About Us & Visiting Us
Upton Country Park
Upton Country Park is a 160 acre estate offering sweeping lawns, natural woodland and well-tended formal gardens in a unique setting nestled on the northern edge of Poole Harbour, and part of the Holes Bay Nature Park. Together with the grandeur of Upton House, our landscapes and lovely vistas provide the perfect backdrop to your wedding photographs.
We are proud to have been licensed to hold Civil Ceremonies at Upton House for over 20 years; all our couples enjoy exclusive use of their choice of venue whether it be the House or Walled Garden, for ceremonies or receptions.
Upton House and Walled Garden
Within the Country Park stands Upton House, a late Georgian Grade II* Listed building and civil ceremony licensed wedding venue. Other than for weddings and special events, the House is open to the public only on a few specific Sundays between March-October when volunteers from The Friends of Upton Country Park are in attendance.
The beautiful one-acre enclosed Walled Garden is open to the public throughout the year, unless it is booked for a wedding or other exclusive-use private function. Functions are permitted only on specific dates during the months of May, June, July and September, which adds that extra touch of exclusivity to your celebrations!
A Potted History
Records show that from at least 1592 the land was owned by Henry Hastings, the 5th Earl of Huntingdon, with Upton House being built by the Spurrier family between 1816-1818 on what was then known as the ‘Upton Estate’. Several changes of ownership followed until by the 1950s the estate comprised Upton House, the Walled Garden and 930 acres of land including Upton Farm and several tenancies.
In 1957 the House and 55 acres was gifted to the Council by the then owner William Wigan Llewellin. The estate has been expanded over the years, with much-needed restoration work and very many repairs and improvements made along the way. A full and fascinating history of Upton House and the families that have lived here has been compiled by The Friends of Upton Country Park and can be found at uptoncountrypark.com
The Walled Garden & Tea Rooms
Holes Bay, Poole Harbour
The Front Lawn
The South Lawn
Car Park
Spurrier’s Play Park
Acres of parkland & woodland
Visiting Us
Upton Country Park is easily reached by road and rail. We are just three miles northwest of Poole Town Centre and 8 miles from Bournemouth; both towns offer a wide range of accommodation from large hotel chains to independent guest houses.
Admission is free; the grounds are open to the public 7 days a week throughout the year. The car park can be accessed from 8am to 6pm winter / 8am to 9pm summer. Parking charges apply.
Upton House is open to the public on selected weekends & Bank Holidays from February to October. For a small fee a tour of the ground floor state rooms can be arranged with Friends of Upton Country Park volunteers. Please see the Upton Country Park website for details.
Close to all major transport links
Poole Rail Station – 3 miles / 4.8 km
Poole Bus Station – 3 miles / 4.8 km
Bournemouth International Airport – 11 miles / 18 km
Getting here by car
Upton Country Park is just a few minutes – and clearly signposted – from the main A35. We have parking for approx 400 cars.
A car park with space for around 30 cars is reserved for wedding guests on wedding days; it is located beside the main drive.
Pay & Display machines accept cash and card payments, including contactless, and the RingGo parking app.
Getting here by bus
Morebus service No 8 is a very regular service that stops at the main entrance to Upton Country Park, and at the Blandford Road pedestrian entrance – timetables at morebus.co.uk
Morebus service No 10 and the Purbeck Breezer Route 40 (Swanage to Poole) run all year and also stop at the Upton Country Park entrance
Check the Morebus services arriving at Upton Country Park entrance now