The Bull Hotel in Wrotham, Kent, hosts weddings for up to 80 seated guests and 120 in the evening, as well as private parties, corporate gatherings and Sunday lunches in its function rooms. Its wedding side runs as The Buttery & Glasshouse, an exclusive-use venue set behind the old inn, about 40 minutes from London.
Seminars and company events
The celebrations offer covers corporate gatherings as well as birthdays and anniversaries, all year round and on any day of the week. Groups choose a space from the cosy private dining room up to exclusive use of the whole hotel, with the courtyard and a fully stocked private bar. Food for business events ranges from a hot buffet to a signature smokehouse buffet and a seated two or three course lunch or dinner that guests pre-order. The team prepares a tailored quote for each event. Stag and hen parties, graduation parties and 18th or 21st birthday parties are not accepted.
Weddings and receptions
Every wedding is exclusive use: on the day, the pub, lounge bar and restaurant close to the public. Civil ceremonies take place in The Buttery, a 16th-century oak-beamed barn, or outdoors on The Terrace, and both are licensed. Guests then move into The Glasshouse for the wedding breakfast and the evening party. Packages include The Indulgent Wedding, with access to the venue and the honeymoon suite from 3pm the day before, twilight weddings with a later ceremony on spring and summer weekends, and an intimate format for 30 to 40 guests.
Rooms and capacities
The Glasshouse is a 126 m2 reception room with south-facing sliding glass doors and a retractable domed roof. It seats 80 and takes 120 standing. The Buttery seats 80 for a ceremony. The Terrace is a private courtyard with covered verandas and outdoor heating, used for drinks, canapes and outdoor ceremonies, and it links the barn to the Glasshouse. The Restaurant and Lounge Bar and the Private Dining Room can also be booked for parties.
Accommodation
The hotel has 11 individually designed en-suite bedrooms, from single rooms to family rooms, with a farmhouse-style full English breakfast in the morning. A honeymoon suite is held for wedding couples. Parties with a DJ reception are asked to book the en-suite bedrooms.
Catering
All food is cooked in-house from scratch, with seasonal menus and Kent produce where possible. Weddings choose between a three-course classic menu and the Smokehouse Feast, cooked on the hotel's Texan smoker. Party menus run from sandwich buffets to seated meals. Corkage is not allowed, and a bar tab can be set with an agreed limit.
History and setting
The Bull is a Grade II listed inn in the village of Wrotham, with roots in the 14th century. The Buttery barn was first built to store food, beer and wine. The Glasshouse is a contemporary addition hidden behind the historic building.
Getting there
Borough Green and Wrotham station has direct trains from London Victoria, and Sevenoaks has direct trains from Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge. Both are a short taxi ride away. By car, Wrotham is about 40 minutes from London and 10 minutes from Sevenoaks. The venue has 40 parking spaces, accessible parking that can be reserved, and coaches can drop guests at the door.
