Down Hall Country House Hotel

A historic Country House, nestled in the breathtaking beauty of the Hertfordshire/Essex countryside, providing an exquisite back drop for your special day... Down Hall is the place where your dreams are turned into perfect reality.

Dating back to 1540, Down Hall has a wonderful array of rooms and suites to host the most intimate of ceremonies, luxury wedding breakfasts and stunning receptions, most with panoramic views over our beautiful gardens.

Our Chef and his team have created the most exquisite of menu's for your special day, using the freshest and finest ingredients, some from our own vegetable garden, complimented by the outstanding personal service from our staff.

Down Hall features 99 bedrooms so there is plenty of room for you and your loved ones to stay the night and reminisce on what has been a perfect wedding day.

Our dedicated wedding coordinators will guide you through your arrangements from the very first time you contact us, to the moment you take your vows. Every detail is taken care of and they come equipped with lists of recommended suppliers, creative ideas and years of valuable experience to help you make your wedding day everything you could have ever dreamed of and more.

In order to make planning your special day as simple as possible , we have carefully designed a selection of wedding packages, each package includes everything you need to make your day as memorable as possible. Included in most of our packages is our resident Toast Master who will ensure your day runs as smoothly as possible.

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Down Hall Country House Hotel
Down Hall Country House Hotel
Down Hall Country House Hotel
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Address:  Down Hall Country House Hotel
Matching Lane, Hatfield Heath, Bishops Stortford
Essex, CM22 7AS
Contact:  01279 731441
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From a total of 125 reviews

Summary information

Historic country house venue with licensed ceremony rooms and beautiful rooms for wedding breakfast Gorgeous grounds for stunning wedding photographs, a beautiful backdrop for your special day 99 bedrooms to accommodate your and your wedding party plus a recently renovated Bridal Suite for the perfect wedding night! Dedicated and experienced wedding coordinators to help you as much or as little as you like to make your dream wedding come true Resident Toastmaster who will assist in the planning of your wedding and ensure your day runs smoothly Wedding packages which include everything you need for the perfect day and plenty of options to make your wedding unique and bespoke.

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Reviews for Down Hall Country House Hotel

    • 12 Jun 2013, Claire and Ross Silvey rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Amazing venue and first-class staff!!
      Claire and Ross Silvey 24/03/13 Both the venue and staff at Down Hall made our wedding day perfect! Through all the planning and organising the wedding co-ordinators were brilliant and so helpful, and made the day go so smoothly. All our guests commented on how elegant and beautiful the venue was and our photos reflect this. An overall perfect day and we can't thank everyone at Down Hall enough for all your hard work! xxxxxxx

    • 12 Jun 2013, Lavinia & Bill White rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  


      We got married at Down Hall on 30th of June 2012 and cannot recommend it more highly, it was the most amazing day of our lives. Anna, Mark and the rest of the staff were always so helpful and supportive, I am not sure how I would have coped without them. Everything about Down Hall is beautiful and stunning, we have so many happy memories. I recommend everyone to get married here. A massive thank you to everyone at Down Hall for making our dream wedding come true.

    • 08 Jun 2013, Lauren and David Peake 12.04.2013 rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      lauren and david peake wedding 12.04.2013
      We spent alot of time looking at various venues around the area and downhall was breath taking from the moment we stepped through the doors. We booked with them the next day and every single aspect or planning our wonderful day was a breeze as all of the staff were fantastic. Absolutley nothing was too much trouble...we felt like royalty the whole time. The rooms were gorgeous and the newley rentivated bridal suite was gorgeous. The food was excellent and all of our guests loved it. I would recommend this venue to anyone thinking about getting married as it was everything we wanted and more.

    • 03 Jun 2013, Lisa & Mark Loan rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Amazing Venue
      We spent 2 years researching venues and the second we visited this venue and attended a wedding fair we fell in love with the place. The packages are amazing and great value. The reception room is absolutely stunning. We had a sunday package and the whole day was perfect, every one of our guests was amazed and commented on how it was the best wedding they have ever been to. This is down to the breathtaking venue, amazing wedding team (special thanks to marie & mark) and wonderful catering (all of the plates went back empty). We used Lovelight, Med Occassions, Piano Paul and Crown Cars who worked so hard. It was the best day of our lives and we wish we could repeat it but look forward to spending every anniversary there.

    • 03 Jun 2013, Angela Ashman rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Amazing locations, venue and planning Staff
      Hi Anna and Marie, Just a quick note to thank you for both for our amazing wedding at Down Hall on 2nd February 2013. From the very first visit Anna was amazing, especially with my none stop questions, ideas and emails, Marie was a star on the day, kept us all relaxed and informed and our guests were very complimentary of the food and organisation, especially with half of them being in the Wedding industry, and well as me and my husband. We could not thank you both enough for your calming approach and friendly attitude. Lovelight were amazing DJ's for us in the evening, we felt completely at home at Down Hall. Best of luck with future weddings, they are very very lucky couples to be using your services xxx Lots of Love Mr and Mrs Ashman

    • 03 Jun 2013, Amanda Reid rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Perfect Day
      I got married at Down Hall last June. The whole day went smoothly and the timings for the day worked vary well. I feel we couldn't have picked a better venue. Our guests very much enjoyed the day. The staff were very professional. It is a beautiful venue. Food / drinks were very good we selected a BBQ for the evening which went down very well. Toastmaster was great. We used most of the recommended companies for flowers / invites etc, who were all very good! Only slight issue was the evening was very hot/humid and the main dance room was quite hot and the staff were unable to open the doors (due to the noise/ music). Overall Perfect day and I would not have changed a thing.

    • 03 Jun 2013, Jo and Richard Siebke-Dowler rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Amazing beautiful venue
      Just had our wedding reception at the hotel on the 23rd feb 2013. As we got married in Jamaica on 18th jan 2013. The venue is amazing our guest were very impressed as they walked in. When we arrived at the venue in the afternoon, they took all the table centre pieces off us and made the tables look pretty. And said if there's anything we need then just ask. The bedroom we had for our stay at the hotel. Was very nice. Only hiccups we're we had to ask the staff were are welcome drinks were as no one started to bring them out. and we wanted our wedding DVD to be played during our party. My dad took along his laptop to attach it to the large screen they have. My dad Ask the event co-ordernator if he could go and start the DVD for us and he didn't no how it worked. It was my maid of honours son who sorted it out and got it up and running. Over all. An amazing night. All the guest loved the food and said it was the best food they have every had at a wedding reception. Great party. And we will defiantly never forget it. Many thanks to all the staff at downhall

    • 25 May 2013, Yvonne & Keith rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Smooth operation without losing personal touch
      Although a 2nd wedding, in our mid fifties, staff treated us like a young bridge and groom; every detail was taken care of, and the banquet staff down to the newest waiter were exceptional. The Toastmaster and the wedding coordinator were excellent, as far as we could see, behind the scenes processes for the day went off like a well oiled machine.The DJ didn't quite get the age thing, but at least our kids had a good time on the dance floor, even if we and our-aged friends found it all a bit noisy. It would have been nice to have a space in the evening function where conversations could still be had. Our photographer maybe didn't find the best spots for photos, but that's not Down Hall's problem. We did find the rooms cheaper on Expedia and Secret Hotels, but Down Hall honoured those prices rather than the 130/night in the package - well done. Really nice that we could all have breakfast together as well.

    • 14 May 2013, Poh-Ching & James rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Outstanding wedding venue & top-notch service
      We had our wedding last August. Like any wedding, it is very memorable day for us and our family. Down Hall is a beautiful venue for wedding,and it definitely has a beautiful ground and ballroom which looks great on our wedding photo. Guests complimented the service and food at the wedding. To top it off, they have an outstanding wedding team, who are patient and courteous in answering our queries. We will like to thank especially Marie who make the day so seamless and Andrew an outstanding toastmaster.

    • 17 Apr 2013, Natalie and Ricky Woodward rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      The most perfect day
      On the 4th May 2012 we experienced possibly the best day of our lives...and Down Hall played a huge role in this. I'd spent a lot of time over the years at Down Hall, so much so, it felt like a home from home. As soon as we got engaged it was the first venue that popped into mind for hosting the reception. With it's picturesque setting and beautiful interior it wasn't a difficult decision to make. We couldn't speak highly enough of the amazing staff, from Anna -our wedding co-ordinator, Mark - our toastmaster/guest, to the catering team, everyone strived to reach perfection. Every girl dreams of the perfect dress, the perfect flowers, the perfect groom! But if there is one thing you can turn from a dream to reality, it's the perfect venue...Down Hall. We were so lucky to begin the first day of the rest of our lives here.

    • 02 Apr 2013, Kelly & Nicholas Green rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      The most amazing wedding venue!!!
      My Husband & myself had our wedding reception at Down Hall on 30th April last year. From when we first had a look around the venue at one of there open evenings we where so blown away & just couldn't stop smiling as we both knew we had found the venue of our dreams! Anna Oliver was so helpful & couldn't do enough for us! she made it so stress free. Anna, Marie & Mark the toast master, made our day so special, with all guests commenting on the professional service & how beautiful the venue was. The day was amazing & one my husband & myself will remember for the rest of our lives! We are both know very proud parents to our very beautiful 6 week old little girl Olivia & are thinking of holding her christening celebrations at Down Hall. We can't thank you enough! X

    • 29 Mar 2013, Vicky and Ian Ray rated Down Hall Country House Hotel  

      Magic at Christmas...
      A year before we were engaged we visited Down Hall for afternoon tea. As soon as we walked through the door and into the lounge we knew this was a special place, as soon as we sat down it felt like home with its roaring fireplace and comfy sofas. The following year we got engaged and of course Down Hall was the top of our list of choices to get married. After speaking to Anna (wedding coordinator) we knew we where making the right choice, not because she was so persuasive (she didn’t need to be) but because she answered any and all of our questions so openly. We really wanted to transform our vision of what we thought our wedding would look and feel like into the Down Hall space. This was far easier then we expected with the winter theme backed up by the vibrant lights of the Christmas trees, fireplace and well placed candelabras, it was truly magical. The service was impeccable from the very first reception drinks poured, though the silver service wedding breakfast, until the last drink in the bar (at 4am!). The days after we received an abundance of emails and calls from friends and family saying how much they enjoyed the day and that it was one of the best weddings they had the pleasure of attending. This really wouldn’t have been possible without all of the staff at Down Hall, Mark the toastmaster who controlled the guests so gracefully, the very talented band Sugar Shack and the DJs from LoveLight. We can’t recommend this venue enough, it felt so intimate and personal which only added to the dynamics of the day making it flow so beautifully and giving both the venue and day a unique quality.

  • Total Reviews : 125
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Facilities for Down Hall Country House Hotel

Venue Type :
Civil Ceremony License
Exclusive Use
In the Country
Large Hotel
Historic
Evening Entertainment :
Evening Reception Facilities
Dance Floor
Entertainment License
Live Band Facilities
DJ Facilities
Outdoor Fireworks Permitted
Overnight Accommodation :
Overnight Accommodation for Wedding Couple
Overnight Accommodation for Guests
Venue Leisure Facilities :
Swimming Pool
Dining Options :
Seated Meal Facilities
Buffet Meal Facilities
In House Catering
Alcohol License
Corkage Option
Capacity :
Less than 30 guests
30 to 50 guests
50 to 75 guests
75 to 100 guests
100 to 150 guests
Venue Staff Assistance :
Wedding Coordinator
Master of Ceremonies/ Toastmaster
Other Features :
Confetti Permitted
Changing Room for Guests
Disabled Facilities
Car Parking
Helipad

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Late Availability for Down Hall Country House Hotel

Summer Bliss Offer - Your dream Summer wedding

Any available date in August 2013 (great dates still available!)

Please contact Marie or Nichola on 01279 732176 or weddings@downhall.co.uk to discuss your wedding day!

This offer includes:

The hire of your chosen Ceremony room

Two glasses of Prosecco, Pimms & Lemonade or Orange Juice

A selection of Canapés (3 per person)

The hire of your chosen Banqueting suites for the day

Three course Wedding Breakfast *

Tea/Coffee & Petit fours

Jugs of Iced water

Half a bottle of our House wine per person

One glass of Prosecco per person for the speeches

Evening finger buffet

Menu & Wine tasting for the Bride & groom

Silver cake stand & knife

Chair Covers

Your own Master of Ceremonies for the day

Complimentary accommodation for the Bride & Groom

Preferential accommodation rates for your other guests

£7,950 for 60 guests (including VAT)

Additional day guests are chargeable at £135 per adult

Children aged 2-12 are chargeable at £25.00

Children aged 13-17 are chargeable at £70.00

Evening guests are chargeable at £18.50 per person

*supplements may apply. 

A minimum of 60 adult guests are required for this package

Summer Bliss Offer - Your dream Summer wedding

Any available date in September 2013 (Great dates still available!)

Please contact Marie or Nichola on 01279 732176 or weddings@downhall.co.uk to discuss your wedding day!

This offer includes:

The hire of your chosen Ceremony room

Two glasses of Prosecco, Pimms & Lemonade or Orange Juice

A selection of Canapés (3 per person)

The hire of your chosen Banqueting suites for the day

Three course Wedding Breakfast *

Tea/Coffee & Petit fours

Jugs of Iced water

Half a bottle of our House wine per person

One glass of Prosecco per person for the speeches

Evening finger buffet

Menu & Wine tasting for the Bride & groom

Silver cake stand & knife

Chair Covers

Your own Master of Ceremonies for the day

Complimentary accommodation for the Bride & Groom

Preferential accommodation rates for your other guests

£7,950 for 60 guests (including VAT)

Additional day guests are chargeable at £135 per adult

Children aged 2-12 are chargeable at £25.00

Children aged 13-17 are chargeable at £70.00

Evening guests are chargeable at £18.50 per person

*supplements may apply. 

A minimum of 60 adult guests are required for this package

October Elegance

Please contact Marie or Nichola on 01279 732176 or weddings@downhall.co.uk for more details on this offer.

The amazing offer includes:

The hire of your chosen Ceremony room

1 glass of Prosecco or Orange juice per person

Continental appetisers

The hire of your chosen Banqueting suites for the day

Three course Wedding Breakfast *

Tea/Coffee & Petit fours

Jugs of Iced water

Half a bottle of our House wine per person

One glass of Prosecco per person for the speeches

Evening finger buffet

Menu & Wine tasting for the Bride & groom

Silver cake stand & knife

Chair Covers

Your own Master of Ceremonies for the day

Complimentary accommodation for the Bride & Groom

Preferential accommodation rates for your other guests 

£5,950 for 60 guests

Including VAT

Additional day guests are chargeable at £100 per adult

Children aged 2-12 are chargeable at £25.00

Children aged 13-17 are chargeable at £45.00

Evening guests are chargeable at £18.50 per person

*from a selected menu – supplemented dishes are available

A minimum of 60 adult guests are required for this package

Special Offers for Down Hall Country House Hotel

New Year's Eve 2013

This unique date could now be yours to celebrate your wedding day! We have a very special offer available for this date which includes everything you need to make it the perfect day such as ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast, evening reception, toastmaster, DJ, chair covers and much much more! £7,950 for 60 guests! For full details, please see our website or contact Anna, Marie or Nichola on 01279 732153 or weddings@downhall.co.uk for more details.

Real weddings on Down Hall Country House Hotel

Yvonne & Keith
Yvonne & Keith's Wedding
Hertfordshire
04-May-2013
Sophie & Iain
Sophie & Iain's Wedding
Hertfordshire
06-Jun-2012