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Herefordshire, England
Ledbury, Herefordshire, England
Number of guests
Sleeps up to 23 (extra bed flexibility)
Property description
Eastnor Castle is everyone’s idea of a fairytale castle. Built on an imposing scale and grandeur, and surrounded by a beautiful deer park, arboretum and lake, it makes a unique setting for weddings, functions, corporate entertaining, filming and product launches. The deer park alone has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is a much sought-after venue for outdoor events, from country fairs to flower and garden shows, sporting activities to open-air concerts.
The castle sits dramatically in the foothills of the Malvern Hills surrounded by a 5,000 acre estate in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Eastnor is still the family home of the Hervey-Bathursts, descendants of the 1st Earl Somers who built this remarkable castle in 1812 to resemble a Welsh border fortress. The family prides itself on its highest standards of comfort, impeccable service and personal attention to detail. Guests can stay on after a function in the castle’s luxurious bedrooms, designed to make any stay memorable.
Location
Eastnor lies between the Cotswolds and the Welsh Marches. The castle stands at the centre of a 5,000 acre sporting estate, yet it’s only ten minutes from the national motorway network. You’ll find it 2.5 miles east of Ledbury on the A438 Tewkesbury Road; alternatively, leave the M50 at junction 2 and from Ledbury take the A449/A438 to Eastnor.
Accommodation
The castle sleeps up to 23, with 11 double bedrooms (four with four poster beds) and one large single room. The rooms have all been individually designed with great style and would be worthy of any honeymoon night. Extra beds can be provided in some rooms.
The reception rooms downstairs certainly reflect the grandeur, personality and stature of their creators, but are also immensely comfortable and will make a large group of guests feel relaxed and at leisure. The Great Hall is really the heart of the castle, and the place where wedding guests would be received. It is furnished in the style of a vast Edwardian drawing room, with an ottoman, sofas, armchairs and various family portraits.
The Octagon Saloon, shaped as the name suggests, has been extensively re-decorated, painted by decorative artist Laura Jeffreys. Guests are free to wander through into this impressive reception room which overlooks the lake. The new carpet was specially woven for the room in China in 1994, like the ones in the Long Library and the Little Library. A big roaring fire can be lit here in cooler weather.
It is the Gothic Drawing Room which is licensed for civil wedding ceremonies. This room is likely to make visitors gasp in awe, the whole thing a testament to the skill of Pugin and his team of master craftsmen. The focal points are the massive chimney piece and the family tree; the chairs, table, desk and bookcase were all designed by Pugin.
The State Dining Room will hold a maximum of 80 guests at ten tables of eight, and is the place for a wedding feast or other celebratory meal. A smaller group of up to 23, booking the castle as a whole, would also dine in this room, being served the best fresh local produce with excellent wines and Malvern spring water.
Facilities
The castle has much to interest guests, both adults and children, within its gardens and grounds, including a children’s maze, an adventure playground, lakeside and woodland walks, a tea room and a garden centre.
The castle is perfectly suited to a gathering of conference delegates. It has capacity for 150 theatre style in the Great Hall, 80 in the Gothic Drawing Room and 50 in the Octagon Room. Conference rates (see below) include exclusive use of the castle, full board, soft drinks, afternoon tea, use of State Rooms for meetings and conference equipment.
The hilly terrain and breathtaking scenery also makes the Eastnor Estate an ideal location for teambuilding and activity days. Almost any activity can be arranged from SAS Survival Training to steam traction engines, hot air ballooning to wine tasting.
Area
This is perfect touring country. Besides the magnificent Malvern Hills guests can visit historic Ledbury, the Eastnor Deer Park, Cheltenham Spa and the Cotswolds. They can also discover the delights of Stratford-upon-Avon and its surrounding Shakespeare country.
Prices
Dinner, bed and breakfast (minimum 10 guests): £245 per person per night; includes...
Evening Dinners and Parties: Facilities fee £1600 per evening.
Activity Days, Product Launches and Private Lunches: £1900 per day.
Day and evening combined fee: £3000.
Conference 24-hour rate (minimum 10 guests): £305 per person.
For marquee events an additional fee is charged of £500.
Weddings: exclusive hire - Saturdays £6,250; weekdays £5,250 (11am-midnight).
All prices exclude VAT except wedding hire. Please call for further details.
Contact the property owners
Phone: +44 01531-633160
Fax: +44 01531-631776
Please note that you cannot rent this property directly from The Big Domain. If you wish to rent Eastnor Castle, or would like to enquire about availability, please click on the Contact the Property Owner button above, and use the form provided to contact the owner directly.
