How to choose the best historical Cotswold wedding venue
Choosing the best historical Cotswold wedding venue for your big day is all about finding a location that reflects your personality and sets the tone for your celebration. Look for venues with stunning architecture, unique history, and beautiful grounds. Make sure the venue complements your vision for the day, and consider factors like location, accessibility, and the atmosphere you want to create.
Blackfriars Priory
Blackfriars Priory is a remarkable 13th-century Dominican priory located in the heart of historic Gloucester. This scheduled ancient monument, founded in 1239, offers couples one of the most authentic medieval settings available, with the rare opportunity to celebrate within genuine monastic architecture.
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The North Range provides the priory’s primary space, featuring spectacular vaulted ceilings, massive stone columns, and magnificent leaded windows that filter light beautifully throughout the day. This impressive medieval hall can accommodate up to 150 guests for ceremonies and 120 for dining.
- Outdoor Spaces: The venue includes a private walled herb garden, recreated based on medieval monastic planting schemes, alongside a peaceful cloister walkway that provides shelter while maintaining the open-air character of the original priory design. This is a real gem of a historical Cotswold wedding venue.
What Makes Blackfriars Priory Stand Out:
- Ecclesiastical Architecture: As one of the most complete surviving Dominican priories in England, Blackfriars offers genuine religious architecture without current religious affiliations, perfect for couples seeking spiritual atmosphere without denominational requirements.
- Gloucester City Location: Unlike rural historic venues, Blackfriars combines medieval character with city centre convenience, allowing guests easy access to accommodation and transport while still providing a separate, secluded historical environment.
- Extraordinary Acoustics: The priory’s design creates exceptional sound qualities, particularly for vocal or string performances, with the medieval stone walls and vaulted ceiling producing natural amplification and resonance.
Review Highlights:
- ”The most beautiful venue! As soon as we were engaged we knew we wanted to celebrate our marriage at Black Friars. Matthew was excellent and on hand to respond to any questions or requests we had. The recommended caterers, orchard catering, were sublime and would definitely recommend to future couples. Thank you so much for ensuring the day ran perfectly!” Google
- ”We can’t thank Sue and the team at Blackfriars enough, we had the most amazing wedding day in September. The venue is so beautiful and we really couldn’t have asked for a better day. Everything in the run up and right throughout the day went so smoothly.” Google
Berkeley Castle
The Queen of historical Cotswold wedding venues – Berkeley Castle is an imposing medieval fortress in Gloucestershire that has been continuously inhabited by the same family since its construction in 1153. This formidable castle, with its Norman keep, medieval great hall, and battle-scarred stonework, offers couples a venue with genuine historical significance including connections to Shakespeare’s plays and royal history.
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The castle offers several historical Cotswold wedding venue spaces including the Great Hall with its massive stone pillars and medieval tapestries for ceremonies of up to 130 guests, and the Long Drawing Room featuring Tudor portraits and ornate plasterwork for more intimate gatherings. The Gun Terrace, with views across the Severn Vale, provides a spectacular setting for drinks receptions.
- Outdoor Spaces: The castle is surrounded by terraced gardens, featuring ancient yew trees, a lily pond, and Elizabeth I’s bowling green. The sweeping lawns within the castle’s protective walls offer remarkable views combining architectural drama with carefully maintained planting.
What Makes Berkeley Castle Stand Out:
- Continuous Inhabitation: How about this for a historical cotswold wedding venue fact: Berkeley is the oldest castle in England to be continuously owned and occupied by the same family. The castle offers an unbroken lineage of history and personal connection rarely found in historic venues.
- Royal History: The castle’s dramatic history includes the imprisonment and death of Edward II in 1327, giving couples and their guests the opportunity to celebrate in spaces connected to pivotal moments in English royal history.
- Authentic Defense Features: Unlike more domesticated historic homes, Berkeley retains genuine military architecture including arrow slits, murder holes, and mighty defensive walls, creating a truly atmospheric backdrop that speaks to its function as a true fortress.
Review Highlights:
- ”The staff at Berkeley Castle were nothing short of amazing. They went above and beyond to ensure that every detail was taken care of, allowing us brides to fully enjoy our special day without any worries. Their professionalism and dedication were evident in everything they did, and it truly made a difference.” Google
- ”We knew Berkeley Castle had to be on a venue for the moment we first saw it. The whole experience has been absolutely phenomenal. Jess the team were super helpful and in close contact the entire time – they went above and beyond to make our day extra special and we felt really confident the whole time that they would be able to deliver.” Google
Find out a little more about what a full Berkeley Castle wedding day looks like.
Lord Leycester Hospital
Lord Leycester Hospital is an exceptional example of medieval timber-framed architecture located in the heart of historic Warwick. Despite its name, this was never a medical hospital but rather a place of hospitality, founded in the 14th century as a guild hall before becoming home to retired soldiers (known as Brethren) in the 16th century, a tradition that continues to this day.
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The Great Hall, dating from 1450, serves as the primary ceremony space with its magnificent timber roof, minstrels’ gallery, and historic stained glass. The Guildhall houses a fine collection of artifacts including furniture used by King James I. The interconnected medieval buildings can accommodate up to 100 guests.
- Outdoor Spaces: The venue features a rare example of a medieval Master’s Garden, a peaceful walled space designed according to Tudor gardening principles with medicinal herbs, formal knot patterns, and traditional roses. The central courtyard with its cobblestone path and overhanging timber galleries provides a uniquely atmospheric entrance experience.
What Makes Lord Leycester Hospital Stand Out:
- Living Medieval Tradition: As home to retired servicemen (the Brethren) who still wear the Tudor uniform of blue gowns for ceremonial occasions, the Hospital offers connection to a living tradition that has continued unbroken since 1571.
- Architectural Spectacle: The black-and-white timber-framed façade with its overhanging galleries and leaded windows creates one of the most visually striking wedding settings in the region, instantly recognisable and impossibly romantic.
- Historical Layering: Unlike venues with a single historical period, the Hospital incorporates Norman, medieval, Tudor, and Stuart elements, allowing couples to experience multiple chapters of English architectural history within one venue.
Review Highlights:
- ”Staff were excellent, very accomodating. Setting was fantastic, (the weather was also great) and the facilities superb.” Trip Advisor
- ”It is an absolutely stunning Tudor era venue. We found it to be very private on the day which made for a beautifully intimate wedding. The staff were exceptionally helpful (in particular Rob and Sheila) and the presence of the duty brothers added a special touch to an already special day.” Trip Advisor
Ardington House
Ardington House is an elegant Georgian mansion set within a traditional English parkland in Oxfordshire. Built in 1720, this Grade II* listed Palladian country house combines classical architectural perfection with warm family character, having been home to the same family for over four generations. We’re pushing the boundaries of what it is to be a historical Cotswold wedding venue here but Ardington has to be included!
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The house offers several ceremony options including the intimate Library with original 18th-century books and furnishings, and the grand Entrance Hall with its sweeping staircase. For receptions, couples can use the grounds for a marquee accommodating up to 200 guests, while the house itself can host smaller gatherings of up to 60.
- Outdoor Spaces: The house is surrounded by 30 acres of parkland with the River Lockinge flowing through the grounds, creating a picturesque island accessed by stone bridges. The formal gardens include immaculate lawns, a traditional walled garden, and ancient cedar trees that frame the classical façade.
What Makes Ardington House Stand Out:
- Georgian Symmetry: The house represents perfect Georgian proportions and design principles, with its classical façade, symmetrical layout, and elegant interiors offering a refined backdrop that complements both traditional and contemporary wedding styling.
- Island Setting: The unusual configuration of the river creates a natural island setting for the house, offering couples the romance of crossing bridges to reach their venue while providing natural water features that reflect the classical architecture.
- Family-Owned Atmosphere: Unlike institutional historic properties, Ardington maintains the character of a genuinely loved family home with personal photographs, heirlooms, and furnishings that create a sense of being welcomed into private history rather than a museum setting.
Review Highlights:
- ”Our wedding day could not have been more magical. The team at Ardington House were such a dream to work with from begin to end. Nothing was too much to ask. On the day they could not have done any more for us to ensure everything ran smoothly. We were so grateful to share our special day with such a lovely team.” Google
- ”We had our wedding reception at this truly lovely place and couldn’t recommend enough the experience we had. The whole Ardington House team were always incredibly helpful and made the day so unforgettable.” Google
This is what a beautiful day at Ardington House looks like!
Sudeley Castle
Sudeley Castle is a magnificent Tudor treasure nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds near Winchcombe. A real gem of a historical Cotswold wedding venue. This majestic royal residence, with sections dating back to the 10th century, offers couples a venue of exceptional historical significance, having hosted numerous Tudor monarchs and housing the tomb of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII.
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The castle features several remarkable settings including the atmospheric St. Mary’s Church within the grounds where Katherine Parr is buried, the elegant Banqueting Hall with its royal portraits and Tudor architecture, and the romantic ruins of the Tithe Barn. The castle can accommodate celebrations from intimate gatherings of 40 to grand affairs of up to 150 guests.
- Outdoor Spaces: The castle is surrounded by 10 award-winning gardens spanning 1,200 acres, including the Queens Garden (named for four of England’s queens who walked there), the spectacular White Garden, and the romantic Knot Garden—all set against the backdrop of the castle’s honey-colored stone walls and towers.
What Makes Sudeley Castle Stand Out:
- Genuine Royal Connections: Unlike venues with tenuous royal links, Sudeley has hosted numerous Tudor monarchs including Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and Elizabeth I, offering couples a direct connection to pivotal moments in English royal history.
- Religious Significance: St. Mary’s Church within the grounds provides a consecrated space with extraordinary historical importance, particularly as the final resting place of Katherine Parr, offering a spiritually and historically significant ceremony setting.
- Spectacular Garden Diversity: Sudeley’s gardens represent various historical periods and styles, from Tudor knot gardens to Victorian rose displays and contemporary designs, providing couples with diverse aesthetic options within one venue.
Review Highlights:
- ”Sudeley Castle was such a picturesque venue. The first time we saw it we knew it was where we wanted to get married. There were so many gorgeous places for photos, and different areas for different parts of the day which made everything flow so smoothly.” Hitched
