Seminars and company events
Corporate events, team-building days, product launches, awards evenings, dinners, dances and exhibitions, as well as weddings for up to 130 guests, can be organized in exclusive use of Berkeley Castle, in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire. During your event the castle is reserved for your group, and a dedicated events manager plans the program with you and stays on site on the day.
The rooms offered for private and company events are the Great Hall, the Long Drawing Room and the Small Drawing Room, and the Armoury and Cellar, along with the gardens and grounds. The castle does not publish per-room capacities, so layouts are set with the events manager. A launch can use the historic rooms for the presentation and the gardens for a drinks reception, while a client dinner or an awards evening can take place in the Great Hall.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are sold as a two-day exclusive hire. From midday on Friday the couple settles into the estate houses and meets the wedding manager at the castle to walk through the day. Saturday is the wedding day, with a church service, a civil ceremony or a symbolic celebration. Civil ceremonies and partnerships take place inside the castle or in the gardens. St Mary's Church stands next to the castle for religious services, and the drinks reception is less than a minute away on foot. The castle hosts large parties of up to 130 guests and smaller ceremonies too. Hire runs until midnight on the wedding day, and a late licence can be added.
The package includes castle staff such as stewards and cloakroom assistants, an experienced wedding planner, the castle's tables and chairs, table linen, an easel and the Grand Piano.
Rooms and capacities
The largest figure the castle states is 130 guests for a wedding. The named spaces are the Great Hall, the Long Drawing Room, the Small Drawing Room, the Armoury and Cellar, and the gardens and grounds. Ask the events team for the capacity of each room in your layout.
Accommodation
Brook House and Salt House, two houses beside the castle, sleep up to 36 guests together and are large enough to host a rehearsal dinner. Wedding couples have exclusive use of both for two nights, plus one night in the honeymoon cottage.
Catering
The castle works with partner caterers rather than its own kitchen. It recommends Napier Catering, Hey Pesto Catering, Birch Catering and Reeka Events, which prepare menus to your brief. Drinks come through the caterer, with wines matched to the menu, and bringing your own wine carries a corkage fee. The Berkeley Bar on site can run a full bar. In the Walled Garden, the Kitchen Garden Restaurant serves visitors during the day.
History and setting
The castle dates back to the 11th century, and the Berkeley family has lived there since the late 12th century. The building, the family, archives going back to the 12th century, the contents, the estate and the town have stayed together for nine centuries. The castle is a Grade I listed building, set on the edge of the Cotswolds.
Getting there
The castle is in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, GL13 9BQ, between Bristol and Gloucester. Most guests arrive by car; ask the events team about parking and coach access for larger groups.
