Sudeley Castle hosts dinners, drinks receptions, conferences and team days, and weddings with up to 150 guests at the wedding breakfast and 130 at a ceremony in its chapel. The castle stands in the Cotswold Hills just outside Winchcombe, in Gloucestershire, and remains a private home set in gardens and an estate of some 1,200 acres.
Seminars and company events
The castle takes corporate and conference events, private dining, drinks receptions, celebrations and Christmas parties. Three named spaces serve groups of different sizes: the Orangery, the Castle Coach House and the Library. Private rooms inside the castle can be hired for drinks, dinner parties and conferences. The estate's 1,200 acres are offered for team building, company days and summer parties, and the rooms and gardens are also hired for film, television and photo shoots. Capacities for meeting layouts are not published, so ask the events team for a seated conference figure.
Weddings and receptions
Ceremonies take place in St Mary's Chapel beside the castle, for up to 130 guests, led by a local vicar, a celebrant or a friend. Outdoor ceremonies are possible on the Haha, which looks over the rose garden to the castle, in the ruins of the Tithe Barn or on the lawns. Drinks are served in the Queen's Garden, enclosed by 200-year-old yew hedges around a central fountain, with marquee options facing the ruins of the Royal Apartments. The wedding breakfast is held in the Orangery for up to 150, or outdoors on the Mulberry Lawn beside the ruins of the Banqueting Hall. The Castle Coach House hosts the evening party for exclusive weddings. With exclusive hire, the castle and gardens close to the public and the couple has the private areas for up to two days, with the North Lawn available for a larger marquee or a second-day garden party. Only a few wedding dates are offered each year.
Rooms and capacities
St Mary's Chapel seats 130. The Orangery, with glass walls and views over the Cotswold Hills, takes 150 for a meal. The Castle Coach House, the Library and the private castle rooms suit smaller dinners, receptions and meetings. Outdoors, the Queen's Garden, the Mulberry Lawn, the Haha, the Tithe Barn ruins and the North Lawn give a choice of settings for drinks, dining and marquees.
Accommodation
The estate has 19 holiday cottages for groups of 3 to 14, many with their own gardens and several dog-friendly, and the castle says it can house more than 100 guests in total. The Gatehouse suits a couple, and the Old Laundry is used for getting ready before a wedding.
History and setting
The castle describes itself as a private home that has received guests for more than 1,000 years. The ruins of the Banqueting Hall, the Tithe Barn and the Royal Apartments stand within the gardens, next to the chapel. The site announces that the castle and gardens reopen in March 2027, with seasonal events in the meantime, so confirm dates with the events team early.
Getting there
Sudeley Castle lies on the edge of Winchcombe, in the north Cotswolds, within driving distance of Cheltenham. Cheltenham Spa is the nearest main-line railway station. Events enquiries go to the castle's events team.
