Swarthmoor Hall, near Ulverston in Cumbria, hires a conference room for up to 60 delegates, an Old Barn and a cafe for small gatherings, and gardens for outdoor events. Five self-catering units with 12 bedrooms sleep 22 people, so a residential meeting or retreat can run on one site. The hall is a 17th-century house known as a cradle of Quakerism.
Seminars and company events
The conference room accommodates up to 60 delegates and is offered for meetings, seminars, retreats and more, either as a standalone venue or as part of an accommodation package that lets delegates stay overnight. The room is fully accessible to wheelchair users. The gardens and grounds serve for open-air events, team-building activities and garden parties. The site lists cosy, intimate spaces for brainstorming sessions and small gatherings, and some spaces can be adapted to the set-up needed. The hall does not currently organise retreats or pilgrimages itself, but it works with groups who bring their own event. For catering and audiovisual needs, ask the team directly, since both are arranged by enquiry.
Weddings and receptions
The venue lists wedding receptions among the occasions its spaces suit, with the gardens as an open-air backdrop and the barn for celebrations. The pages read do not describe ceremonies or wedding capacities, so ask about both.
Rooms and capacities
The conference room takes up to 60 delegates. The Barn Café seats up to 20 guests in its balcony area with socialising space on the ground floor and can be hired whenever the site is closed to the public. The Old Barn has a sawdust floor, beams and exposed brick walls, and a small square platform for live performances, which suits celebrations, rehearsals and intimate concerts. All spaces share a recently expanded car park.
Accommodation
Five self-catering units for groups of two to eight people provide 12 bedrooms, nearly all ensuite, sleeping 22 in total. Three units are in modern buildings, one fully accessible, and two are in the Old Hall itself.
Catering
The Barn Café serves visitors, and the pages read leave event catering to enquiry at info@swarthmoorhall.co.uk.
History and setting
Swarthmoor Hall is a 17th-century house tied to the early Quaker movement and George Fox. It is owned by Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and managed by a trading subsidiary. The house, gardens, shop and cafe are open to visitors on set days, and the hall closes for the winter season in late autumn.
Getting there
The address is Swarthmoor Hall Lane, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 0JQ. The nearest station is Ulverston, the nearest airport is Manchester and the nearest motorway is the M6 at Junction 36.
