Hensol Castle takes conferences for more than 300 delegates across eight rooms, gala dinners for up to 200 in its Courtyard Hall and weddings for up to 200 in the evening, with 23 bedrooms in the castle and more at the Vale Resort next door. The Grade I listed house stands in 800 acres at Hensol, in the Vale of Glamorgan, about 11 miles from Cardiff.
Seminars and company events
The castle sells conferences, meetings, team building, business dinners and venue hire. Its eight multipurpose rooms have daylight, Wi-Fi and modern audiovisual equipment, and the grounds lend themselves to outdoor breakouts. The day delegate package covers room hire, screen, projector, flip chart, name cards, refreshments with pastries, a buffet lunch and free parking. The 24-hour package adds an overnight stay, a full Welsh breakfast, private dining and access to the resort's health and racquets club. More than 400 free parking spaces serve delegates, with electric vehicle charging at the resort car park.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are a core part of the business. Ceremonies take place in the Oak Room for up to 100 guests, on the outdoor Bandstand by the Serpentine Lake for up to 150, or in the Courtyard Hall for up to 150. The Courtyard Hall then hosts the wedding breakfast and an evening reception for up to 200, while the restored Reception Hall serves drinks and canapés. Couples can also book an evening in the Distillery Bar under the castle the night before.
Rooms and capacities
The Courtyard Hall is the largest space, with daylight and modern AV, used for presentations, company updates, networking and gala dinners of up to 200. The Oak Room keeps its wood paneling and arched windows over the lake and works for board meetings, workshops and private dining. The Buttery, the Coach House, the Morning Room and the West Tower are smaller function rooms for focused meetings. A room selector with layout capacities is available from the castle.
Accommodation
The castle has 23 individually styled bedrooms. More rooms are available at the Vale Resort hotel, on the same estate, which also offers golf, a spa and leisure facilities.
Catering
Catering is provided in-house, from delegate buffets and private dining to banqueting menus and canapés. Hensol Castle Distillery, opened in the castle cellars in 2021, runs gin tours and tastings, gin and rum making and cocktail masterclasses that work as team activities.
History and setting
The Jenkins family held Hensol from 1419 to 1721. Through marriage it passed to the Talbots, who in the 1730s turned the house into the castellated mansion seen today. Rowland Fothergill added a courtyard, towers and a lakeside summer house from 1838. Glamorgan County Council acquired the estate in 1926 and ran it as a hospital for most of the 20th century. Gerald Leeke bought it in 2004, and the castle opened as a wedding and conference venue in 2015. The Leeke family still owns the castle and the Vale Resort.
Getting there
The address is Hensol Castle Park, Hensol, CF72 8JX. The castle lies near Junction 34 of the M4, about 11 miles from Cardiff.
