Askham Hall, near Penrith in Cumbria, is a Grade I listed country house in the Lake District National Park that can be taken for exclusive use for weddings, retreats and private events. Wedding receptions of up to 150 guests are held in the Bank Barn. The hall has bedrooms for guests and its own Michelin-starred restaurant, Allium. The Lowther family has owned it since 1724.
Seminars and company events
Besides weddings, the hall offers private hire for what it calls bespoke celebrations, retreats and events. Its own wording includes business outings, anniversaries and special birthdays, and it says the place can be made yours for the day, for the night or longer. There is no separate conference page, no list of meeting rooms and no stated theatre or boardroom capacity, so a company group should describe its program and ask what can be arranged.
The hall has a library with a fireplace, a drawing room, and a front hall with a large fireplace, all described as guest spaces. These suit small leadership retreats or board gatherings where the group stays overnight and eats together. The gardens, the kitchen gardens and the parkland are also available.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the main event offer. The hall is let exclusively, from small gatherings to 150 guests. Ceremonies can take place on the front lawn or in St Peter's, the local church above the River Lowther. The reception is held in the Bank Barn, a restored stone barn with high ceilings, exposed beams and a festoon-lit terrace for drinks, dinner and dancing.
The site also mentions a medieval hall within the house, a barbecue on the night before and a team that plans the details. A wedding brochure can be requested through the site.
Rooms and capacities
The one published capacity is 150 guests in the Bank Barn. The medieval hall, the drawing room, the library and the front hall are named, without figures. Ask the events team for seated and standing numbers for each room.
Accommodation
The hall says it has plenty of bedrooms for guests, and exclusive use includes staying in the house. The number of bedrooms is not published. Larger wedding parties can use the barn for the reception and the house for the family, with other guests staying nearby.
Catering
Food is central to the offer. Allium holds a Michelin star, and menus use produce from the estate's kitchen gardens and its home-reared meat. The site also stresses a wine list it ranks among the best in the UK. Weddings use this kitchen for the wedding breakfast and evening food.
History and setting
The house dates in part to the 13th century and has stayed with the same family since 1724. It sits in gardens and ancient parkland with views of the Cumbrian fells, close to Ullswater.
Getting there
The hall is at Askham, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 2PF. Penrith has a main-line railway station on the West Coast line; the site gives no transfer details, so ask the team about taxis or coaches.
