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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2021

Last update: May 2023

Set within the enchanting Forest of Dean, Clearwell Castle is a historic wedding venue situated in Coleford, Gloucestershire. This multi-award-winning property stands proud within 20 acres of pristine grounds, providing an idyllic setting for a fairytale wedding. Dating back to the mid-15th century, the castle is a tasteful blend of modern flourishes and characterful architecture surrounded by stunning beauty. The site is brimming with possibilities, from al-fresco gatherings to majestic ceremonies down a 75-foot aisle, giving couples ample choice for staging their unique happily ever after.

Facilities and Capacity

Journeying up to Clearwell Castle, guests will be mesmerized by the striking tree-lined driveway that leads to an impressive Portcullis. Just beyond, the stately venue awaits, ready to open its doors and 15 luxury suites to the happy couple. Through the historic entrance lies the great hall, complete with an inviting log fire and plush sofas. Here, guests can enjoy welcome drinks before stepping into one of the castle's many event spaces. The spectacular Ballroom is the most prestigious with its leaded glass windows, golden aisle, and raised dais. Steeped in natural light, couples can exchange their vows surrounded by 150 friends and family. Alternatively, the Bandstand is a beautiful outdoor location that offers a picturesque castle backdrop for a truly distinguished ceremony. After the nuptials, the newlyweds can stroll to the nearby Croquet Lawn for an intimate photo session while guests enjoy some light entertainment. For the evening reception, the Vaulted Cellar Bar provides a contemporary setting to celebrate with up to 250 guests. The Ballroom can also be transformed into a lavish banqueting hall ideal for a wedding breakfast. In addition to the castle's bedrooms, The Wyndham offers a further 24 suites only a short walk away with bar facilities. 3 beautiful cottages lie within the glorious grounds and are ideal for the wedding party to stay ahead of the big day.

Services Offered

Clearwell Castle offers to-be-weds exclusive use of its grounds for a private wedding celebration. With their bespoke all-inclusive package, couples can enjoy the assistance of the venue's experienced wedding coordinator. This friendly professional can help with every facet of the venue design and set-up, including choosing the most suitable suppliers from their trusted selection. From photographers to firework specialists, couples can feel confident their day is in capable hands. Meanwhile, an onsite banqueting manager and elite culinary team are ready to wow guests with incredible bites and quality service. As part of their bespoke package, the newlyweds-to-be can also avail of finishing touches to enhance their day, including a prosecco stand, personalized cushions, an ice-cream tricycle, and much more.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Castle
Stately home
Historic
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities
Outdoor fireworks permitted

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Hairdresser
Beautician

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Helipad
Confetti permitted
Pet-friendly
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5.0 out of 5 rating
Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner
80 reviews
  • Quality of the service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
98% Recommended by couples
S
Sarah P. Sent on 13/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Just incredible in every way!

We had the most amazing wedding day on the 24th of November 2023, the whole day ran so smoothly and all our guests absolutely loved the venue. The food was amazing and our guests loved the fish and chip buffet in the evening! The whole progress of planning the wedding was so straight forward and Phedera was a great wedding manager.
Dan
Dan W. Sent on 23/11/2023
4.6 out of 5 rating

Fairy-Tale Perfection: A Glowing Review for Clearwell Castle Wedding Venue

Clearwell Castle exceeded all our expectations for our wedding day. The moment we stepped onto the grounds, we were captivated by its timeless charm. The staff, especially Hannah, went above and beyond to make every detail perfect, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience. The Ball Room, where we exchanged our vows, felt like something out of a storybook. The surrounding gardens provided a stunning backdrop for photos and added to the overall enchantment of the day. Our guests were equally impressed, and many commented on the unique and romantic atmosphere. Choosing Clearwell Castle was the best decision we made for our special day; it truly felt like a fairy-tale come to life.
Victoria
Victoria F. Sent on 23/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Fairytale Wedding

Our wedding on 10/11/23 was just the absolute perfect day from start to finish. Our wedding planner manager, Hannah, was incredible, not just on the day but throughout the whole planning process. She ensured everything ran smoothly on the day, sparing no details ensuring everything was just perfect and to time but without being stressful. She was very accommodating with the planning meetings working around both mine and my now Husband's shift patterns.
We both stayed the night before our wedding and the night of the wedding with many of our guests travelling a distance so also staying in the Wyndham which was very convenient. Staying in Keepers cottage with the Bridesmaids the night before added to the experience with the added feature of the hot tub, the groomsmen were very jealous. The beds were very comfortable and everyone was excited to stay in a castle.
On the day of the wedding, the staff were very accommodating moving the bridal party along to the bridal suite to finish preparations earlier than originally planned. The breakfast provided was the perfect amount for a busy morning getting ready. Everything, including the gardens, were immaculately kept adding to the WOW factor of getting married in a Castle.
The canapes served and welcome drinks were well received by the guests and ourselves whilst we had photographers prior to the wedding breakfast. The food was phenomenal and great portions and I was stuffed after. The staff were very accommodating for us with a lot of people with allergies, dislikes of mushrooms so adapting the menu for these individual people. We were even able to swap out a few bottles of wine included in our package for cocktails as us as the Bride and Groom did not drink wine.
As soon as we walked in the venue the first time, we knew it was the place we wanted to get married. Everytime we went back to view the venue again I fell more and more in love. For anyone thinking about viewing or even booking this incredible venue I would say do it! We will be going back for events in the future to relive the best day of our lives.
Stephen
Stephen B. Sent on 16/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect Wedding

We had the perfect wedding at Clearwell Castle, their team were superb in providing planning assistance from the point of our booking, guidance on all aspects of our wedding choices from registrars and suppliers, and coordination on the day of the wedding to make sure it flowed seamlessly. It was a beautiful day, and we couldn't be happier with our choice of Wedding location.
chloeprowse
Chloe Sent on 08/06/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect wedding

Me and my (new!) husband had our wedding day at Clearwell Castle on May 1st, 2022 and we couldn't have had a more perfect experience, particularly with Sian Russell as our wedding planner. She ensured we were on top of all documentation ahead of the day and the process felt effortless—I don't know how, but she took literally all of the stress out of planning (which was the bit I was the most worried about!) I felt like all I had to do was just turn up in my dress. And that's basically what happened. It was great!

The Keeper's Cottage was such a gorgeous place to stay the night before, and me and my bridal party really enjoyed having the hot tub to relax before the big day. In the morning we were so glad we had booked Clearwell's recommended suppliers, as the hair and makeup team (Margot + Lace) and our photographer (Nick Murray) knew the venue inside and out, and everything went incredibly smoothly.

The ceremony in the ballroom was magical (and Sian helped us arrange having a friend "marry" us so we didn't need a registrar, which we really appreciated); the food, even though we hadn't tasted it previously, was so decadant, and easily the best wedding food we'd ever had; our 3-tier cheesecake cake, provided by Clearwell's chef, was stunning and so delicious; and the waitstaff, bar staff, and DJ were all so friendly and professional.

Sian was my rock all day, even rushing to write out placecards for the guests when I didn't have any. I didn't have to worry about a thing!

Our friends and family still can't stop talking about what a lovely time they had and neither can we. The rooms in the castle are also absolutely beautiful (especially the bridal suite with the jacuzzi bath!) and we're so glad our wedding party were able to stay right in the castle and have breakfast with us the next day (which was also excellent!)

I can't recommend Clearwell Castle enough for anybody planning their wedding. The fact that Clearwell can also provide so many additional services (for example, we opted for table decorations, candles and lanterns throughout the castle, iced buckets of beer in the main rooms, a candy cart, and lawn games) meant we had to worry about so much less leading up to the wedding. It couldn't have gone more perfectly. Thank you Sian and the Clearwell Castle team!
RomanticRedCars39325
Natasha M. Sent on 12/10/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic day

E we had abs amazing day at clearwell castle, it’s such a beautiful venue. The staff were amazing and nothing was too much trouble, the food was amazing too, would have no hesitations in recommending this venue to anyone.
Fran
Fran Sent on 13/05/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing venue

Wonderful castle, we really loved each moment. Thank you for all the team of Clerwell Castle.
Laura
Laura J. Sent on 28/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

My wedding at Clearwell

We had an amazing day at Clearwell Castle on 22nd July 2010. It was perfect from start to finish and Davina our Wedding manager was awesome. She made the day so smooth and stress free, and even now our friends say its the best wedding they've ever been to!!!
We recently revisited the castle for dinner and it was just as amazing as it was 13yrs ago!! Beautiful place and amazing food and the team are fabulous.
P
Pauline B. Sent on 05/10/2023
4.6 out of 5 rating

An excellent Venue

Our son got married at Clearwell last Friday. A beautiful venue.
Everything attended to perfectly from the champagne reception to the dinner provided for 130 guests which was excellent. Well done all the kitchen staff and waiters. You were amazing. The wedding planner was around for the whole event overseeing the whole process. A glorious day made the grounds look magnificent. We could not have had a better day at all. Couldnt fault it.
T
Tommy B. Sent on 18/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic Wedding venue

Where do I even begin. Simon Cooper and his team was absolutely fantastic. No task was ever too much. We had constant dialogue through the whole planning. They worked round any needs that were necessary. Perfect venue to get married at. Food is excellent, they do dinner dates as well I highly recommend. Worth every penny.
D
Dawid M. Sent on 30/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Tim and Dawids wedding

We've had a wonderful wedding at Clearwell Castle. Simon was very professional and flexible with our requirements. Well organized just a perfect day.
N
Naomi P. Sent on 28/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic day

The whole date was fantastic. The staff and all of our suppliers made it the most relaxed and enjoyable day we could have wished for. The staff at the castle couldn’t do any more for us, they were happy to help with anything we asked and set up all of our decorations exactly the way we wanted.
Our wedding coordinator Simon was amazing and we can’t thank him enough. My now husband had a very elaborate plan for the entrance and Simon followed what he wanted and smashed it out of the park.
I wish we could do it all again, we really had the most magical day.
V
Vanessa T. Sent on 15/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Wedding

We got married at Clearwell castle April 2023. What can I say it's the most perfect venue and we had the most amazing day. The organisation was amazing and the staff were great on the day and even leading up to the big day. Phaedra was our wedding planner and communication with her was great throughout and on our wedding day she ensured that it all ran smoothly. I cannot recommend Clearwell castle and their staff enough. Thank you again for helping us have our dream wedding.
Kind regards

Vanessa & David x
L
Lucinda G. Sent on 28/06/2023
5 out of 5 rating

I cannot reccommend Clearwell Castle enough!

Choosing Clearwell Castle for our wedding was the best decision we made and I cannot reccommend it enough to anyone else considering getting married here!
L
Lauren B. Sent on 29/09/2021
2.8 out of 5 rating

Rude and unprofessional

I've held off writing a review of my wedding day to see if I was able to get any sort of resolution to the issues that have been raised but unfortunately this hasn't really workout out for me so I'm just going to put this up.

Had my wedding on 26th August at Clearwell Castle and they day was to say the least a bit of a let down.

The wedding manager that we had, her name was Sian, was horrible to all my guests. Was rude to my husbands 80 year old Nan, rude to my Mum his mum and just genuinely all of my guests.

It all started when Sian didn't bother to come and get myself and my bridesmaids from the bridal cottage the day before. My hair lady had to run over and see if it was okay for us to go across. Then I specifically said my son needed feeding at 12 o'clock (he's only 1) and I gave her food to give to him and she wouldn't warm it up for my husband without making a deal about it. She then told my husband that he (MY 1 YEAR OLD) WAS GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT TO EAT...HE'S 1. She didn't go down to North Lodge to get my husband so the guests started arriving before he even did. Never told either of is how our day was meant to be going ahead. This issues carried on throughout the day. Then in the evening party 1 of my guests lost their shoes and she was rude to them.

The worst part was in the morning following the wedding, she decided to start slagging off myself and my guests in the kitchen so loud that everyone could hear her. At this point I was absolutely fuming at the situation and asked her if she though it was appropriate to do this. She then started SHOUTING IN THE FACES OF MY GUESTS.

We put money behind the bar but rather than telling all my guests there was money, they just allowed people to buy 20 pound drinks so they money didn't get shared around.

I was running around like an headless chicken on my wedding day and they genuinely think that it's acceptable for that to happen.

Just wanted to give people a heads up so someone else's day doesn't get overshadowed.
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Badges

Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner

Clearwell Castle Real Weddings

Jade & Ben
70 photos · 14/12/2024
Gem & Lewis
10 photos · 02/10/2022
Villa Medici Tuscany & Tuscany
113 photos · 13/08/2022
Andrew & Sue
20 photos · 14/07/2022
Michelle & Roger
120 photos · 03/07/2022
Joanne & Robert
480 photos · 31/10/2021

Deals

Events

14 Apr
Open Door

Congratulations if you have recently got engaged!

Come and visit our amazing house and meet the team. Let us show you how we really do make wedding day dreams come true. Viewings are by appointment.

A very warm welcome awaits you!

Date: From 14/04/2024 to 14/04/2024 Schedule 12:00 - 16:00
Place: Church Road, Coleford, Gloucestershire

Map

Church Road GL16 8LG Coleford (Gloucestershire)
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