Seminars and company events
Allington Castle near Maidstone, Kent, hosts corporate days and weddings, with up to 100 guests at a ceremony in the Great Hall and 150 at an evening reception in its 17th-century barn. The medieval castle stands in 42 acres of woodland on the banks of the River Medway, about three miles northwest of Maidstone, and is a private residence that is not open to the general public.
For companies, the castle offers uninterrupted working sessions in the barn and full-day programs that add guided tours of the castle and its gardens. The views of the castle from the barn and lawns set the backdrop for breaks and lunches. Catering comes from the partner caterer Invicta Food Design, or as an in-house buffet for smaller groups. In summer, groups can also arrive by river on pre-booked trips aboard the Kentish Lady, followed by a guided tour of the grounds and the Great Hall.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the castle's main activity. Ceremonies take place in the Great Hall, which has a Steinway piano and a minstrels' gallery, for up to 100 guests, and the venue hosts civil weddings and civil partnerships. Shorter daytime packages give three hours in the Great Hall and gardens from Monday to Thursday. Twilight and full-day packages add an evening reception in the barn for up to 150, with a licensed bar, tables and chairs, a resident DJ, a dance floor, a photo booth and lawn games. Live jazz or blues bands are welcome, and so are LGBTQ+ couples.
Rooms and capacities
Great Hall: ceremonies for up to 100 guests, with piano and minstrels' gallery. Barn: a 17th-century building for evening receptions of up to 150, with a glassed-off bar area, also used for corporate sessions. Courtyard: drinks receptions. Gardens: parterres, wildflower meadows, lawns and a fountain, with picket-fenced lawns behind the barn and an alpaca paddock.
Catering
Catering is booked separately from the venue. The partner caterers are Invicta Food Design and Vittle and Swig, and the castle also works with local chefs and a local florist. Smaller groups can ask for an in-house buffet.
History and setting
A section of wall and the kitchen fireplace, dated 1174, survive from the first castle. The Wyatt family acquired the estate at the end of the 15th century and turned it into a mansion, and around 1530 Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn dined with Sir Thomas Wyatt in the Great Hall. After fire damage in the late 16th century, the castle stood empty until 1905, when Sir Martin Conway bought it and partly restored it. It was later home to a Carmelite community for nearly 50 years. The castle has appeared in many films and television productions, and kestrels nest in the towers.
Getting there
Maidstone has two railway stations, Maidstone East and Maidstone West, with trains to London, and the castle is a short taxi ride from either. The M20 motorway passes close to Allington. London Gatwick is the nearest major airport. The address is Castle Road, Allington, Maidstone ME16 0NB.
