We beat off competition from across the UK to be awarded Wedding Venue of the Year in the historic venue category.

It means we’ve joined some of the most recognised names in the wedding industry, which is a real feat for such a small venue.

Now we know we’ve won a lot of awards lately. And every single of one of them is as important as the last! Most of those we have entered have required feedback from our guests, so they mean the world to us because it shows us we’re doing the right thing.

We will never rest on our laurels, however. We’re always making sure we improve where necessary and do even better than we are doing in many cases.

Our clients’ feedback is always what we love to hear and is hugely important. But it is nice when industry peers tell us they love what we’re doing.

We would like to thank all our past guests and corporate clients for all their kind words and input that has helped us collect a string of awards this year.

At Ellingham Hall, we always like to think of our team as a family. So, we were delighted when we welcomed a new addition to our General Manager’s family late last year. Anthony and his wife, Jane, decided to host their special naming ceremony at the Hall for their beautiful daughter, Theodora.

For everyone here, it was like welcoming a new member of our extended family and we had a wonderful day.

A stunning carousel at the front of the Hall greeted guests as they made their way to the Entrance Hall, where welcome drinks were available, before they headed to their seats for the ceremony.

One of Anthony’s family friends carried out the naming service for ‘Teddy’ who was the star of the show.

There was something for everyone during the day of celebration: children enjoyed the carousel, a bouncy castle, rustic tree houses and explored the grounds. An acoustic singer, magician and photo booth stand offered entertainment for the adults.

The Chapel was decorated by the Whole Sch-Bang event stylists in ivory and pale pink with bunting, silk tablecloths and stunning blossom trees and balloons. Imagery from the day couldn’t have been more perfectly captured by Phil Smith Photography.

Our Head Chef and his team cooked and served a tremendous barbecue, while the sweet-toothed adults (and children, of course) were offered treats from the candy cart along with popcorn and candy floss.

Anthony said: “We had a great afternoon with friends and family, and I want to thank all of the suppliers who helped us to create this very special day.”

We can’t wait to welcome you and your family to Ellingham Hall. So, if you have a new addition, we’d be happy to make your day as special as Teddy’s!

Catering for celebrations for up to 140 guests, we offer a wide range of tailored catering and drinks packages to suit your occasion, from champagne, canapés, right through to buffets and fine dining.

Our Naming Day Sunday Afternoon Packages run from 2-5pm and are based on a minimum spend of £450 on food and beverages. No venue hire charges apply and dates are subject to availability.

To request our private hire enquiry pack, please call the team on 01665 568118 or email info@ellingham-hall.co.uk.

We’re all celebrating at Ellingham Hall after being named runners-up at two prestigious National awards ceremonies.

Firstly, we were delighted to be named Highly Commended in the Best Independent Hotel/Venue category at the Corporate and Hospitality Show Awards 2019. Being the only North East venue shortlisted and competing against a large number of well-established and long-standing corporate venues, we were honoured to be recognised on such a national scale.

Our Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager Lynn said: “We’ve put in real effort to stand out in corporate hospitality. The venue only re-launched in the corporate sector late last summer, so be recognised in such a short space of time is a great achievement for our team”.

We were also runners up in the National Weddings Awards’ UK Countryside Wedding Venue of the Year category.

Again, shortlisted as the only North East venue in its category, we flew the flag for the region and were praised for our commitment to our couples and the first-class service we provide.

Our Wedding Marketing and Communications Manager, Rachel, said: “We’re extremely proud to be named Highly Commended in this category. It’s a real achievement and a testament to the countless hours our Weddings Team puts into making each and every wedding experience as special as the last.

We also wanted to take the opportunity to thank everybody for their kind comments during the selection process and for taking the time to vote for the venue since the shortlisted was announced in March.”

These achievements follow 18 months of recognition in wedding awards.

Our General Manager Anthony is delighted with the success. He said: “We have enjoyed real success and it’s always fantastic to be recognised by our peers for our hard work.

“We keep on proving how good our attention to detail is when it comes to weddings, which is now extending to corporate hospitality. It’s amazing how quickly we have made an impact in that sector in less than a year.

“There is a considerable amount of competition in both sectors, and I am immensely proud of what we are achieving. Unlike large venues that have separate teams, we all pull together as a family here at Ellingham Hall, and I’m convinced that is what is getting us the recognition our team deserves. We care so much about our guests’ big occasions – whether that’s a wedding or corporate event – that they receive an unparalleled service.”

Last month, around 90 delegates were welcomed to Ellingham Hall for an informative seminar, discussing intergenerational wealth and personal finance.

Sage Wealth Management along with Warcup Law Firm organised this joint event. The seminar highlighted the importance of making wills and powers of attorney. All this to help their delegates plan how to pass on their wealth to future generations and plan for long term care.

Michael Sage, Director of Sage Wealth Management, was delighted at the comments from delegates and said: “The hall catered for everything we needed, from the luxury entrance rooms, to the grounds outside, which we used to talk with clients in more detail afterwards. It was exactly what we wanted to allow us to host a presentation of this size.

Guests were welcomed with a selection of drinks and canapés in the entrance hall and then again on departure.

The seminar itself took place in the Chapel, while the dining room and drawing room provided the perfect spaces for relaxing.

Mark Warcup, principal and owner of Warcup Law Firm said “I believe some guests may have chosen to come along to experience one of our events at Ellingham Hall. The grounds here are really lovely and its nice to give those local to the venue a chance to enjoy them.”

Ellingham Hall are able to cater for a range of exclusive, corporate events of all sizes. If you are planning something for your business, then contact a member of the Events team to find out how we can make your event a success too.

We’ve been overwhelmed with the number of awards we’ve picked up over the past year. And now we’re being shortlisted for one of the UK’s top titles.

This week, we were told that Ellingham Hall will be vying for a coveted award in this year’s Conference & Hospitality Show (CHS) Awards.

We have been shortlisted as one of finalists in the Best Independent Hotel/Venue category which we have been advised was the busiest category.

The venue re-launched its Corporate offering last summer and received some fantastic feedback at their VIP Corporate Showcase in November.

Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager, Lynn Sanderson, said she was delighted to find out about the shortlisting at this week’s CHS expo in Leeds.

“We are the only North East venue shortlisted for this award,” she said. “We are delighted. There are only 11 venues who made the shortlist, so to be considered one of the best in the entire country is fantastic. We have developed some great relationships with corporate clients since our re-launch and their support with our award submission was greatly appreciated”

We’ll find out if we pick up the title at a glittering awards ceremony in Leeds on June 6, we are very excited to find out the result!”

Children from as young as two, up to twelve, had a fun-packed time and also got the chance to meet the Easter Bunny during the exciting day of activities.

Our chapel was the place to be for the obligatory egg decorating competition, and we received some fantastic entries from all age groups. We were delighted to award 11-year-old Gabriella as the winner with her fantastic peacock egg creation.

There were also seven different craft stations for the little ones (and, let’s be honest some parents too) to join in with, including paper plate decorating, Easter card making and build a bunny.

After a tasty barbecue lunch, the afternoon started with an Easter canvas making workshop run by Jayne Stafford from The Creation Station. There were many different designs with some parents helping little ones to use their painted hands and feet to create some fantastic images.

Face-painting was also on offer throughout the day and most children sported fun quirky designs thanks to Sue Parker at Painted Face.

Our young guests then got the chance to take part in a woodland egg hunt in our beautiful scenic grounds. They were joined by parents who helped them to work out the clues, hidden within eggs. Children had 6 coloured plastic eggs to collect, before returning them to the Easter bunny to receive a novelty chocolate egg.

Lynn Sanderson, Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager, said it was a great day.
She said: “The sun was shining, and we had a lovely time. There were lots going on and parents said they really enjoyed being here at the Hall because there was so much for their children to enjoy in a beautiful setting. This is our first family event this year at the Hall, and we are looking forward to our next event during the summer holidays.”

Ben, a local resident his whole life, has had a varied career including working as a ground worker, delivery driver and farmhand before coming to work at Ellingham Hall. Not only does he look after the Hall and grounds but also looks after its sister venue Lemmington Hall too.

We caught up with Ben to find out how he is finding his new role. He said: “I really enjoy working at Ellingham Hall. I love the fact every day is different. At the moment I’m fitting new door locks, but last week I was decorating three bedrooms and fitting new windows.
“It’s a lovely place to work, in fact it’s the best place I’ve worked. I fix most things along with the maintenance team, including plumbing. As well as the fabric of the building, we’re responsible for the security and safety of guests and staff here.”

As an essential part of the team that works behind the scenes, we were delighted when Ben agreed to be promoted. Like the rest of our family, he’s a hard worker and we are thrilled that he enjoys his work.

We like to make sure that we do everything possible to improve the lives of anyone who has contact with Ellingham Hall.

And while that’s a very clear foundation within our core values for visitors, guests, wedding couples and corporate clients, it also extends to the wider community in which we are situated.

Being well known within the county of Northumberland, we believe it is important that as part of our corporate governance we are instrumental in protecting and improving the beautiful, historic rural community we are proud to be part of.

There are several key issues in which we have taken a key role in helping our neighbourhood.

Water Improvement

When Ellingham Hall’s owners bought the Hall, the village’s sewerage system was an outdated septic tank that overflowed and flushed sewage down the stream within the Hall’s grounds. This not only affected villagers, but it also had an adverse effect on wildlife.

A meeting was arranged by our owner Aidan Ruff with local residents, water and river authorities, council representatives and environmental health departments to drive forward an urgent update of the system.

After two hours, a plan was made, and it took only 12 months to find the funding. As a result, the new system not only produces clean water that meets current standards, but wildlife has now returned to the stream and grounds.

Our Environment

As well as looking after the water for our village, the work we carried out has enabled us to offer fresh water direct from the local spring which was part of the old Ellingham Estate and now run by Northumbrian Water to be bottled for visitors to enjoy. Being a sustainable source, it also means we do not have to rely on buying in bottled water, which means a reduction in plastics and vehicles coming into the village as well as their emissions.

Guests are also treated to tasting our own homegrown herbs and fruit when they come to Ellingham Hall. We recently introduced a herb garden as part of plans to grow our own produce, which is currently being upgraded. As well as garlic, rosemary, mint and thyme, we also grow our own rhubarb and have many fruit trees, including apple, plum and pear. All of this produce is used by our Head Chef for his culinary creations and helps reduce our need to transport ingredients, which are also fresher so better tasting!

Ellingham Hall also provides its central heating and hot water through a biomass system. Although this was a considerable investment, we believe this is better for our local and the wider environment because it is a low-carbon option and reduces our emissions. We also use fuel from local suppliers saving on carbon output.

We also have a conservation project that includes continual investment in the grounds to preserve nature and wildlife. In particular, our tree planting programme will be further extended into our next phase of development at our sister venue Lemmington Hall.

We have a recycling point for cardboard, glass and plastics and we’ve banned plastic straw use.

Low energy lighting is also used throughout the entire site and has been since CFL and then LED bulbs became available.

High Speed Broadband

As a rural business, we enjoy many benefits, but one area that is an issue for any business or resident within the UK’s countryside is connectivity. Whilst we were able to access the Internet, it was painfully slow via six aged lines.

As the village’s cables run through our grounds, our owners Aidan and Helen negotiated with BT/Openreach to install a high-speed cabinet within the estate to allow Open Reach and Alncom to install two high speed broadband lines. We also provided the power and helped with the legal work to speed up the process, which has allowed villagers to enjoy fast broadband.

The second phase of this work was the installation of a roof antenna to allow local farms and anyone in nearby villages of up to 5 miles away to access high speed broadband.

As a ‘thank you’ for the ease in which the upgrade was carried out, Open Reach has offered to put in high speed lines to our new sister venue, Lemmington Hall.

See recent press article about the work via link below https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/northumberland-firm-delivers-broadband-solutions-1-9413359

Better Connectivity

Rural Northumberland is a beautiful, unspoiled county, but road connections are now very outdated and in need of modernisation. Having better connectivity will not only make it easier to travel, but opens the county to further inward investment, which will create more jobs.

Our owner, Aidan, has worked closely with local MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan and a campaign to dual the A1 north of Morpeth to Ellingham. Consultations are now taking place after the money for the project was allocated by the Department of Transport. There is a continuing campaign to dual the A1 right to the Scottish Border, and this will help broaden the appeal of venues such as Ellingham to a wider customer base, which will protect and create jobs as well as improve potential future investment.

The work we have carried out so far shows that our business focus is far wider than providing a venue for guests, but we are part of our community. As well as providing employment in a rural area, we are also keen to protect the interests of our community and the environment both now and in the future.

Lynn has joined our team as Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager and is looking forward to arranging events for businesses and private parties.

Whether it is for a product launch, conference, team-building or special meetings and events, Lynn will be going out across the region to explain just why Ellingham Hall is the perfect venue.
She says, “Unlike a hotel, if you arrange business events at Ellingham Hall you won’t have to share the venue with other delegates. The exclusivity and flexibility are what differentiate Ellingham from other venues.

“I’m looking forward to meeting businesses across the region and I’m sure they will be excited by what we have to offer.”

Lynn has worked in the events industry for seven years and has been involved in sales and marketing roles in various sectors for 18.

As well as the corporate market, Lynn will be arranging a calendar of events at the Hall to provide opportunities for people to come and enjoy the Hall and its wonderful surroundings, as well as the amazing food from our Head Chef.

In the past, the only way to enjoy the Hall was to be invited as part of a wedding party, but with events including Sunday Lunch for Mother’s Day, an Easter family fun day and a Father’s Day laser clay experience, we’re looking forward to welcoming even more guests throughout the year.

In January Rachel was appointed as Wedding Marketing and Communications Manager to raise further awareness for Ellingham’s first-class wedding service, in the North East and beyond.

Rachel has been working in the marketing and events sector for almost 10 years now and over the last two years has worked exclusively in the wedding industry.

She says, “It’s so great to be starting at a venue which boasts so many gorgeous spaces and with a multi-award winning and experienced team alongside me.

“Ellingham Hall is such a beautiful venue both inside and out. From rooftop terraces and cascading waterfalls, to our spacious reception rooms and historic Chapel, it’s a joy to be part of something really special.”

It’s going to be an exciting year, and we can’t wait to welcome you.

On a final note, we were officially named Northumberland’s Most Outstanding Luxury Wedding Venue in the Global Luxury Hotel & Spa Awards 2019, which is organised by exclusive magazine Lux Life.

Northumberland’s Ellingham Hall has been voted the county’s Most Outstanding Luxury Wedding Venue by a select panel of judges.

It was given the title in the 2019 Global Luxury Hotel & Spa Awards – and it comes just months after the exclusive-use venue’s wedding co-ordinator picked up an accolade as being the North East’s best co-ordinator.
Award organisers say they were created to recognise companies, brands and individuals who are “excelling in the ever-growing industry of luxury hospitality – those who go above and beyond to exemplify experiences clients are seeking when looking for their latest getaway or luxury venue”.

Rachel Barlow, Ellingham Hall’s new Weddings Marketing and Communications Manager, said she was delighted that the venue had scooped the award.
“The judges make the decision based on venues across the county. There isn’t a nomination procedure, they judge all venues, so it was a really pleasant surprise to be given this award,” she said.

General Manager Anthony Hunter added: “We were delighted when our Wedding Co-ordinator, Wendy, was named the North East’s best co-ordinator last autumn, and this is a testament to what a great team we have here. We’ve made a substantial investment in the venue, refurbishing bedrooms, the drawing room, and adding even more luxury touches.”

The news comes just as the hall’s owners are focusing on new business from the corporate and events sector, which Anthony said would help increase job opportunities and further grow the business.