We Won!

We won! 

Sheepdrove won two awards from the Sustainable Wedding Alliance! We are passionately committed to sustainability and so are absolutely thrilled to receive this recognition.

Net Zero Leader

Building Biodiversity 

We could not be prouder of the entire Sheepdrove team and all who have supported our journey towards sustainability. 

We hope that winning these awards will help Sheepdrove raise our profile as a eco wedding venue, celebrate our hard working team’s efforts, obtain wider recognition for our sustainable practices and engage more wedding couples by showing that choosing green does not mean compromising on style, setting or budget.

Net Zero Leader

Sheepdrove was opened nearly 20 years ago by the now King to celebrate one of the most sustainable venues in the country.  It was constructed with sustainable building materials, extracted water from the local aquifer and cleaned it with our own reed bed system; at that time our venue was also one of the most energy efficient.

In March 2022, we turned off the gas central heating; our venue is now heated by a ground source system that draws energy from a nearby field. This innovation has allowed us to eradicate any direct emissions from powering our venue and, combined with using 100% renewable energy, Sheepdrove is a net zero venue. In fact we have a net positive climate impact as we reduce emissions through exporting our renewable energy from onsite solar panels and wind turbines. 

We are one of the few venues in the UK that has truly achieved net zero in operation by installing renewable heating and having all electricity provided by renewable sources.  Our net positive achievements and aspiration, aim to lead those within the industry to go further, so that couples, family and friends can celebrate without impacting climate or biodiversity.

Building Biodiversity

The natural environment is central to all our activities at Sheepdrove.  For 25 years a concerted effort has been to repair the environmental damage inflicted on the land by post-war intensive farming practices reliant on artificial inputs. Lost features like hedgerows, trees and dew ponds were put back into this heritage AONB landscape with two dew ponds, created, thousands of hedgerow shrubs planted and over sixty five acres of new woodland established. Sheepdrove is now home to over 13,000 metres of hedgerow and almost 100 acres of woodland. In 2000 the Millennium aka Jonathan’s [Porritt) Wood was planted to offset Forum for the Future’s carbon emissions. In 2002 a constructed wetlands was created to treat of waste water and as habitat creation.

In October 2021 we commenced a rewilding project in the centre of the farm to create another ecologically diverse wildlife habitat in our mosaic of valuable ecosystems.

In February 2022 a community woodland was planted at Sheepdrove by volunteers from Lambourn village and the surrounding area with support from Lambourn Junction Community Interest Company, Lambourn WI and C of E Primary School. Native species were donated by The Woodland Trust. Additional oaks were provided by West Berkshire Council for Queen’s Green Canopy. 

More News

oak room prepared for wedding celebrations

Wedding Open Weekend

Our next Open Event for Weddings is on 28th and 29th January from 12 midday until 5pm. We’d love to show you round our epic

sheepdrove hall prepared for a wedding

Wedding Open Day

Looking for a wedding venue that offers a modern rustic vibe, hidden away in beautiful unspoilt countryside? Sheepdrove is hosting wedding viewings on Sunday 2nd

farm building with scaffolding

Renewing Renewables

Our various solar arrays are receiving essential servicing this summer to make sure they’re fully functioning for the winter. Sheepdrove’s events venue and farm office

combine harvester at work

Harvest is Underway

Harvest began on July 25th with the winter oats. With the weather on his side Gavin has finished the rye, winter oats, winter wheat and

the well-lit sheepdrove barn

Let There Be Light!

The rustic pole barn on the central courtyard that is home to the gypsy caravan can now lit up at night for evening weddings and

refreshed sheepdrove conference centre

Refresh!

Sheepdrove will be even brighter and more beautiful the next time you visit thanks to a nice new lick of paint for the green building