A popular wedding venue has announced it will no longer host events after this year.

Wherstead Park is a Grade II listed Georgian mansion on the outskirts of Ipswich and has long been a popular venue for weddings, filming locations, open-air markets, as well as many other events in the Ipswich calendar.  

Felixstowe opera singer Christina Johnston has performed there on several occasions, as have theatre troupes.

It has now been announced that Wherstead Park will honour its full calendar of events scheduled to take place in 2023, but will be taking no bookings for the following year. 

Doug Field OBE is the chief executive of the East of England Co-op, which owns Wherstead Park. 

He said: “We’re proposing to close our Events and Conferencing business, based at Wherstead Park in Ipswich. With a full calendar of events for 2023, the business will continue to operate until the end of the year.  

“This is in no way a reflection of the hard work of our events team, who have worked tirelessly to build a vibrant events programme and to deliver high-quality, memorable events for their clients. 

“This decision has been made as part of a review on how we use Wherstead Park, with its future, we believe, laying outside of events and conferencing.” 

The building of Wherstead Park dates back to 1792, when it was built on the site of an older house by the well-known architect, Sir Jeffry Wyatville for Sir Robert Harland. 

Sir Robert lived in the mansion with his wife, Arethusa Vernon, until 1801 when they exchanged the house for Orwell Park in Nacton, which was owned by Lady Harland’s brother, John Vernon. 

The house was returned to the Harlands after John Vernon died without issue.  

During the First World War, part of the house was converted into a convalescing hospital for wounded soldiers.