Family-owned wedding venue that feels like it is 'on an island' opens

THE BYIRS OVERLOOKS DERWENT RESERVOIR NEAR CONSETT IN COUNTY DURHAM 10:00, 01 Feb 2025 A family-owned wedding venue has opened on the shore of a County Durham reservoir. This weekend, the

Irwin family throw open the doors of the Byirs for the first time at their family farm on the shore of Derwent Reservoir, near Consett. They have spent months curating and building what they

hope is the perfect wedding venue, offering both a countryside and waterside views combined with a relaxed environment. Margaret and Paul Irwin, and their son Sam and his fiancé Anna Munro

believe the Byirs feels like it is "on an island". They have renovated a 16th century barn, which has a nine-metre glass front to that guests can "make the most of all

seasons." Former football coach Sam previously had success on the site selling American-style "freakshakes" at the Boat Shack. Though the new business is completely different,

Sam will be taking his customer service skills and applying them to what he considers an "exclusive" wedding venue. Sam said: "Originally it was a farm and we wanted to keep

the aspects of the farm alive. We've still got animals, sheep and llamas. "But we've also been in hospitality for ten years and that has led into wanting to create something

special." Sam says that the Irwin's hope to host around 40 - 50 weddings a year at the Byirs, with their aim to focus on giving guests the best day possible. The venue will be open

year-round and the first bookings have already started to come in, with Sam expecting things to pick up further "because of people getting engaged over Christmas." This weekend,

the Byirs will host its first wedding showcase, where potential guests will be able to meet suppliers who will be "emphasising what they can do with the venue". But Sam was keen to

point out that the showcase would not be like a wedding fair, so that people could come and feel "relaxed, rather than hassled." Sam finished: "There are a lot of venues out

there and there's a lot of competition. But standing looking at the view, it's one of them things where countryside and waterside meet, and it's what sets us aside. "If

you want a countryside wedding but you want the water as the backdrop, it feels like you're on an island because the water surrounds us. It's that place where you feel you're

not really in the North East, you wouldn't think it's in County Durham - and hopefully that will be appealing to people." Article continues below The Byirs Wedding Showcase

takes place from 12pm - 4pm on Saturday and Sunday February 1 and 2. JOIN OUR COUNTY DURHAM WHATSAPP COMMUNITY Join our County Durham WhatsApp community for all the latest news County Durham

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