Board meetings, conferences for up to 100 delegates, team-building days, themed dinners and weddings for 2 to 100 guests are organized at Muncaster Castle, a Grade I listed castle near Ravenglass on the west coast of Cumbria. The state rooms, a converted laundry and a set of smaller rooms serve for meetings, and the estate adds owls, falconry and medieval weapons for activities.
Seminars and company events
Muncaster sells day-delegate packages, with food and drink as an add-on prepared in the castle by the in-house head chef. Every package includes a large TV screen, an HDMI connection and Wi-Fi; a speaker with microphone, flipcharts and markers are available on request. Team-building is a strong point. The Weapons Hall package combines axe throwing, crossbow, archery, sword skills and jousting, with exclusive access to the hall and a tavern for the debrief. In the main season, the Hawk and Owl Centre runs flying displays at 11.30 am, 2 pm and 4 pm that can be added to a day. The castle also stages an annual Muncaster Corporate Challenge for teams of six to eight from Cumbrian companies, with the next edition announced for June 24, 2027. Muncaster is run as a not-for-profit company and describes itself as a zero-carbon castle, with solar power and ground source heat pumps, a useful point for companies with CSR targets.
Weddings and receptions
Six licensed rooms can host ceremonies and wedding meals for 2 to 100 guests. Couples get exclusive use of the castle state rooms, so only one wedding takes place on the day. Food and drink packages and accommodation at Muncaster or in nearby hotels complete the offer.
Rooms and capacities
The Drawing Room is the largest room: 100 theatre style, 80 in conference layout, and up to 100 for a fine dining dinner. The Billiard Room takes 40 theatre style or 20 in conference layout. The Dining Room seats 28 in conference layout or for a three-course dinner. The Old Laundry Function Suite works for theatre or conference layouts and for dining, the Bluebell Room has a large central table for small meetings, and the Old Dairy serves as a meeting room and as a base for outdoor activities.
Accommodation
On site, 10 self-catering rooms in the Muncaster Gardens sleep up to 30 people, and the Stay in the Castle option takes up to 8. Holiday cottages and bell tent glamping are also offered. For larger groups, the Pennington Hotel in Ravenglass, with 22 bedrooms, is about five minutes away by car, and Sella Park, with 25 bedrooms, about 15 minutes.
Catering
Food is prepared in the castle by the in-house head chef: buffets, sandwiches, afternoon tea and castle-baked cakes for meeting days, and three-course lunches or dinners with selected wines in the Dining Room or the Drawing Room. Themed formats include a guided tour before dinner, a murder mystery played between courses and ghost tours.
History and setting
The castle is more than 800 years old, and the Pennington family has lived on the site since 1208. The gardens are known for their spring displays of camellias, magnolias and native daffodils.
Getting there
Muncaster lies on the A595 at Ravenglass, postcode CA18 1RQ. Free parking, including for coaches, is at the Church car park, a third of a mile south of the main car park; coaches use the church gate entrance.
