Arundells, at 59 Cathedral Close in Salisbury, can be hired for private business meetings, seminars, recitals, drinks receptions and dinners. It is the former home of the Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath and is now run by a charitable foundation. The largest room seats 30, so it suits small and medium groups. The house does not host weddings or wedding receptions.
Seminars and company events
The Drawing Room, also called the music room, seats up to 30 people and is offered for concerts, recitals and seminars. It holds the Steinway piano that Sir Edward played. The Studio is a newly extended space with a hanging and lighting rig, a small kitchen and an accessible toilet. It is described as a blank canvas for meetings, exhibitions, lectures and workshops, and it comes with a projector, a screen, plenty of sockets and Wi-Fi.
Catering and audiovisual equipment can be arranged through the house, and a small drinks reception can take place in the entrance hall or the exhibition room before or after a session.
Rooms and capacities
Four settings are listed. The Dining Room is for a table of up to 10 guests, set around a burr elm table beneath paintings by John Piper. The Drawing Room takes 30 seated. The Studio has no stated capacity. The garden, about two acres running down to the meeting of the Avon and the Nadder, is used for summer drinks, informal lunches, afternoon teas and more formal dining in a marquee.
Catering
The house does not run a kitchen for hire events. It recommends caterers and can rent out crockery and glasses on site. Organisers book through the house office by phone or email.
Because the rooms are small, the house suits a board dinner, a half-day workshop or a private concert more than a large conference. A typical pairing is a session in the Drawing Room followed by drinks in the garden in summer, or a seated dinner in the Dining Room for a small leadership group. The foundation asks organisers to discuss the requirements by phone or email first, so dates, layouts and catering can be fixed with the office.
History and setting
The house began as a medieval canonry, with a first recorded occupant in 1291. It stands inside the Cathedral Close, with views toward the cathedral spire from the garden. The collection includes paintings, ceramics and gifts from world leaders, and the foundation also runs concerts and talks in the house.
Getting there
Arundells is in the center of Salisbury, in the Cathedral Close. The venue page does not give transport details; the city railway station is a short distance away.
