Polhawn Fort has been under the ownership of John & Teresa since 1988, when they purchased the property as a weekend bolthole while living in London. Splitting his time between London and Cornwall, John began the major renovation of the Fort before relocating to Cornwall permanently to continue the work alongside raising a young family.

In 1995, John & Teresa made the decision to turn their family home into a wedding venue and have been hosting events here ever since.

A graduate in Fine Art, Teresa's abstract paintings can be spotted throughout the Fort. More recently, Teresa has also graduated in Sound Healing regularly hosts sound baths and healing sessions both at Polhawn and locally.

John & Teresa Wicksteed

The Team

James joined Polhawn Fort in 2002 to assist with the maintenance of the venue and has since risen up the ranks to become General Manager. Since 2022, James has been responsible for the daily operations of all weddings and events, alongside managing larger scale maintenance projects.

James, General Manager

Bernard was raised in Cornwall, living next to the Fort with his sister Rose and parents John & Teresa. After his studies he moved to London to pursue a career in animation and visual effects. For the past 14 years, he has been working on high-end visual effects animation for film and television, often leading and managing teams. After years of working with and observing his parents running the Fort, he now splits his time between his VFX career and consulting for Polhawn Fort.

Bernard

Daughter of John & Teresa, Rose spent her childhood running around the grounds of Polhawn and swimming in the sea. A multi award-winning Casting Director by profession and teacher of holistic modalities, Rose is based between the UK and Greece. Rose consults on the marketing, brand direction and interior design of Polhawn Fort, as it enters a new era of growth.

Rose Wicksteed

Nicky is our green-fingered gardener and has been maintaining the grounds at Polhawn Fort since 2016. Her passion for planting has proved invaluable throughout the years, providing creative input into the development of new garden areas for clients to enjoy throughout the seasons. 

Nicky, Head Gardener

Kyran joined the Polhawn family in 2012 straight out of Sixth Form to become an assistant to the maintenance team. When Kyran is not on the tools, he keeps himself busy with meeting registrars, hosting tours and assisting couples with their wedding day preparations. 

Kyran, Operations Manager

Ruth has worked at Polhawn Fort since 1998 and is often the first point of contact for wedding clients and registrars. Ruth’s day-to-day activities include managing viewing days at the Fort, meeting prospective couples and overseeing all sales enquiries. 

Ruth, Client Visit Manager