Conferences for up to 100 people, board meetings of 10 to 40 and wedding receptions for up to 200 guests can be held at West Dean House, a Grade II* listed house in the village of West Dean, near Chichester in West Sussex. The house is home to West Dean College, and its gardens lie at the foot of the South Downs.
Seminars and company events
The college rents four rooms in the main house for conferences, away days and meetings. Catering is provided on the Chichester campus, with buffet breakfasts and lunches for delegates. Teams that need to stay can book bed and breakfast rooms on site, and lunch and dinner can be added in the college dining room. Free Wi-Fi runs through the buildings, and parking is free. Because of the historic nature of the house, children cannot stay overnight.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings take place in the gardens, with a marquee or tipi set up on a lawn reserved for the couple, for up to 200 guests. Only one wedding is held per weekend. Blessings can be held in any part of the grounds, and West Dean Parish Church stands next to the estate for a church ceremony. The marquee is hired separately from a list of suppliers who know the site. Music ends at 11 pm and guests leave by midnight under the premises licence. Cars can stay overnight in the main drive car park. Biodegradable confetti is allowed and fireworks are not. There is no guest accommodation for weddings on site.
Rooms and capacities
The Old Library, with Edwardian decoration, is the largest room: 100 in theatre style or for a reception, 40 around a boardroom table, 36 in classroom and 20 in a U-shape. The Estate Boardroom takes 48 in theatre, 22 at a boardroom table, 20 in classroom and 18 in a U-shape. The Old Dining Room seats 24 at its Victorian dining table. The Music Room suits small groups, with 25 for a reception, 24 in theatre and 10 around a table.
Accommodation
Bed and breakfast rooms are single, twin or double, mostly traditional with some contemporary rooms, spread between the main house, the Old Vicarage, Ivy Cottage and nearby annexes. The rooms have no television.
Catering
The college dining room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner to residents. In the gardens, the Gardens Kitchen restaurant cooks with seasonal produce from the walled kitchen garden.
History and setting
West Dean belongs to the Edward James Foundation, and many of the artworks in the meeting rooms come from Edward James's own collection, alongside an early 18th-century tapestry panel. The college teaches through its School of Arts, School of Conservation and KLC School of Design. The gardens include a pergola about 100 meters long, restored Victorian glasshouses, a spring garden crossed by the River Lavant and the 49-acre St Roche's Arboretum.
Getting there
The nearest station is Chichester, and the number 60 bus stops opposite the main entrance.
