Conferences, training days, fundraising dinners and weddings for up to 180 guests are held at Hemsley House, a former Masonic hall on The Crescent in Salford, about five minutes from Manchester city center. The building has three ground-floor suites around a central lobby and two conference suites upstairs.
Seminars and company events
For business use, the two first-floor conference suites, the Hampson and the Delaney, are hired privately for meetings, training sessions, presentations and networking. Each takes up to 25 delegates, with layouts set to suit the session. Larger events, such as conferences, awards dinners or company parties, move to the Rink Suite on the ground floor, which holds up to 180 people. Refreshments and catering are served through the day. The venue also hosts fundraising functions and family celebrations.
Weddings and receptions
Hemsley House is licensed for legal marriage ceremonies, so the whole day can stay in one building. Wedding bookings are exclusive use: the couple has the ceremony room, the Rink Suite, the lobby and the bar for the day. The ceremony takes place in the Worsley Suite, a bright room for up to 96 guests. The wedding breakfast, speeches and first dance follow in the Rink Suite, which seats 96 for dinner and holds 180 for the evening reception. Suppliers and entertainers must come from the venue's approved list, or be vetted before the booking is confirmed, for insurance and license reasons.
Rooms and capacities
The Worsley Suite seats up to 96 for a ceremony. The Rink Suite seats 96 for a meal and takes 180 for an evening party, which makes it the largest room. The Walker Suite holds the private bar and sits off the central lobby that links the three ground-floor suites. Upstairs, the Hampson and Delaney suites take up to 25 each. Further rooms may be available on request. Step-free access is at the rear of the building, from the adjoining car park.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms on site. Several hotels are close by, in Salford and central Manchester.
Catering
All food is cooked on site by the in-house chefs, and menus can be adjusted to the event and the guests. Catering is included in the wedding packages, and day delegates are served refreshments and meals through the day. Drinks come from the venue's own bar: dry hire is not offered and outside alcohol is not allowed.
History and setting
The building went up in the late 1920s and early 1930s as Salford Masonic Hall, a meeting place for Freemasons, and was formally opened in 1932 by Lord Derby. For decades it housed local craft lodges and Royal Arch chapters. Its classical limestone front still faces The Crescent. The hall was later adapted for wider use and now operates as Hemsley House, with its suites let for weddings, events and conferences.
Getting there
The address is 41-42 The Crescent, Salford M5 4PE, about five minutes from Manchester city center. Free on-site parking takes up to 36 cars, and vehicles may be left overnight and collected the next day. Salford Crescent and Salford Central stations are both nearby, and Manchester Airport is the closest airport. Site tours are by appointment.
