and speeches.
Romantic outdoor lighting, a lakeside fire pit, and complimentary logs.
Luxury facilities: Shepherd’s hut loos, converted horse trailer showers, and a camp kitchen for glamping guests.
Complimentary bride and groom bell tent with guest glamping.
On-site Venue Manager for planning support and seamless coordination.
Bar services, mains power, water supply, parking, and coach access included.
For pricing, please enquire, and we will send you our brochure.
wedding glamping
We have 20 “Nomadic” Tents on-site for guest accommodation. The tents have a double bed, bedside tables, a table and two chairs, a clothes hanger, full bedding, and bath towels. 15 tents have a basic power supply (lighting and USB phone charging). Five tents do not have power but have battery lanterns.
There is a “Getting Ready” tent onsite with full-length mirrors and plug sockets for electrical appliances, e.g., hair dryers. There is also a camp kitchen for guests to use.
Extra bell tents can be hired if more than 20 is required.
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Cait and Brett
We had our wedding at Chalkney at the start of June and we had the best day/weekend! We loved the natural, relaxed setting, and it was such a great venue for maximising time with our family and friends, and so gorgeous in the sunshine. We also booked the two cabins, which were lovely. Holly and team were brilliant - clearly very experienced and really friendly, easygoing and helpful. Everyone had a brilliant time, it was such a happy day. We’d love to do it all again!
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Ben and Sam
We had our wedding at Chalkney at the start of June and we had the best day/weekend! We loved the natural, relaxed setting, and it was such a great venue for maximising time with our family and friends, and so gorgeous in the sunshine. We also booked the two cabins, which were lovely. Holly and team were brilliant - clearly very experienced and really friendly, easygoing and helpful. Everyone had a brilliant time, it was such a happy day. We’d love to do it all again!
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Donna and Archie
We had the most incredible wedding at Chalkney Water Meadows. It's the perfect place to be creative and create the wedding of your dreams. The staff were extremely accommodating and flexible and as excited as us about creating the perfect day. We hired the log cabins and Bell tents as accommodation for us and guests and it will forever be the most unique special memories we hold. I'd recommend this venue 100%.
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Carla and Matt
Well, where do we begin, we have just had the most magical wedding day at Chalkney Water Meadows.. we fell in love with the venue on our first visit on a cold January morning, and almost 9 months later, it turned out to be everything we had dreamed of and so more. We worked closely with our Event Manager Meg, who was a star. Everything was perfect! The staff on the day were unbelievable, our guests booked the lodges fantastic and over 40 bell tents. The feedback we’ve had from everyone just prove how wonderful it all was! We would recommend the venue and the team to anyone looking for their dream day.
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Beccy and Tom
We had our wedding here at Chalkney on the 26.08.23 and I just want to say it was honestly the greatest day of our lives, the staff were absolutely incredible, from the lead up to the wedding right up until the day. They made sure our day ran perfectly, Holly and Fiona were our wedding coordinators and I can’t thank them enough, you girls are amazing. Thank you 💗
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Claire and Dan
We had always wanted an outdoor wedding, and if that’s you, then Browning Bros is the place to do it!! The venue is just beautiful, big, and well looked after. We had the venue Friday through Sunday and stayed in one of their cabins, which was also perfect.
We chose Chalky Water Meadows over their other venue as it has the wow factor!!! Guests all commented on how lovely this venue is. We were told the glamping tents were comfy and warm. The team is very laid-back ( which on the day is what we needed). The Bar staff are amazing, a real asset to the team. We highly recommend Browning Bros & Chalkney.
request a brochure
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