Richard Muddle - Owner

Burningfold Manor was acquired in 1999 along with 300 acres of farmland, properties and buildings packed with history and passion, dating back to a tiny hunting lodge of the 15th century. That's about as far back as the family tree has been traced — two brothers, Richard and John, names ironically the same as his, and horse lovers like him. The purchase was an easy choice. Richard's journey to this point was a global obsession with horse racing, enjoying a broad mixture of sporting and leisure business.

Married to Jessica for over 20 years, they built a family at Burningfold before moving to another local farm across the border in Sussex — enabling the freedom to develop residential weddings, polo, hospitality and fun, built with family and friends and assisted by a skilled local cottage industry that makes the operation special.

Richard describes his role today simply as the "fixer". With a special venue at their disposal, his role is to ensure the site is ready and presented, hopefully exceeding customer expectations. Burningfold makes that easy — although with charm and history it can create some challenges, it has yet to let him down. Checklist complete, it's on with the show. Richard and Jessica both soak up the excitement of the occasion and the pleasure the venue can deliver. Not really work, but occasionally a challenge.

The main rewards from being involved in weddings and events are retaining an amazing family home as a profitable and sustainable part of the estate. Watching others have so much joy, in an environment the family has adapted, is pretty cool. Weddings are unique, and delivering individual special memories definitely hits the sweet spot — the collaboration, not just between venue and customer, but watching Team Burningfold, some having worked with the family since the 1990s on numerous challenging projects, strive to meet the variety of sometimes unusual requests and do so with a smile. Ultimately, seeing his family, first hand, joining in and embracing the elements involved. Richard and Jessica's shared dream is to pass "Burningfold weddings" and more down the generations.

Burningfold is different. A private estate, owned and operated by family Muddle and Team Burningfold, that continues to provide pleasure over the centuries. Clients find the walled country gardens and sprawling views help put them at ease. Horses, in the adjoining paddocks, are often there to greet arrivals. Staying in or around the Manor House allows guests freedom and independence in this historic setting. Space and variety provide a multitude of options, allowing couples to make each wedding totally individual. Equally, the estate operates a working farm alongside a thriving, small, friendly polo club — pursuing sustainability on all fronts. Biomass boilers heat the majority of properties, solar panels supplement electrical needs, and water is harvested to irrigate the polo fields and gardens.

For Richard, the standout moments are sometimes those shared with family and friends of the couple as they get stuck in — having juggled their own busy lives to find the time and energy to complete the personal touches. It's a pre-event buzz.

The hope, always, is that couples feel the occasion exceeds expectations. It can be a challenge — so thankfully, that's more Jessica's department than his.