The Coppermines is a family owned, exclusive use wedding venue in the Coppermines Valley, about a mile and a half above Coniston village. The buildings date from the eighteenth century and served the valley's copper mines, which were worked from the sixteenth century until the 1950s. Weddings have been held here since 2004.
The spaces
Ceremonies take place in the Copper Barn, which was once the store for the working mines. Around 3,000 tonnes of copper ore passed through it. It has exposed stonework and rustic beams, seats up to 110 guests and looks towards Coniston Old Man. The barn is licensed for civil ceremonies and civil partnerships and is used for the ceremony only. The Sawyers ceremony room seats 50 for a smaller wedding.
The four interlinked cottages, Sawyers, Carpenters, Millrace and Pelton Wheel, were restored from a Victorian sawmill. Together they work as one large house, with four reception rooms, ten en-suite bedrooms and four outdoor hot tubs, and they sleep 22.
The valley
The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fells and waterfalls surround it, and there are views down to Coniston Water and a restored heritage waterwheel. Livestock graze the valley, so fireworks and lanterns are not allowed.
On the day
The wedding breakfast and evening party are held in a marquee or tipi on the level ground beside the cottages, reached straight from the main reception rooms. The largest marquee seats around 250. The four cottages are hired together for at least three nights, and more than 50 properties in Coniston village can take the rest of the guests. The venue holds no alcohol licence, so couples bring their own drinks with no corkage charge. Weekend ceremonies in the Copper Barn are only available to couples who have booked the Mountain Venue.
Anyone with a date at the Coppermines who is looking for a Coppermines wedding videographer can send it over to check availability.
