Kelmarsh Hall takes lectures, seminars, team-building days, private parties and weddings of up to 100 guests in its fine rooms, up to 150 for an evening reception and up to 500 in a marquee or tipi on the grounds. The house stands in the village of Kelmarsh, in rural Northamptonshire close to the Leicestershire border, and is run by a charitable trust that also opens the hall and gardens to visitors.
Seminars and company events
Five indoor spaces are offered to companies. The Ballroom, the largest of the fine rooms, seats 100 lecture style or at round tables and 112 in banquet layout, with a sprung wooden dance floor for gala dinners. The Saloon seats 100 lecture style or 70 at round tables and has a baby grand piano. The Orangery and the Education Suite, in the old stable yard, handle 35 to 40 people for smaller meetings and breakouts. Screens, projectors, lecterns and flip charts are available in the main rooms. Beyond the house, a 124-acre outdoor site in parkland and woodland hosts company days, car rallies and multi-activity packages such as archery, clay pigeon shooting, off-road driving and quad bike trails.
Weddings and receptions
The hall is licensed for civil ceremonies indoors, in the Saloon and the Ballroom, and outside. Weddings and civil partnerships both take place here. Ceremonies and wedding breakfasts take up to 100 guests in the house, and the evening reception up to 150. The Orangery suits smaller ceremonies with a reception in the hall afterward. Larger weddings move to a marquee or tipi site for up to 500 guests. Drinks are served in the walled garden or on the tea terrace, and fireworks are allowed beyond the ornamental lake. A Getting Ready Room for up to 15 people is available on the day.
Rooms and capacities
The Great Hall takes 100 standing for a welcome reception, with sofas and an open fire. The Saloon and the Ballroom both carry 18th-century plasterwork and chandeliers and look out over the lake and the parkland. The Orangery, with natural light and a private lawn, takes 40 seated or standing. The Education Suite takes 35 in any layout. Two marquee sites are available for larger groups. Parking for up to 150 guests is split between a main and an overflow car park.
Catering
Portfolio Events is the sole caterer for weddings and supplies linen, cutlery, crockery and glassware. Outside caterers cannot be brought in. T&L Marquee Hire and Teepees and Tents are the preferred suppliers for structures.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms on site. The venue shares a list of hotels nearby, including in Market Harborough and Kettering, and wedding packages include a taxi and a hotel night for the couple.
History and setting
The present house was completed in 1732 to designs by James Gibbs for William Hanbury, replacing an older Jacobean manor. The Hanbury family held the estate for eight generations, followed by the Naylor and Lancaster families. Nancy Lancaster, the decorator and partner in Colefax and Fowler, shaped the interiors and the gardens. The Kelmarsh Trust has managed the estate since 1996.
Getting there
Kelmarsh sits in the central Midlands between Northampton and Market Harborough, with road access from the A14 and the A508. Market Harborough is the nearest railway station.
