Villagers annoyed at weddings display ‘brides and grooms not welcome' signs

Villagers have had enough of weddings in a nearby stately home and have put up signs saying couples are not welcome after wedding guests have reportedly been weeing in their gardens.

Residents living close to the 16th-century estate of Oxnead Hall in Aylsham, Norfolk, have made their message loud and clear as signs have been erected that read: "Brides and grooms not welcome in Oxnead".

"No more weddings we've had enough" and "Exclusive? More than 100 weddings this year," are some of the other messages that feature on the signs.

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According to locals, this action taken is a result of wedding guests "relieving themselves in gardens", "wandering through yards" and keeping them up by playing loud music late at night.

Next to the estate, live Susi and Roger Crane who own a 500-acre farm that surrounds the wedding venue and have placed three signs close to the venue's car park.

Roger said: “The weddings are really having a big impact on our residents’ lives, and that’s why we are up in arms about it."

Susi added: "Our residents are repeatedly disturbed by loud music way in to the night, even in their beds.

Villagers have had enough of weddings in the nearby stately home causing a disturbanceSWNS

"One poor lady puts her children to bed to the sound of Michael Jackson.

"They are unable to sit outside their homes in the summer and are often disturbed by shouting and laughing.

"Guests have wandered through the yard and even relieved themselves in their gardens.

"They have left glasses in gardens and wandered down to the livery which houses 26 horses."

“They were granted permission to hold unlimited weddings, and we don’t know how that came to be.

She added: "We have tried to challenge that with Broadland district council, but haven’t got very far.”

Meanwhile, the loud noise from the weddings has caused neighbour Lorna Crook to move her bedroom from the front to the back of her house and has noted the increase in the number of weddings taking place.

She said: “When it was once or twice a week, you could deal with that, but it’s up to six a week.

"We all have to get up early and go to work.”

But Beverley Aspinall, who owns Oxnead Hall with her husband David, has said that she is "aware of the issues" but she is "doing everything we possible can" to prevent the issues.

She said: “I feel sorry for those poor couples that have been through so much, that [the objectors] have chosen this way of making their feelings known rather than coming to us and working collaboratively.

“We are aware [of the issues] and we are doing everything we possibly can to minimise them.

"We’d be enormously grateful if anyone could help us find solutions.

She added: “We’ve asked for meetings and we’re trying to work collaboratively, but I have to say it has been very difficult and stressful for us - we’ve had staff resignations because of the way they’ve been treated.”

A Broadland District Council spokesperson said: “The development was considered to be acceptable when planning permission was granted, subject to conditions.

“The council is currently investigating an enforcement complaint regarding the breach of the noise condition on the site.

"This has not yet been concluded and the council will respond directly to the complainant once we have investigated this matter.”

Additional SWNS reporting by Izzy Hawksworth.

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