Looking for a wedding venue in the Cotswolds? Imagine a quiet Gloucestershire hamlet. Its single street lined with honey-coloured labourers’ cottages, a picturesque former watermill sat alongside a fast-flowing river, watermeadows and farmland. A half-timbered village pub a few steps away across a narrow lane...

If this is what you’ve dreamed of in a wedding venue, then rush to book The Old Swan & Minster Mill in the tiny village of Minster Lovell on the River Windrush.

Close to Witney in Oxfordshire, the venue is easily accessible, yet so peaceful it could be a lifetime away from the modern world.

Currently licensed for smaller weddings – up to 50 in the historic 15th century Old Swan, or 40 in Minster Mill itself – the venue will be able to accommodate up to 150 guests once it opens its Great Hall which straddles the river in spring 2012.

The venue already boasts a wedding licence, but getting married on a crystal floor with the waters of the Windrush flowing beneath your feet once the Great Hall is open for business, will make for an even more memorable, uber-special big day.

This is going to be one very popular wedding spot – so check it out and get your booking in early if this sounds like your kind of place.

Photo opportunities abound – The Old Swan & Minster Mill sits amid 60 acres of wildflower meadow (perfect for a spring wedding) – with dry stone walling, its own rose garden and a cherry tree out front that was photogenically heavy with blossom when we visited.

Bad weather? Interior shots are equally gorgeous – think Tudor timbers in the reception area, and a glorious minstrels’ gallery that would be ideal for a pre- or post-ceremony drinks reception.

The Old Swan & Minster Mill’s treatment room is the perfect place for a pre-wedding day massage or beauty session – and would be equally good as a focus for hen weekend activities. Look out for the full spa – due to open in 2012.

One benefit of this venue is that it can accommodate all your guests, with 16 romantic beamed rooms in the Old Swan and 40 bedrooms across the lane at Minster Mill.

Cuisine focuses on fresh local produce, with a range of options for a bespoke wedding menu. What could be better than cocktails and canapés beside the river, or in one of the many cosy interior spaces for a winter ceremony?

We fell in love with the Old Swan & Minster Mill – Cotswold wedding wannabes may well feel the same way.

For information about weddings at The Old Swan & Minster Mill, call 01993 774 441 or email enquiries@oldswanandminstermill.com or visit oldswanandminstermill.com

By Nicola Davenport