Accessibility

Oxen Park Farm is by its very nature, a farm, and the access & tracks are farm tracks - in very wet conditions they can become muddy and therefore very difficult for wheelchair users. The farm is on a hill, and access down to the wildlife ponds, up to the Circle Garden and the Hot Tub, orchards and beyond are steep, and the ways are guided rather than marked with proper tracks.  Where the Cob Barn and Dining Barns are it is relatively flat, and accessible. We will have staff on-hand to assist if you make us aware of your needs ahead of your visit and upon arrival.

There is an accessible toilet onsite, but it is further away from the venue than is ideal. We are in the process of fundraising for a new accessible toilet closer to our Cob Barn & Dining Barn.

Please do get in touch to discuss your needs. 

Parking

We have parking on hardstanding for around 50 cars, and plenty more on grass/soft ground unless the ground is absolutely sodden from recent rain. We do strongly encourage car-sharing as part of our ethos here at the farm.

Making the space yours

We understand that you may want to personalise the spaces for your event.

Flowers: As part of what we do here at the farm, we decorate shared spaces with seasonal produce - flowers, foliage, beautiful squashes...For your event there will be seasonal decorations on tables and in the barn. If you would like more than this, please discuss with us as we encourage people to celebrate what is from the land and the local area if possible rather than bringing flowers from heated glass houses in.

Lighting: In short, you can bring external & internal lights as long as they are new, or have been recently P.A.T tested. Please read our Terms & Conditions of Hire for specifics.

PA & Mic

There is a PA & Mic available for your event - just ask us when you're booking and we'll make sure it's set-up for you.

Alcohol

If you are providing alcohol and giving (not selling) it to your guests you do not need a license. You are responsible for the consumption of any alcohol onsite.

If you are selling alcohol to the public you will need to hire the Dock & Thistle - our bar which we will license.  If you have hired our bar, we are responsible for the alcohol for your event, and no other alcohol can be supplied during your event.

Dry Bar Hire - you provide the drinks, and we provide the bar itself & the staff to give to your guests.

Wet Bar Hire - we provide the drinks, bar, equipment & staff for your guests to buy drinks from. More info here.

Food for Gathering:

We would love to provide food for your gathering or event - information can be found on our website here. You can also have the option of hiring our kitchen for the duration of your booking with us. Instead of charging a kitchen hire fee, we ask you to cater for the small community of people who live here and would otherwise be using the kitchen to prepare their own food. We will be in touch to let you know how many that will be, but will be around 10-15 in the busy season. We are unable to offer a hybrid of self-catered and catered during your booking due to fridge and food storage availability. 

To Secure your Booking:

• Fill out the online Enquiry Form & Price Calculator.
• We will contact you to discuss details and offer you available dates.
• You will receive a quote for your Event Booking, which is subject to change once numbers and event extras are confirmed.
• You will receive an invoice for 25% of your venue hire (not including event extras) as a non-refundable deposit to secure your booking. 
• You will also receive a link to our Hiring Agreement, which outlines our Terms & Conditions of hire. By paying your deposit you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions of hire. Your booking is now secure.
• From the date the deposit is paid, there is a 7-day cooling-off period during which the event can be cancelled and the whole deposit can be refunded at the request of either party. From 7 days after the deposit is taken, the 25% deposit paid on booking is non-refundable under any circumstances. There can be no exceptions.

Confirming Details & Cancellation Policy:

• 10 weeks prior to your booking, we will ask for your commitment to numbers and event extras.
• You will then receive a revised quote including your event extras such as catering, Dock & Thistle Bar, Hot Tubs etc.
• You will receive an invoice for the remaining balance of your booking, and this will be paid in full. Please note that Event Extras Belltents & Bushcraft Shelter will be invoiced separately (as these are hired from On the Hill CIC).
• From this moment onwards, you can increase your booking number, but not decrease, as we will be securing staff and planning our stock of food, drinks and other direct costs. If cancellations are made from this point onwards, the full amount is non-refundable.
• If numbers of guests or Event Extras have been added after the 10-week invoice has been paid, these will be invoiced separately, to be paid at least 2 weeks before the event.
• All completed bookings are subject to review. If we feel the booking would risk any licence we hold or the terms of our own insurance, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and refund your money immediately.

Cancellation Policy for all events and basic hire.

Any request to cancel shall be notified immediately by email to OxenParkFarmBookings@gmail.com. All requests to cancel must be made via email (OxenParkFarmBookings@gmail.com).

General Hire Agreements:

No more than a MAXIMUM of 180 people are allowed in the Cob Barn at any time. This is due to our fire risk assessment and we cannot exceed this number under any circumstances. 

The Cob Barn is a Bare Feet area. Guests can bring slippers to wear in this area, but strictly no outdoor shoes. Shoes must be left in the corridor where there are benches and hooks for coats etc. Do not leave shoes in front of the double doors, even if it’s good weather and the doors are open as this is a fire exit and must be kept clear.

You will be given a safety briefing alongside your welcome talk and tour around the site. When you are on site you will need to comply with our policies and procedures to ensure that everyone is safe and insured.

At no time should Fire Exits be blocked or obstructed. The Hirer is responsible for familiarising and understanding the Fire Safety procedures.  Note: The fire assembly point is in front of the Cob Barn up on the Village Green.

We must respect our neighbours and the community who live here. Strictly no amplified music after 22.30. The Cob barn is fitted with a remote noise monitor.

Events that promote or indirectly support racism, otherisation, objectification, environmental destruction or extremism are not welcome at On the Hill. 

We are a working farm. Dogs are absolutely not allowed onsite. 

Fireworks are not allowed. 

No paper/ plastic / foil confetti or glitter is to be used inside or outside. Undyed dried flower confetti and undyed rice is permitted.

Under all circumstances any damages or breakages should be reported immediately to a member of staff and via email to oxenparkfarmbookings@gmail.com.  These will be paid for by the hirer.

Equipment tripods, C-stands, and dolly tracks must have felt or rubber feet to prevent floor damage. We are happy to supply temporary felt feet for equipment that presents a risk to our floor. Please ask ahead of your event.

Nothing shall be fixed, taped to the floor, walls or ceilings, or the floor pierced in any way.

If you are hiring the kitchen, you will be given a handover document and you will be asked to hand it back to us with a checklist that will be completed with a member of our team. In hiring our kitchen you are agreeing to provide food for our small community living here who would otherwise be using the kitchen to prepare their own food. We will let you know how many people will be onsite for your booking closer to your event - this agreement is in lieu of a hiring charge for our facilities. 

If you are inviting members of the public to your event, you will need your own public liability insurance, Risk Assessments and policies to cover your event. We will ask you to provide copies of these at the time of booking. If you are holding a private party, you do not need Public Liability insurance, but it is recommended that you have it.

It is the Hirers responsibility that all electrical equipment brought onto the premises complies with current safety standards, i.e. P.A.T. tested.

The use of naked flames, smoke machines, power tools or machinery is forbidden unless written permission is sought and granted.

The Cob Barn & Dining Barn are non-smoking buildings, this includes e-cigarettes. The only smoking area is outside the Dock & Thistle Bar. Please dispose of cigarette ends responsibly in the containers provided.

After your event

1. The Cob Barn should be thoroughly tidied and left as found - all decorations to be removed at the end of the hire. 
2. You will be responsible for removing all of your own waste, recycling and landfill at the end of your stay.
3. All tables should be wiped, chairs and equipment returned to their original position.
4. All lighting and any electrical appliances used to be switched off.
5. Leave all doors closed.

Fire Responsibility

The named person hiring the venue is also responsible for fire safety and evacuation procedures for the period of the hiring. You will receive a fire safety briefing as part of your welcome talk when you arrive at the venue. It is the hirer’s responsibility to ensure all of the occupants are aware of the procedure for evacuating the hall if the need arises. We suggest this is done at the commencement of the event when guests have arrived. In the event of a need to evacuate The Cob Barn, the fire marshal will:

• Ensure the building has been evacuated, provided it is safe to do so.
• Complete a roll call to ensure everyone is accounted for and to call and liaise with the emergency services.
• Ensure that someone has called the emergency services 999
• The fire assembly point is on the Village Green (grass in front of the Cob Barn).

Do not go back into the buildings until you are told by an official that it is safe to do so.