A key UK garden attraction in the Cotswolds will expand its wedding service if a large marquee is permitted in the grounds of the venue.

Kiftsgate Court Gardens, at Mickleton, near Chipping Campden, was built in 1881 to a 17th century design and is seen as an arts and crafts gem, its four acres of gardens tended since 1919 by three female generations of the same family. As such, it is famed on the UK's gardening map for its expansive romantic borders and fragrant roses.

In 2019, Country Life magazine said grade-II listed Kiftsgate had created "what is now one of England's best-loved gardens", praising it for its "gorgeous, rambling, billowing style". At 80 feet, it is also home of the largest rose tree in Britain.

But the owners say wedding trade is now vital to the venue's income for upkeep of buildings and a "semi-permanent" marquee would be the ideal solution since the interior of the house is too small for events whose success can be "largely weather-dependent and the British weather can be unpredicable."

A heritage statement before Cotswold District Council explains that Kiftsgate's gardens, which "have been extensively written about since the 1950s, are open on a regular basis from April to September. There are three properties available for short-term let, including Kiftsgate Court, one of the lodges, and a property in the courtyard. Since 2021 the grounds have been used for weddings."

The venue is asking for backing on a temporary period (April - October) of use for a "large traditionally designed white marquee to be used for holding wedding receptions within the grounds".

The application said: "The proposed site lies to the east of the house, north of the access drive, on an area currently laid out as a car park.

"The Marriage Act 1994, introduced as a private member's bill by Gyles Brandreth and allowed marriages to be solemnized in certain "approved premises"; prior to the act, marriage ceremonies could only be conducted in churches and register offices.

"As a result of this Act many Country Houses, including Kiftsgate Court, have become approved premises, with weddings and wedding receptions providing an income stream. While many Country Houses have spaces within the house to hold the ceremony and reception, others use Marquees."

The proposal, said the applicant, is not a modern phenomenon: "It and other garden structures are part of the history of such places and there are historic precedents to illustrate this."

The marquee, supplied by Gloucestershire hire firm Bisley Marquees and HIre, is a 33m by 12m structure with additional expansion potential by a further nine by six metres, and would also be used for "ad hoc weddings during the remainder of the year on an annual basis".

Approval, the applicant added, would also have "a direct benefit for the local and wider community".

● Temporary legislation to allow outdoor civil weddings and partnerships during the pandemic proved so popular with faith groups, couples and the wedding industry that the Ministry of Justice said outdoor ceremonies at licensed premises would be permanently legal from April last year. According to the wedding app Bridebook, the change led to a 40% surge in interest from couples seeking a less formal setting for their nuptials.