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Two men have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a wedding venue in Cambridgeshire was destroyed by fire. Sixty firefighters from three counties were called to Chilford Hall, Linton, from about 03:15 BST.

Firefighters managed to save the house, wine store and shop, but the 18th-century Linton Barn and the Grade II-listed Great Hall, which dates to 1820, were both lost, as were the adjoining Pavilion and Gallery.

Simon Alper, part of the family which has transformed Chilford Hall since acquiring it 1965, said he was “devastated”. He said: “There’s a building in the middle which is made of wood and you have a very short space of time to get to it if it catches fire, so in the middle of the night it caught hold.

“The fire brigade have been brilliant to save the winery and the study centre.” Mr Alper said the buildings would be hard to replace, and that cherished family heirlooms had been lost to the flames. “It’s a terrible sight. I grew up here, so I’ve known the place and a lot of different aspects of it. It’s not something you ever expect to see. There are a lot of memories in there – those memories won’t go away but it’s pretty horrid.”

The men, aged 26 and 27, both from Haverhill, Suffolk, are due to be questioned.

A statement on the Chilford Hall website states: “We are extremely sad to confirm reports of a serious fire at Chilford Hall during the early hours of the morning. The fire has affected the Linton Hall barn, gallery, great hall and pavilion. We are working on re-establishing our communications system and phone lines as quickly as possible – the events team are contacting clients to inform them of the devastating news.”

Chilford Hall is licensed for wedding ceremonies and hosts receptions for up to 500 guests. It also has catering facilities for up to 700 people and an 18-acre vineyard, which celebrated 40 years of wine-making last month. Its pavilion was used for corporate events, including car shows and the annual Tastes of Anglia food fair.

From: BBC, ITV, Cambridge Evening News

Katy and I got married at Chilford – they were brilliant. We’ve been there several times since for Art shows, Craft fairs and most recently the Tastes of Anglia. We wish the the best. Why would somebody do such a thing? People suck.