Alford Manor House in Lincolnshire hires its rooms, walled garden and marquee for weddings, private parties, funeral teas and community events. For a wedding the house and tea room close to the public, so the couple has exclusive use of the house, the gardens and the marquee. The marquee holds up to 100 guests, depending on catering needs. The house is a Grade II* listed building in the town of Alford, run by a charity.
Seminars and company events
The house states that it is available for events, room hire and group bookings all year round, apart from the weeks when it is open to visitors, from mid-February to mid-December. The pages read do not list meeting rooms or business capacities, so organizers of seminars should contact the house to ask which rooms suit a working day. A catering manager and a chef prepare the food, and the function menus include a finger buffet, a knife and fork buffet or carvery, and three course meals. Room hire and bar hire are priced separately from the menus.
Weddings and receptions
Couples choose between a ceremony followed by a reception, a ceremony alone in the walled garden or the ceremony room, or a reception alone in the marquee with use of the garden and the house. Guests arrive along a red carpet into the entrance hall, which has a large fireplace and works as a place to meet and greet. A bar in an old kitchen serves a range of drinks, and drinks can be served on the terrace of the walled garden after the ceremony. The walled garden is secure for children and has lawns and seating. A registrar's fee is paid separately to the local authority, and a bar extension until midnight can be added.
Each wedding is planned with the couple and a wedding coordinator. The house provides the venue and help with planning, while the couple arranges decorations and music. Couples may use the house menus, adapted to their needs, or bring their own caterers.
Rooms and capacities
The house offers the entrance hall, further rooms away from the noise of the reception, the ceremony room, the old kitchen bar, the walled garden and the marquee. The marquee takes up to 100 guests. A new event building is under construction in the grounds to create an all year venue for weddings, funeral teas and community events, with the build planned over about twelve months, so parts of the site may be closed. Confirm the state of the works before you book.
Catering
The function menus offer canapes, cold buffets, hot buffets, three course meals and a barbecue, and the chef can adjust dishes to allergies and dietary needs. Menu prices exclude room and bar hire. Funeral teas have their own set menus, and the house is licensed to run a bar.
History and setting
Alford Manor House was built in 1611 on a traditional H plan and restored between 2004 and 2006. Volunteers staff it, and the Alford and District Civic Trust, a registered charity, manages it. It also houses the Museum of Rural Life and a tea room.
Getting there
The house is in Alford, Lincolnshire. Telephone and email enquiries are handled by the house.
