COUPLES seeking a "wedding with a difference" can now tie the knot in one of the area's most elegant stately homes.

Upton House, the National Trust property north-west of Banbury, has been granted a licence to hold civil wedding ceremonies.

Couples can get married in one of two areas of the house the Long Gallery and the Main Hall.

The Long Gallery, complete with stunning collections of art and porcelain, overlooks the fine gardens while the Main Hall oozes history with its wall tapestries and impressive stone chimneypiece.

Property manager Julie Smith said: "We will be limiting the number of ceremonies each year, so every wedding will be special.

"We believe that getting married at Upton House should be a unique experience."

Wedding parties can also hold their receptions in the Pavilion Restaurant, or enjoy canaps on the terrace with stunning views of the garden and surrounding countryside.

All proceeds from weddings at the house will go towards the conservation of the property, its gardens, and art collections.

Upton House dates from the late 17th century and also reflects its 1920s and 1930s heyday when it was the country home of the 2nd Viscount Bearsted, the millionaire chairman of the Shell Oil company and the son of the founder of the company.

The house contains one of the National Trust's most important art collections, including English and continental old master paintings. Works by Hogarth, Stubbs, Romney, Canaletto, Brueghel, and El Greco head the exhibition list.

Brussels tapestries, French Svres porcelain and Chelsea and Derby figures are on display and a selection of paintings and publicity posters commissioned by Shell during Viscount Bearsted's chairmanship have their own mini-exhibition.