Charlton Hall
A Complete Review & Venue Guide - [Updated January 2024]
Table of Contents
An Overview of Charlton Hall
Charlton Hall has been making waves in the North East wedding venue scene since opening its doors in 2018. It’s quickly becoming one of my most booked wedding venues and is now one of the first places I would recommend to couples who are searching for an exclusive wedding venue.
Charlton Hall is a North East wedding venue based in Ellingham and just a short drive from the scenic Northumbrian coastline. It’s around an hours drive from Newcastle Upon Tyne and to get there you’ll need a car as it’s a bit cut off from public transport. That may be something to consider if lots of your guests don’t drive or are not planning on staying over the night before.
One huge positive of Charlton Hall is that the venue has on-site accommodation included in the cost of booking and also has one set price for the meal and you can choose from a large variety of dishes. Wedding prices for prime summer dates at Charlton Hall start at £12,495 but if you are prepared to go out of the summer season or even choose a mid-week date, you can start to bring that cost down.
Charlton Hall requires a 20% non-refundable deposit to secure your date.
Another positive is that Newcastle International Airport is less than an hour’s drive away so if you’re planning on jetting off on your honeymoon the day after it makes a perfect location and with alternative accommodation available, it’s also a fantastic choice if you have lots of guests flying in for the wedding.
The traditional charm and quirky atmosphere of Charlton Hall are what makes this a truly unique and special wedding venue. It’s such a pretty wedding venue that has a charming and traditional look from the outside but once you step inside you’ll be blown away with the cool and quirky interior spaces.
I’ve covered everything you need to know and go into tons of detail about all of the different features, pros and cons of this wedding venue further down the page.
Charlton Hall - Key Information:
- Exclusive Use
- Up to 140 Daytime Guests
- 21 Bedrooms On-site
- In-house Catering
- Excellent Staff
- Exceptional Food
- Amazing Canapés
- Outdoor Ceremony Available
- All-In-One Wedding Venue
- Great For All Seasons
- Fireworks & Sparklers Allowed
- Stunning Countryside Views
- Alternative Accommodation Options
- Fantastic Atmosphere
- Not Suitable For A Marquee
- Slightly Remote Location
- Not Dog-Friendly
Average Wedding Cost & Pricing at Charlton Hall
All Costs & Pricing based on a full wedding day with 80 guests to take place on a Saturday in May, June, July and August.
( Prices and brochures correct as of May 2023 )
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Venue Hire £3495
Includes Main House Accommodation
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Night Before £395
Accommodation for up to 4 people
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Registrar £560
For the legal proceedings
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Canapés & Prosecco £1396
Treat your guests to a pre-meal snack
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Wedding Breakfast £6240
A 5-Course Main Meal & Wine for everyone
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Evening Buffet £1276
A Selection of Tasty Street Food
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Total Wedding Cost £13,362
(Does not include photography, cake etc)
Charlton Hall Virtual Tour - Full Video
Join me as I take a walk around the popular North East Wedding Venue Charlton Hall. Taking a look at the entire grounds, all the main function rooms including the bars and toilets. I even give you a full tour of all of the bedrooms and bathrooms including an exclusive look at the secret vault that’s hidden beneath Charlton Hall.
The New Tempus Bedrooms
@carnpatrick Anyone else blown away by the bedrooms? 😍🤯 #thetempus #charltonhall #doxfordgroup #northumberland #luxuryhotel #boutiquehotel #coffeespot #restraurant #romanticgetaway
♬ original sound - 🎄Speed Audios🎄
Currently, there are 21 luxurious ensuite bedrooms available for your wedding guests across the Charlton Hall Estate. However, more bedrooms are on the way with a brand new Hotel, Bar and Restaurant The Tempus. Work on The Tempus is expected to be completed by summer 2023 meaning from 2024 onwards, Charlton Hall will have a total of 36 bedrooms.
Pricing for bedrooms starts at £150. Click here for full-bedroom pricing.
There is a quaint 2-bed self-catering cottage (Sleeping 4) that is available for the bride or groom to stay in the night before the wedding. The price for the cottage for one night is £395
Check-in time for the bedrooms at Charlton Hall is 1 pm and check-out is at 10 am. All rooms include breakfast.
The Bridal Suite’s check-in and check-out time at Charlton Hall is 12 pm.
Breakfast at Charlton Hall is served the next morning between 9 and 10 am.
If you don’t feel like sleeping at Charlton Hall please don’t worry. There are some great alternative accommodation options available.
I’ve listed the best alternative accommodations for Charlton Hall here.
The Ceremony Area at Charlton Hall
Unless you’re planning an outdoor ceremony on the front lawn by the fountain – The twinkling Ceremony Hall is where your wedding ceremony will take place.
It’s an extraordinary setting, unlike anything I’ve seen at any other wedding venue in the North East of England. A striking black and white floor juxtapose against the old stone walls that have been draped in twinkling fairy lights. The mixture of old and new creates a truly enchanting atmosphere.
Candles are permitted at Charlton Hall and I’ve seen many brides use a few scented candles to help give another personal touch to their wedding ceremony.
Speaking of personal touches, I’d highly recommend hiring a live acoustic musician for your wedding ceremony. There are speakers in the Ceremony Hall should you wish to have a playlist for when you walk down the aisle but nothing really compares to live music, especially in a fairy-tale location such as Charlton Hall.
Some of the best musicians in the industry are available for weddings. I’d recommend checking out popular acoustic guitarists like Richard Sutton, Jessica Avison and John Gatenby.
Wedding guests should arrive a minimum of 45-minutes before the wedding ceremony. There is a fantastic bar on-site as well as changing facilities should they need it.
It’s worth bearing in mind that Charlton Hall located just off the A1 north of Alnwick. As the A1 often switches between single and dual carriageways, if there’s a delay people can be stuck in traffic with no other way of getting to the venue. Make sure to tell your guests to give ample time to get there no matter what google maps say.
Here are the directions to Charlton Hall.
Ceremony times at Charlton Hall are 2 pm. Should there not be a wedding the day before there may be some leeway in regards to having an earlier wedding ceremony if that is important to you.
The Ceremony Hall has a maximum capacity of 140 guests. That’s 120 seated and a further 20 standing at the back. If you plan on having an Outdoor Ceremony there is an additional charge of £500. The maximum capacity is the same at 140 Guests.
Important: Before confirming a date with Charlton Hall you must check that there is a Registrar available to marry you first.
To check availability, you can contact the Northumberland Registrars directly at 01665 602870. For 2023/24 Weddings, there’s a £40 non-refundable booking fee to pay to secure a Registrar. After that, you can expect to pay Northumberland County Council £560 for the service and ceremony fees depending on the date you chose.
Confetti is allowed outdoors at Charlton Hall after your wedding ceremony. It often takes place over by the front steps and entrance to the main building which makes for excellent photo opportunities.
Charlton Hall is not Dog-friendly!
Sadly, Charlton Hall is not a Dog-Friendly wedding venue. However, this does not means you have to leave your best buddy behind! At Charlton Hall pets are only allowed in the outside areas. They are not permitted inside the main building itself and they can’t come inside for the meal.
If that’s not a deal-breaker for you and you’d still photographs with your dog on your wedding day, Wishbone Weddings will bring along your dog for the Drinks Reception for you to have photos. When you all head inside for the meal, Wishbone weddings will take your dog out for a nice walk and then drop them off with a friend or family member.
Wishbone Weddings offer a VIP personalised chaperone service for your dog and will pick-up, walk, play, pamper and take care of your dog during your wedding day. They will also drop off your dog to an agreed location. Prices start from just £150.
The Quirky Loo's at Charlton Hall
Delve underneath the Looking Glass and who knows what you will find!
A vibrant pink staircase leads you downstairs to the quirky toilet facilities Charlton Hall has to offer.
Guaranteed to raise an eyebrow, the loo’s are not for the faint-hearted. Red lip urinals are surrounded by bespoke graffiti by artists Lynsey Jean Henderson juxtaposed with a glamorous pink powder room for the girls.
Featured Wedding Galleries at Charlton Hall
Gabrielle & Ben
Holly & Liam
Alexandra & Peter
Ellie & Martin
The Main Function Area at Charlton Hall
The Looking Glass is the largest function room at Charlton Hall and is where you’ll be having your speeches, meal and party. The room is filled with floor to ceiling glass walls on three of its four sides providing panoramic views over the Northumberland countryside.
The ceiling is painted black and is filled with tiny light installations so that as the sun sets the room illuminates with a galaxy of stars.
All chairs, crockery, cutlery, glassware, napkins, table number stands, are included at no extra charge on the day. Any additional decorations such as centrepieces, runners, placemats and favours would need to be sourced by yourself.
If you are planning on bringing your own decorations or hiring styling companies such as Sprig & Thistle, Fleur Couture, The Master Cakesmith and Coco Luminaire create your dream look.
Suppliers can all get access to The Looking Glass to begin setting up from 9:30 am on the morning of your wedding
Once you’ve finished your meal it takes around an hour or so to clear the tables and set up for the evening entertainment but you won’t see any of this as your guests will be enjoying more refreshments over in the main building.
Pro Tip: After your meal is a great time to sneak off for some quiet time together and get a few extra photographs with your wedding photographer.
Your DJ/Entertainment can get access to set up around 7 pm.
Fine Dining at Charlton Hall
Charlton Hall offers its couples a large choice of amazing dishes (including vegetarian and vegan-friendly options) to create a spectacular 5-course feast for their wedding guests.
The average mealtime at Charlton Hall is around 2 hours if your guest numbers are below 100. Expect things to take a little longer if you’re having more guests or planning on having extended speeches.
The price for a 5-course meal is £65 per person.
To begin, snacks are served to the middle of the table to keep your guest’s appetites at bay whilst the wedding speeches are going ahead. You are able to choose what snacks you offer your guests from a variety of options. Charlton Hall has everything from delicious oysters to lamb belly fritters and truffled mushrooms.
The way the rest of the meal works is that you choose the three dishes that you’d like to be served to your guests for each course.
Popular Starters include the Lobster Salad, The Charlton Hall Meat Feast Sharing Board and the Ham Hock Terrine.
For Mains, popular options include Slow Braised Beef, Herb Crusted Cod and the Confit of Duck. You can also choose two sides to serve on each table to go along with the main dishes.
Again couples are spoilt for choice when it comes to desserts too. There’s a whole host of tantalising options to choose from with popular choices being Strawberry Champagne Trifle and the Deconstructed Cheesecake.
The final and fifth course is comprised of a small selection of sweet treats that are served to each table. Expect to see everything from sumptuous fudge and nougat to tasty chocolate truffles.
If this isn’t enough food you can always add in extra sides and courses.
Quick Maths:
Based on 100 wedding guests the total price for food would be £6500
You can download Charlton Hall’s entire Food Menu here.
Please note: Charlton Hall does not allow outside catering or corkage. (That also includes alcoholic items used as wedding favours)
Charlton Hall has an excellent Wine List if you would like to treat your wedding guests to something special during the wedding breakfast.
Prices for a bottle of house White or Red wine starts at £26 per bottle. you’d need to buy 50 bottles if you’d like each guest to have two glasses of wine with their meal.
Based on 100 guests the cost for table wine would be – £1,300
Cocktails & Canapés at Charlton Hall
There’s a whole host of tasty canapés and cocktails on offer at Charlton Hall. Typically, these are usually served out during the Drinks Reception directly after your wedding ceremony.
For £9.95 per person, each guest can enjoy 3 canapés of your choosing. (There are Vegan and Vegetarian options available too) Popular choices are the Curried Tempura Beef, Beer Battered Fish & Chips and the Za’atar Spiced Halloumi but there are tons of other options available. If that’s not enough you can add an extra item for £1.95 per person.
Quick Maths:
Pricing for Canapés based on 100 guests having 3 Canapés at £9.95 per person. The total would be £995.
You can download the entire Menu for Charlton Hall here.
When it comes to cocktails and other drinks the choices are endless. Cocktails such as French Martini’s and Mai Tai are popular choices as well a host of local ales, spirits and wines.
Charlton Hall has a few options available for couples who wish to treat their wedding guests to a glass of Prosecco or a beer or cider during the drinks reception.
The drinks reception usually takes place outside on the front lawn immediately after the ceremony or inside the main building in one of the dazzling function rooms.
The price for a glass of Prosecco is £6.50, a bottle of Peroni is £3.95 and a Rekorderlig cider is £5.95.
Other drinks options for guests are available and you can even buy a ‘Barrow of Beer or Cider’ for a set price. Guests are also welcome to purchase their own drinks.
You can download Charlton Hall’s entire Drinks Menu here
Quick Maths:
Based on 100 wedding guests, the total for a glass of Prosecco for each person would come to £650.
Based on 80 wedding guests – The total cost for treating everyone to a Prosecco & 3 Canapés would come to £1,450.
Charlton Hall is the Perfect Wedding Venue to Throw a BIG Party!
Once your meal is over and you’re off getting some beautiful photographs with your photographer – the staff at Charlton Hall will begin to set up the Ballroom ready for you to cut your cake, have your first dance and kick off the party in style!
How you choose to host the party is up to you! Charlton Hall is open until midnight or you can even choose to extend the party until 1 am for an additional cost.
Music companies such as AMV Live Music offer a huge selection of amazing wedding bands and talented solo artists if you’re looking to entertain. A really good live sax and DJ I’ve seen tear it up at North East wedding venues is House of Sax!
It’s worth noting that there are no disco lights in Charlton Hall so you’ll need to use Charlton Hall’s recommended DJ or find a one of your own that can provide lighting for you.
If you’re looking for a world-class DJ with a fresh new take on the outdated and often cringe-worthy wedding DJ – there is no one I would recommend more than Bride & Groove.
Bride & Groove also happen to be Charlton Hall’s number 1 recommended DJ.
Confetti cannons are welcomed inside The Looking Glass and are a fantastic way to kick off the party and get some great photographs of your first dance.
Fireworks and sparklers are allowed at Charlton Hall however they must be completed by 10 pm on the night of your wedding.
You can invite additional evening guests if you wish to. The maximum capacity for Charlton Hall is 200 so if you have 140 there on the day you can have a further 60 guests arrive in the evening.
If you do invite more guests, it is advised to ask them to arrive from 7:30 pm onwards.
Usually, the bride and groom will cut the cake around 8:15 pm so that gives everyone a chance to grab a drink and mix with the other guests before the cake cutting, first dance and evening’s entertainment gets underway.
Charlton Hall requires that all evening guests are catered for. They offer another buffet-style meal for all wedding and evening guests at around 9:30 pm after an hour of dancing.
Just as with the regular Wedding Breakfast menu – There are tons of food choices available for the evening meal.
Charlton Hall offers a variety of Street Food style meals and sides for your guests. They have everything from Pad Thai to Dirty Dogs, Burgers and Mac & Cheese. Some of the most popular side dishes available are the Confit Duck Fries and Parmesan & Truffle Fries. They always go down so well with guests and help soak up some of that alcohol so you can all party a little longer!
Prices start at £15.95 per person for the Street Food Menu. You must cater to food for all of your evening guests.
A Sample Timeline for a Perfect Wedding Day at Charlton Hall
The Secret Vault Beneath Charlton Hall
At Charlton Hall, the party officially stops at midnight when the bar closes and any guests not sleeping at Charlton Hall must leave the property.
Wedding guests who are staying may enjoy some coffee or a night-cap but there’s nothing to stop you from continuing the party down in the secret vault at no additional charge.
The Vault takes inspiration from Hollywood’s golden era with cool neon lights and large leather wingback chairs. There’s even a vintage jukebox that you can plug in your own tunes and continue your after-party in style.
Drinks can be pre-ordered and you can have the fridges filled up with whatever you like.
Hotels & Airbnb's Near Charlton Hall
If you’ve booked out all the bedrooms currently available within Charlton Hall and need somewhere else for your guests to stay – I’ve got you covered!
I’ve searched the entire local area to find out all of the best alternative accommodation options for your family and guests.
I’ve reviewed and detailed each accommodation with the key facts you need to know via the link below. You’ll just need to check current availability with each property yourself.
Is Charlton Hall Worth The Money?
Yes! Yes and Yes! You’re guaranteed to have the perfect wedding day at Charlton Hall.
Charlton Hall is quickly becoming the number one North East wedding venue and I’d expect it to stay that way for a long time. Some wedding venues just don’t cut it these days, they may have had it in the past but how we think and envision our weddings today is vastly different to the stuffy and lacklustre function rooms of the past. Charlton Hall has set the bar high for all other wedding venues.
If you’re looking for a wedding venue that has been purpose-built to give you the very best wedding day experience then look no further than Charlton Hall.
With a vast array of exceptional food and luxurious interior styling, Charlton Hall should be top of your list of North East wedding venues to visit before choosing your wedding venue.
My advice to all couples would be to call Charlton Hall and request a tour of the wedding venue. You’ll only ever do this once so make sure you choose a wedding venue that speaks to your heart.
Looking for a friendly and chilled wedding photographer who will mix well with your guests?
I capture the day exactly how it happens whilst giving my brides gorgeous and natural photos.
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