Ludlow Castle hosts weddings, private functions, team-building days and meetings, with ceremonies for up to 100 guests, seated dinners for 60 and receptions for up to 300 in a marquee. The castle stands at the top of the market town of Ludlow, in Shropshire, and belongs to the Powis Estates. Events take place in Castle House, a residence inside the castle walls, and in the ruins around it.
Seminars and company events
The castle says it can accommodate conferences and team meetings as well as parties. The Beacon Rooms, the reception rooms of Castle House, are offered for corporate events such as team-building days and meetings, as well as christenings and birthday parties. The castle office handles bookings and arranges viewings.
Weddings and receptions
Three spaces are licensed for civil ceremonies, and a humanist celebrant can be arranged. The Library suits a ceremony with up to six guests. The Beacon Rooms seat up to 100 for a ceremony. The Round Chapel, in the Inner Bailey, takes 50 to 70 seated or 90 to 100 mostly standing. Guests reach it through the private gardens and over a wooden bridge across the dry moat.
After the ceremony, drinks, canapés and the meal move to Castle House and the Beacon Rooms. Wedding packages include exclusive use of Castle House Gardens and photographs within the castle grounds.
Rooms and capacities
The Beacon Rooms seat 60 for a formal dinner and 100 for a ceremony. They have high ceilings, an original frieze and a large fireplace, and look onto the private grounds. For larger numbers, a marquee seats up to 300. The Outer Bailey has a stage used for the castle's summer concerts.
Accommodation
Castle House has three apartments, each sleeping four in two rooms: Comus on the second floor, and Sir Henry Sidney and Prince Arthur & Catherine of Aragon on the first floor. The Custodians House, a short walk away in Dinham, also sleeps four. Stays run for three, four or seven nights.
Catering
Chapter 66, which runs the castle cafe and restaurant, is the catering partner. It serves canapés and drinks, afternoon tea and wedding breakfasts, with menus built around local, seasonal produce and set with the owner and head chef.
History and setting
The castle dates from the years after the Norman Conquest and became the seat of the Council of the Marches. The Round Chapel is the ruin of the chapel of St Mary Magdalene, roofed again during its 2018 restoration. The Beacon Rooms were added to Castle House for Sir Coundie Stephen, a diplomat who served Edward VII.
Getting there
The castle sits on Castle Square in the center of Ludlow. Ludlow station, on the line between Shrewsbury and Hereford, is about a 15-minute walk away. Birmingham Airport is roughly 90 minutes by car.
