As a Yorkshire wedding photographer since 2006, I’ve seen a fair few of Yorkshire and Humberside’s best Country House and Stately Homes wedding venues, that put Downton Abbey to shame! So I thought I’d put together a list of my absolute favourites.
Whatever vibe you’re chasing, in Yorkshire you’re spoiled for choice…
Over the many years I’ve been photographing weddings, I’ve been lucky enough to visit loads of stunning Stately Homes and Country Houses around Yorkshire that I’d never have seen otherwise! Some are impossibly grand and opulent, surrounded by stunning grounds and provide the perfect setting for a stunning wedding, and some provide a wonderfully intimate space in which to celebrate…
Yorkshires Top 15 Best Yorkshire Country House and Stately Home Wedding Venues!
I’ve shot hundreds of weddings in Yorkshire’s Country House Venues around and it’s been tough narrowing the list to the top 15 Yorkshire Stately Home and Country House Venues! We wedding photographers are an ‘all seeing eye’ and can evaluate venues not just by how beautiful they are in the best possible light, but also how they’re run – on display and behind the scenes – in all weathers and at weddings huge or intimate!
So, from an experienced wedding photographer’s point of view – and in no particular order – here’s my top fifteen…
Best Yorkshire Country House / Stately Home Venues
- 1. Goldsborough Hall
- 2. Birdsall House
- 3. Middleton Estate
- 4. Carlton Towers Estate
- 5. Bowcliffe Hall
- 6. Howsham Hall
- 7. Broughton Hall
- 8. Saltmarshe Hall
- 9. Burtonsfield Hall
- 10. Newburgh Priory
- 11. The Mansion in Roundhay Park
- 12. Rise Hall
- 13. Wortley Hall
- 14. Rudby Hall
- 15. The Bowes Museum
- … Denton Hall (soon to re-open!)
No matter where in the county you’re based, there’s sure to be something you’ll fall in love with this extensive list of amazing Yorkshire Country House Wedding Venues. Below is a description of each, accompanied by a few links to blogs from weddings I’ve photographed at each.
I hope it’s of help, if you’re searching for an grand Stately Home Wedding in Gods Own County…
Goldsborough Hall – A Stately Home with Royal Connections near Harrogate
Goldsborough Hall is one of my favourite Yorkshire country house wedding venues. It is close to Knaresborough, but also within striking distance of Leeds and Harrogate. If you’re looking for a romantic wedding venue with Royal connections, Goldsborough Hall in Yorkshire is an absolute gem! As a wedding photographer I love this place, where timeless elegance meets history and heritage. Dating back to the early 17th century, Goldsborough Hall was once the residence of Princess Mary, the late Queen’s aunt. Imagine your special day surrounded by the grandeur of its Jacobean architecture and formal gardens with sweeping views over the Yorkshire countryside.
The rooms for bridal preparations are stunning and have a private path and entrance to the 13th-century Norman Church, St Mary The Virgin adjacent to the hall. Weddings have exclusive use of the hall, staterooms, award winning gardens and delicious 3 AA rosette standard catering!
The elegant dining room is perfect for a civil ceremony or an intimate wedding breakfast, and the Orangery provides an airy space for a larger wedding breakfast, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the gardens. I’ve shot many of weddings at Goldsborough Hall over the years and have got to know Mark and Clare Oglesby (and their lovely dogs) well. The lovely Alison, Amanda and the down to earth team at the hotel, happily tailor bespoke weddings of all shapes and sizes! It’s an honour to be a recommended supplier there (and I even stayed there on my wedding night with my wife!)
Here are a few useful stats about Goldsborough Hall as a wedding venue:
150
Reception Guests
250
Evening Guests
24
Sleeps
17
Bedrooms
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View all my wedding photos at Goldsborough Hall or click on one of my fave weddings there below:
Birdsall House – The most elegant Stately Home Wedding Venue in Yorkshire!
Birdsall House and Estate nestled in one of the most picturesque and secluded of Yorkshire’s landscapes, 20 miles east of York. It is steeped in history and surrounded by breathtaking Yorkshire countryside. I’ve been lucky enough to shoot wedding photos at this enchanting place a handful of times. Built in the 16th century, and lovingly maintained by the Willoughby family for generations (the wedding mastermind Cara and her events team are lovely!), Birdsall House combines classic elegance with a welcoming, lived in atmosphere. For wedding photos there are stunning ruins beautifully manicured gardens and serene lakes, with no end of romantic spots for that extra special shot.
Birdsall House Weddings offer a host of exquisite spaces for a wedding ceremony and reception. Overlooking the grounds, the Drawing Room can host an intimate setting for wedding vows, or you can use their very own gorgeous on-site church! After a drinks reception on the terrace or in the state rooms, the elegant Ballroom, strung with grand chandeliers, is the perfect spot for a sumptuous wedding breakfast. They’ve also recently converted the Old Kitchens into a unique basement event space that can accommodate 200 revellers!
From the first kiss to the first dance, Cara and her team at Birdsall House know how to throw the perfect wedding!
Here are a few useful stats about Birdsall Estate as a wedding venue:
120
Reception Guests
200
Evening Guests
26
Sleeps
13
Bedrooms
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View my favourite wedding photos at Birdsall House below:
Middleton Estate near Richmond – An Award Winning hotel, restaurant and wedding venue set in 200 acres of rural North Yorkshire!
Middleton Estate have two stunning venues to host weddings, the Main House (& marquee) and the Walled Gardens and Fig House. As Country House wedding venues go, the 18th Century 16 bedroom Main House is an impressive Georgian mansion, with grand interiors around a sweeping staircase that leads to stunning rooms for bridal preparations and guest accommodation.
On the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, and surrounded by 200 acres of North Yorkshire countryside and beautiful gardens topiary, there’s a myriad of picturesque backdrops for wedding photos. Inside, the various exquisite rooms can be configured for a ceremony and wedding meal, with a more intimate wedding breakfast in the Drawing Room, or under the impressive floating curved staircase, or a much larger wedding can be hosted in their stylish permanent marquee.
Whether envisioning a cozy, intimate gathering or a larger, more elaborate affair, the team at Middleton Estate are pro’s at creating dream weddings!
Here are a few useful stats about Middleton Estate Main House as a wedding venue:
150
Reception Guests
200
Evening Guests
32
Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View all my wedding photos at Middleton Estate or one of my fave weddings there below (including one at The Fig House and Walled Garden, for comparison):
Carlton Towers Estate – East Yorkshire’s grandest and most imposing stately home wedding venue!
Carlton Towers isn’t actually a monument or a national trust property, it’s actually the real family home of Lord and Lady Gerald Fitzalan Howard! This breathtaking 17th Century Gothic-style country house, in the picturesque East Yorkshire countryside, has more state rooms than you can shake a stick at! From its sweeping staircase, to it’s majestic towers and meticulously landscaped gardens, every corner of this estate provides a stunning backdrop for wedding photos.
Inside, the grand Venetian Drawing Room, with its intricate, opulent plasterwork, is ideal for exchanging your vows, while the beautiful Picture Gallery offers a magnificent setting for your wedding breakfast. Each huge room exudes historical charm and elegance for a fairytale wedding atmosphere. Although it’s vast, Weddings at Carlton Towers can be anything from large scale to intimate and it’s always been a pleasure photographing them there!
Here are a few useful stats about Carlton Towers as a wedding venue:
150
Reception Guests
250
Evening Guests
31
Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View my favourite wedding photos at Carlton Towers Estate below:
Bowcliffe Hall – a luxury Country House wedding venue with funky furnishings!
Bowcliffe Hall is genuinely one of Yorkshire’s most stunning wedding venues! Steeped in history and – with various areas licensed for the ceremony as well as stunning reception areas to suit all group sizes – it provides the perfect backdrop for a classy Northern wedding!
It offers a selection of decadent interiors, from the impressive ballroom, intimate Drivers’ Club or the versatile Blackburn Wing. The grounds are meticulously maintained throughout the year to offer a gorgeous backdrop for wedding photographs. I love that it has a driving theme running through it, attracting motor enthusiasts and their classic cars…
A few useful stats about the wedding venue Bowcliffe Hall:
80
Reception Guests
150
Evening Guests
✗
Accommodation
✓
Exclusive
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View all my weddings photography at Bowcliffe Hall or check out my fave wedding at there below:
Howsham Hall – An exquisite Jacobean Mansion Wedding Venue within 27 acres of panoramic Yorkshire views
Howsham Hall is a Grade 1 listed, luxurious stately home available to hire for an entire weekend! Just 14 miles from York and surrounded by historic parkland and formal lawns, Howsham boasts a range of fabulous dining rooms and lounge areas, as well as gorgeous outdoor wedding ceremonies on the riverside terrace, in their 27 acres of grounds.
Their unique Wedding Suite is one of the largest in Europe – with its own bathroom, dressing room, bedroom and separate massive lounge! A fantastic space to enjoy and prepare for the biggest day of your life before heading downstairs for the ceremony. When I photographed at Howsham Hall, this space was a real standout feature, and it was lovely to see the wedding party have run of the house for the entire weekend!
Here are a few useful statistics about Howsham Hall as a Stately Home wedding venue:
96
Reception Guests
150
Evening Guests
12
Accommodation
28
Sleeps
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
Check out the highlights from my fave wedding at Howsham Hall below:
Broughton Hall – a truly magnificent 16th Century Historic Home near Skipton
Nestled in the stunning Yorkshire Dales near Skipton, Broughton Sanctuary offers various spaces and venue options within in no less than 3,000 acres of enchanting Yorkshire landscape, including their imposing stately Home Broughton Hall, Utopia and Eden, all offering different vibes and activities, including the UK’s Leading Wellbeing Centre!
Civil Ceremonies can be conducted at both Utopia or Eden and Catholic ceremonies in the quaint Sacred Heart Chapel, then through a hail of confetti and back to Broughton Hall for enjoy drinks on the croquet lawn or in the conservatory, with group photos in front of the grand façade! Spoiled for choice there are no less than five magnificent state rooms, including the magnificently decadent Green Drawing Room for the wedding meal. It’s an immensely grand backdrop for your wedding photos, inside and out.
One special feature of weddings at Broughton Hall is that couples and their guests can enjoy as long as a 3 night stay within the hall, to truly celebrate in style!
Here’s a bit of useful data about Broughton Hall as a Country House wedding venue:
120
Reception Guests
300
Evening Guests
17
Accommodation
32
Sleeps
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
Check out my favourite wedding at Broughton Hall below:
Saltmarshe Hall – East Yorkshire’s most picturesque Country House wedding venue
Saltmarshe Hall really is one of my favourite wedding venues in all of East Yorkshire, not far from Howden and Goole on the north bank of the River Ouse.
There are various beautiful places to get ready in the morning, from the Appletree cottages a short walk away, the smartly finished Saltmarshe Stables or up the grand staircase in the grade II* listed 19th-century country house. Weddings at Saltmarshe Hall strike that perfect blend of being exclusive, grand and high quality luxury accommodation, but while being relaxed and fun.
While all reception rooms inside the Hall are licensed for civil ceremonies, Saltmarshe Hall also offer ‘Sapphire ceremonies’? under the woodland canopy in their 17 acres of beautiful grounds! Each space is designed with meticulous attention to detail, and the team there promise to ensure that every corner of the Hall is dedicated entirely to you and your celebration for your unforgettable day!
Here’s some facts about about weddings at Saltmarshe Hall Country House in East Yorkshire:
80
Reception Guests
150
Evening Guests
12
Accommodation
24
Sleeps
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View all my wedding photography at Saltmarshe Hall or check out my faves below:
Burtonfields Hall – a traditional 19th Century Country House, just 15 minutes outside of York
Burtonfields Hall is a relatively new, lovingly refurbished Stately Home sits in idyllic Yorkshire countryside amongst acres of parkland, just 15 minutes from York!
Weddings at Burtonfields Hall can be done inside or out, with the grand Billiard Room usually doubling for the ceremony space and wedding breakfast, bookending drinks on the stylish, south-facing terrace.
Nine beautifully appointed, cozy en-suite bedrooms are available for the couple and their guests, along with a relaxed pet and firework policy, if you want to add in your furry friends or a bit of sparkle to your evening celebrations.
I absolutely loved photographing at this classy, relatively new player to the country house wedding circuit when I was there!
Here are a few comparable statistics about Burtonfields Hall in East Yorkshire:
80
Reception Guests
150
Evening Guests
12
Accommodation
24
Sleeps
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
Check out the highlights from my favourite wedding at Burtonsfield Hall below:
Newburgh Priory – a superb example of a family run Country House Wedding Venue
Newburgh Priory, nestled in North Yorkshire’s Howardian Hills, on the edge of the pretty village of Coxwold, is a superb example of a Yorkshire Country House wedding venue. This beautiful country estate is steeped in history, dating back to the 12th century, with picturesque gardens and scenic views over the lake all the way to the famous White Horse.
Still lived in and run by Stephen & Alice Wombwell and their family, Newburgh has a great family feel and weddings are just one way in which they share the estate’s history with visitors. Elegant Georgian rooms can be used for wedding preparations ahead of exchanging vows in the Long Gallery Ruins, surrounded by fig trees and ivy-clad walls, or in one of the three beautiful Georgian reception rooms indoors. After the ceremony, celebrate with a grand meal in the Dining Room, followed by dancing under the stars on the ancient lawn!
A few useful wedding stats about Newburgh Priory in The North York Moors:
80
Reception Guests
150
Evening Guests
12
Accommodation
24
Sleeps
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
Check out the highlights from my favourite wedding at Burtonsfield Hall below:
The Mansion at Roundhay Park – A North Leeds Landmark Country House within the city ring road!
The Mansion in Roundhay Park is a fantastic venue that is the best of both worlds – a stylish luxury country house wedding venue, set in gorgeous grounds AND conveniently positioned within reach of the metropolis of Leeds! Some people call these ‘City Luxe’ weddings
The stunning Grade II listed Greek Palladian style mansion is a treasured Yorkshire Landmark and the team at Dine have turned it into one of the top wedding venues in the North of England! With the leafy backdrop of Roundhay Park, with lakes and bandstands galore, there’s no shortage of photographic opportunities! Inside, it’s packed with fab period features and a magnificent sweeping staircase topped with a crystal chandelier!
Here are a few useful wedding stats about The Mansion Wedding Venue in Roundhay Park:
134
Reception Guests
220
Evening Guests
✗
Accommodation
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
✓
Exclusive
View all my wedding photos at The Mansion in Roundhay Park or check my favourites below:
Wortley Hall – ‘The Workers’ Stately Home’ just North of Sheffield
In 26 acres of scenic South Yorkshire, just a stone’s throw away from Sheffield and Barnsley, Wortley Hall is a left-field choice for a stately home wedding venue! While originally the ancestral seat of the Earl of Wharncliffe, it’s for a long time been owned by members of a Co-operative Union and any operating surplus is spent on the maintenance and upkeep of the Hall.
Weddings at Wortley Hall can select from a variety of ceremony locations, including the gardens overlooking the fountain or inside the grand hall. It is pet-friendly, can be hired privately for exclusivity and permits fireworks, adding a spectacular touch to your celebration
A few useful wedding details about Wortley Hall Country House Wedding Venue:
120
Reception Guests
200
Evening Guests
55
Accommodation
100+
Sleeps
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View my favourite wedding at Worley Hall below:
Rudby Hall – A funky North Yorkshire Country House in Yarm
Rudby Hall is one of North Yorkshire’s newest luxury wedding venues, based on the site of a stunning 19th Century manor house in 10 acres of North Yorkshire countryside. Rudby Hall is a Georgian mansion country house in Yarm, North Yorkshire, with a rich history and splendid grounds. Once a royal residence for Lady Amelia Cary (daughter of King William IV) it still has regal rooms for wedding preparations, ceremonies, and a wedding meal.
The grand drawing room can accommodate up to 105 diners, while two reception rooms can also seat up to 120 guests, making it ideal for both intimate and larger gatherings. Rudby Hall is pet-friendly, can be booked exclusively for complete privacy and permits fireworks, adding a spectacular finish to your celebration
A few useful wedding details about Rudby Hall Country House Wedding Venue:
120
Reception Guests
120
Evening Guests
13
Accommodation
34
Sleeps
✓
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View my favourite wedding at Rudby Hall in Yarm below:
Bowes Museum – a French Renaissance Chateau Art Gallery in Barnard Castle!
Now we’re getting interesting! While not strictly a Country House or Stately Home, The Bowes Museum is a bizarre North Yorkshire French-style château! An art gallery by day, in the unassuming town of Barnard Castle, built to house the art collection of John Bowes and his wife Joséphine Benoîte Coffin-Chevallier in 1892.
Housing outstanding collections of art, fashion and design, you can exclusively hire the entire museum and enjoy its gardens & parkland, and dine and dance surrounded by priceless works of art! Not your normal wedding fair, but what’s more stately than a château!
A few useful wedding details about The Bowes Museum Wedding Venue:
100
Reception Guests
240
Evening Guests
✗
Accommodation
✓
Exclusive
✗
Pet Friendly
✓
Fireworks allowed
View my favourite wedding at Bowes Museum in North Yorkshire below:
Denton Estate – Ilkley’s wonderful country house will return soon!
Last but not least is Denton Hall – one of my favourite Yorkshire Country House Wedding Venues, which sadly closed its doors in November 2022. But I’ve recently met the new owners and it’s undergoing a stunning transformation and will soon to be launched as Denton Estate!
The Hall itself is a Grade I listed country estate, built in 1778 and sat in an epic 2,500 acres of private parkland overlooking The Cow and Calf, Ilkley and the River Wharfe. The restoration plans to revive the elegant 18th-century decor and crystal chandeliers and I’m in no doubt this will be a stunner of a wedding venue, so keep your eyes and ears to the ground!
While it’s hard to be certain, going on Denton Hall’s previous stats, Denton Estate Country House Wedding should look something handy to:
TBC!
Reception Guests
TBC!
Evening Guests
TBC!
Accommodation
TBC!
Sleeps
TBC!
Pet Friendly
TBC!
Fireworks allowed
View all my wedding photos at Denton Hall or check out my favourites below:
And we’re done! If you’re hunting for Country House or Stately Home wedding venues in Yorkshire I hope you have found this list helpful!
I’ve photographed at all of these venues before and do love shooting at all of them, so do contact me when it comes time to find your photographer! Just hit the button below and I’ll send you an eBrochure Price Guide to explain everything, with no pressure to book:
Consistent 5 star reviews!
It’s so important to me that my couples have a fab experience with me, and these reviews from real couples on Google and Facebook are great to read, straight from the horses mouth:
If you found this interesting, you might also be interested in checking out my list of the Top 10 best Yorkshire Wedding Barns too!