Ford Castle: Civil Wedding Venue: Northumberland
Ford Castle is the ideal marriage and wedding reception location. Civil Weddings and Civil Partnerships can be held in the historic James Study, the oak paneled Long Gallery or the tranquil East Lounge, offering flexibility on wedding party sizes and requirements, making it a superb civil wedding venue.
James Study (maximum numbers, 48)
On entering this very special room you have just stepped back in time nearly 700 years! The historic James Study is situated in one of the original towers of the quadrilateral courtyard castle built by William Heron in 1338. In the north wall an original 14th Century arrow-slit window is preserved. It is within this tower that King James IV of Scotland lodged before his fatal appearance at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. With its original 5 foot thick stone walls, ancient oak floor, and beamed ceiling this the perfect room for an intimate, unusual and romantic ceremony.
East Lounge (maximum numbers, 60)
The tranquil oak panelled East Lounge provides excellent views over the Till Valley and the Cheviot Hills, making it easy to appreciate why it was so popular with the painter the Marchioness of Waterford, owner of Ford Castle from 1859 to 1891. Some of her most famous works are displayed in the Lady Waterford Hall in Ford Village. Behind the panelling to the left of the fireplace is a hidden room with no known access!
Long Gallery (maximum numbers, 120)
The Long Gallery was built in the 1600s when the Borders region eventually became a peaceful place and Ford Castle once again became a country manor house. After a banquet, to which all the local gentry would have been invited, the men would stand down the middle of this long room; drinking cognac, smoking cigars and discussing commerce. The ladies, dressed in their finery, would show themselves off by promenading around the outside of the room. Their aim was to try and attract a suitable husband. The Long Gallery now provides an elegant room in which to host larger ceremonies.
