Fairyhill Wedding Photography

Posted below are some blog entries featuring my previous Fairyhill wedding photography assignments. Fairyhill is an exclusive wedding venue near the village of Reynoldston on the South Wales peninsular of Gower. This area of the historic county of Glamorgan was designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty in 1956, the first in the United Kingdom. And with good reason, Gower benefits from rural scenery and both rugged coastline combined with accessible sandy beaches. The stunning peninsula covers an area of 70 square kilometres, projected westwards into the Bristol Channel. Fairyhill house is Grade II listed Georgian mansion, located near to Burry Pill, just northwest of Frog Moor, in the parish of Reynoldston. Much of the early history of the manor is unknown until it came into the possession of the Lucas family in the early 1700’s. The Lucas family had a long and distinguished history of living in Gower, spanning over half a millennium. One ancestor fought for King Charles I during the Civil War in the 17th century before Oliver Cromwell ordered his execution. Formerly named Peartree it was John Lucas who bestowed its current name in 1795. The property was leased to Lady Diana Barham in 1813 and then sold to Reverend Samual Phillips ten years later. During 1858 to 1921 it belonged to the Benson family, Starling Benson was a wealthy mayor of Swansea who maintained the property well. However the years following the Seconded World War the new owner was unable to keep up maintenance and it fell into disrepair. It was not until 1982 that the property was restored by a Mr and Mrs Frayne, who opened it as a hotel two years later. Since the 1990’s under the guidance of penultimate guardians, Andrew Heatherington and Paul Davies it gained a local reputation as a fine dining restaurant with rooms. However since 2018 it has been taken over by team at Oldwalls, who specialise in luxury, exclusive wedding venues and accommodation. To enable the hosting of large wedding parties and events, a modern extension was built on the west wing of the house. A wood and glass structure with architecturally striking designed floor to ceiling windows, offers panoramic views of the surrounding woodlands. Combined with a full refurbishment, Fairyhill reopened its doors with a new lease of life as an exclusive wedding venue.