Ann Bowers and Stuart Foster and son Dexter, four months

by Julia Collins

A bride and groom-to-be were horrified to discover their reception venue had closed – just two weeks before their big day.

Bailiffs moved in at Court Stairs Manor after traders at the Ramsgate site fell into rent arrears.

The property in Pegwell Road has been fenced off and a notice on the gate reads: “This property has been repossessed by the owners for significant arrears in rent. The former business is no longer trading here.”

And the news has left couples who had chosen the grand building for their wedding day with their dreams in tatters.

Stuart Foster, 39, and 34-year-old fiancee Ann Bowers booked the venue last year for their wedding reception this summer.

He said: “We were so excited about booking Court Stairs. It’s a lovely building and we felt that we had a brilliant deal in a dream venue.

Court Stairs Manor in Ramsgate has closed

“We booked it a year ago because we don’t have a lot of money and have had to save hard to be able to pay it off.

“To find out that the venue closed less than two weeks before our wedding was a huge shock.”

Trying to find another venue at such short notice was a big challenge for the couple as they live 205 miles away in Birmingham and Stuart is unemployed and registered blind.

He said: “Being so far away, we couldn’t just pop along to other places to find an alternative.

"My sister has helped but we’re struggling to get all the extra problems this has caused sorted out so we’ve felt a bit stranded.”

The couple will wed this Saturday at Ramsgate Register Office, and have booked an alternative reception at Ye Olde Charles in Cliftonville.

Owners and staff of Court Stairs were unavailable for comment and the venue’s website has closed.