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Venues Clearwell Castle
Clearwell Castle

Overview

  • Incredible 18th-century "chocolate-box castle"
  • Located in Clearwell, Gloucester
  • 15 bedrooms available for you and your guests
  • Cottages also available for the night before and after
  • Licensed to host civil weddings with up to 150 guests
  • Able to seat up to 150 guests for a formal meal

Clearwell Castle

When most people think of castles, images of fairytales and of times long past often spring to mind. Clearwell Castle is a truly magical and enchanting building, hidden away in the beautiful Forest of Dean - a truly idyllic fairytale setting. Seating up to 150 guests for a civil ceremony, 150 for a formal reception, and with room for up to 250 for an evening reception party, this Grade II*-listed 18th-century castellated mansion is able to accommodate weddings of all types and sizes.

This long-established and specialist wedding venue can readily provide a number of the miscellaneous services you will probably need for your special day in-house. This includes wedding cakes, table decorations, a bespoke chair-covering service, Discos and many more little details that the majority of wedding venues wouldn't even think about offering themselves!

History

Clearwell Castle (originally Clearwell Court) is a mock-Gothic mansion built in 1728.

The building itself is constructed of local stone, and with its crenellated battlements, this Grade II*-listed edifice has all the outward appearance and grace of a miniature medieval castle, with an impressive gateway consisting of two 3-storey towers.

Clearwell Castle has played an important role in the musical careers of some of the UK's most seminally influential rock bands. Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple have all spent much time recording or rehearsing within the luscious grounds of Clearwell Castle, taking advantage of its unique underground recording studio.

Facilities

Clearwell Castle is a unique and truly stunning building which operates exclusively as a wedding and events venue all year round. The experienced in-house catering team is able to respond to almost any request, and more than capable of providing top-quality locally-sourced cuisine for 25 to 250 hungry guests.

The Ballroom

The Ballroom is the largest room for hire within the castle. This most impressive and flexible space can readily be transformed into a traditional civil ceremony room, and its 75-foot aisle and leaded glass windows offer perfect formal accommodation for up to 150 guests. The Ballroom can also be used as your wedding reception room, and as such can seat up to 160 guests.

Other suitable rooms include the Drawing Room (licensed for ceremonies with up to 70 guests), The Library (licensed for ceremonies with up to 50) and the Entrance Hall, all ideally suited to smaller celebrations and drinks receptions.

Stunning Grounds and More

The "chocolate-box" castle is surrounded by over 20 acres of rolling grounds, woods and open countryside atop the Wye Valley, and boasts a number of attractive features.

First to be noticed is the impressive turreted gateway, guaranteed to give you and your guests a tingle when arriving! Continue up the short drive and pass through the historic portcullis and you will be greeted with an envious view of Clearwell Castle itself.

Admire its ivy-strewn façade, and imagine preparing yourself for a truly magnificent occasion. This magical, evocative venue presents such stuff as dreams are made of!

Accommodation

Furthering its usefulness as an all-inclusive yet exclusive venue, Clearwell Castle's accommodation also is something to behold! Boasting 15 luxurious and extremely comfortable bedrooms within the house itself, there are quite a number of options to choose from, including an incredible bridal suite. Named The Gresham Suite, this room comes with a grand old four-poster bed and its very own spa bath.

Clearwell Castle's guaranteed early check-in means that you and all your guests can have a little prep-time before you go ahead with the ceremony. You can even arrange a few nibbles and sandwiches to be sent up to the rooms at this point to replenish everyone's energy levels.

Extra Accommodation

If you're looking to enable a few more of your guests to stay overnight, then Clearwell Castle's plentiful on-site alternatives would be perfect for you.

The North Lodge, the Keeper's Cottage and the Portcullis View Studio are available as self-catering places to accommodate members of your wedding party. Utilising all of these extra facilities means that you can sleep up to 42 additional guests.

Special Offers

Spring has Sprung

If you're considering a beautiful spring wedding, then this offer is for you, as any remaining dates in April and May are now just £9,995 for an all-inclusive Classical wedding package for 60 guests.

The Classical package has everything you need for the perfect wedding, including exclusive use of the house and grounds, a three-course wedding breakfast, welcome drinks & canapes, late evening buffet, and DJ & disco until late. From getting ready on the morning of your wedding to a magical ceremony, delectable wedding breakfast and a lively evening reception, your wedding will be unforgettable.

Spring & Summer 2026 Wedding Offer

Get 10% off any Classical or Luxe package for any remaining dates between March and September 2026.

Offer only available until 30th April 2025 and discount does not apply to additional guests beyond the 60 included in the initial package. Not applicable for Intimate or Party package bookings.

If this seems like the perfect location for your special day, use the contact buttons below to start planning.

Address
Clearwell Castle
Clearwell
Forest of Dean
Gloucestershire
GL16 8LG

Reviews

  • Will and Alix

    Myself and Will got married with yourselves on the 15th of February 2018, I just wanted to email a massive thank you to Zoe and the castle team for our wedding. Right from the night before to night after our wedding was amazing so welcoming by all staff members from start to finish, fantastic venue, food, the whole day was more then we imagined and that was all thanks to yourselves. We loved Clearwell castle from the minute we visited and still love it now and will certainly return for events.

    We really are so grateful for making our day perfect and please pass on our gratitude to Zoe she was absolutely amazing and without her our day would not have been as perfect as it was all. All our guests commented on Zoe and the team and what an amazing job they all did and how beautiful the venue was.

  • Darren and Laura

    Thank you so much for all the preparation and planning that went into our wedding and your lead on the day. We had a truly magical day and it was everything we could have hoped for. We've had nothing but great comments about it!

  • Chris and Holly

    Thank you so much for everything you did for us on our wedding day (and during the planning), we had such a lovely day and everyone was incredibly impressed with the venue. It's all a bit of a blur to be honest so I'm looking forward to watching our video so I can remember what actually happened. It's amazing how much you forget when there's so much going on.

    We will definitely be coming back for one of your evening events you do, it's just such a gorgeous venue I feel we have to revisit. Thank you again, we really are so grateful to the whole team at Clearwell Castle.

  • Rob and Sophie

    Just a very quick thank you to you and your team for providing an excellent day for me and Sophie. I have received so many comments on how excellent the venue, you and staff were and wished to pass on our thanks to you. Once again a big thank you from us both.

  • James and Charlotte

    I just wanted to say a massive thank you from both of us for making our day such a breeze and an absolutely perfect day. You were just such a star and made us feel very relaxed. Everything was just spot on, food was great, decor and tables were amazing, all the staff were great, friendly and approachable. I honestly think it couldn't have been any better.

  • Sarah and Zoe

    We would like to thank our Personal Wedding Manager and all the staff at Clearwell Castle for all their help and making our day so stress free and perfect. They really couldn't do enough for us. The venue, rooms, food were all incredible and we couldn't have wished for anything more…

  • Janine and Craig – 02/12/2016

    It's hard to find the words to describe Friday 2nd December, it couldn't have been more perfect and more personal. Not only that, but our whole experience with Clearwell Castle and Team Clearwell – from Mum and I visiting the castle on our first initial meeting, to our delicious taster dinner, to meeting you and to the magical day that was our wedding – it has been wonderful! A heartfelt thank you for everything.

  • Becky and James – 29/11/2016

    You helped make the day I had always wanted as relaxed and enjoyable as possible. I think I've said already but you are brilliant at what you do and wanted you to know the difference you made and to extend our gratitude to you. We saw Clearwell had won wedding venue of the year and we couldn't agree more!

  • Katie and Lewis – 28/10/2016

    I just wanted to thank you for Friday as I didn't get chance on Saturday morning. We couldn't have asked for a better day from you and all of your staff. You all worked so hard and beyond our expectations. Our guests couldn't stop saying what a wonderful venue we had chosen, how relaxed it was and how it made you feel right at home.

Clearwell Castle

Request Brochure

Clearwell, Gloucestershire

Clearwell Castle

Clearwell, Gloucestershire

Overview

  • Incredible 18th-century "chocolate-box castle"
  • Located in Clearwell, Gloucester
  • 15 bedrooms available for you and your guests
  • Cottages also available for the night before and after
  • Licensed to host civil weddings with up to 150 guests
  • Able to seat up to 150 guests for a formal meal

Clearwell Castle

When most people think of castles, images of fairytales and of times long past often spring to mind. Clearwell Castle is a truly magical and enchanting building, hidden away in the beautiful Forest of Dean - a truly idyllic fairytale setting. Seating up to 150 guests for a civil ceremony, 150 for a formal reception, and with room for up to 250 for an evening reception party, this Grade II*-listed 18th-century castellated mansion is able to accommodate weddings of all types and sizes.

This long-established and specialist wedding venue can readily provide a number of the miscellaneous services you will probably need for your special day in-house. This includes wedding cakes, table decorations, a bespoke chair-covering service, Discos and many more little details that the majority of wedding venues wouldn't even think about offering themselves!

History

Clearwell Castle (originally Clearwell Court) is a mock-Gothic mansion built in 1728.

The building itself is constructed of local stone, and with its crenellated battlements, this Grade II*-listed edifice has all the outward appearance and grace of a miniature medieval castle, with an impressive gateway consisting of two 3-storey towers.

Clearwell Castle has played an important role in the musical careers of some of the UK's most seminally influential rock bands. Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple have all spent much time recording or rehearsing within the luscious grounds of Clearwell Castle, taking advantage of its unique underground recording studio.

Facilities

Clearwell Castle is a unique and truly stunning building which operates exclusively as a wedding and events venue all year round. The experienced in-house catering team is able to respond to almost any request, and more than capable of providing top-quality locally-sourced cuisine for 25 to 250 hungry guests.

The Ballroom

The Ballroom is the largest room for hire within the castle. This most impressive and flexible space can readily be transformed into a traditional civil ceremony room, and its 75-foot aisle and leaded glass windows offer perfect formal accommodation for up to 150 guests. The Ballroom can also be used as your wedding reception room, and as such can seat up to 160 guests.

Other suitable rooms include the Drawing Room (licensed for ceremonies with up to 70 guests), The Library (licensed for ceremonies with up to 50) and the Entrance Hall, all ideally suited to smaller celebrations and drinks receptions.

Stunning Grounds and More

The "chocolate-box" castle is surrounded by over 20 acres of rolling grounds, woods and open countryside atop the Wye Valley, and boasts a number of attractive features.

First to be noticed is the impressive turreted gateway, guaranteed to give you and your guests a tingle when arriving! Continue up the short drive and pass through the historic portcullis and you will be greeted with an envious view of Clearwell Castle itself.

Admire its ivy-strewn façade, and imagine preparing yourself for a truly magnificent occasion. This magical, evocative venue presents such stuff as dreams are made of!

Accommodation

Furthering its usefulness as an all-inclusive yet exclusive venue, Clearwell Castle's accommodation also is something to behold! Boasting 15 luxurious and extremely comfortable bedrooms within the house itself, there are quite a number of options to choose from, including an incredible bridal suite. Named The Gresham Suite, this room comes with a grand old four-poster bed and its very own spa bath.

Clearwell Castle's guaranteed early check-in means that you and all your guests can have a little prep-time before you go ahead with the ceremony. You can even arrange a few nibbles and sandwiches to be sent up to the rooms at this point to replenish everyone's energy levels.

Extra Accommodation

If you're looking to enable a few more of your guests to stay overnight, then Clearwell Castle's plentiful on-site alternatives would be perfect for you.

The North Lodge, the Keeper's Cottage and the Portcullis View Studio are available as self-catering places to accommodate members of your wedding party. Utilising all of these extra facilities means that you can sleep up to 42 additional guests.

Special Offers

Spring has Sprung

If you're considering a beautiful spring wedding, then this offer is for you, as any remaining dates in April and May are now just £9,995 for an all-inclusive Classical wedding package for 60 guests.

The Classical package has everything you need for the perfect wedding, including exclusive use of the house and grounds, a three-course wedding breakfast, welcome drinks & canapes, late evening buffet, and DJ & disco until late. From getting ready on the morning of your wedding to a magical ceremony, delectable wedding breakfast and a lively evening reception, your wedding will be unforgettable.

Spring & Summer 2026 Wedding Offer

Get 10% off any Classical or Luxe package for any remaining dates between March and September 2026.

Offer only available until 30th April 2025 and discount does not apply to additional guests beyond the 60 included in the initial package. Not applicable for Intimate or Party package bookings.

If this seems like the perfect location for your special day, use the contact buttons below to start planning.

Address
Clearwell Castle
Clearwell
Forest of Dean
Gloucestershire
GL16 8LG

Reviews

Request Brochure
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