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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2023

Last update: December 2025

If you are looking for a pub and restaurant turned dynamic wedding venue, dive into The Fishpond in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. This exciting location has served various purposes in the past, including stables in the early 1800s, a hub for bus tours or charabancs travelling to Chatsworth and Dovedale, and a hotel and bar in the early 1920s. Now, the setting functions as a gathering place for friends and family to enjoy local ales and delectable dishes, as well as hosting celebrations of love.

Facilities and Capacity

The Fishpond is a warm and welcoming venue for your ceremony and reception, with friendly yet professional staff who strive to exceed expectations and cater to every need. The original 1920s ballroom has been transformed into a contemporary space that can hold up to 150 guests. Beautifully refurbished with teal wooden panelling, a plush velvet couch, and a vaulted ceiling, your nearest and dearest will be in awe when they step inside. The ballroom is versatile and spacious; it can be decorated to suit your aesthetic and set up in any layout you desire, from civil ceremonies to evening dining and dancing. The Raft is ideal for more intimate gatherings or as an addition to the ballroom for couples with an extended guest list. It has a stunning oak-beamed vaulted ceiling and an adjoining terrace overlooking the pond and waterfall. It can be a sunny space for your beloveds to indulge in some pre-dinner bubbles or for picturesque photos with your photographer.

Services Offered

If you decide to host your wedding at The Fishpond, not only will you receive excellent service from dedicated servers and staff, but also self-contained private bars, table linen, staging blocks, lighting, and an audio system. Their packages include a complete set-up for the festivities, but if you would prefer to add your own special touch to the décor and design, you are more than welcome to do so. The Fishpond is conveniently situated 20 minutes from the M1 in the heart of Matlock Bath, where there is an abundance of lovely places for your friends and family to stay.

Cuisine

The chefs at The Fishpond only use the finest sustainable and seasonal ingredients to create mouthwatering menus, with bread, pizzas, and desserts from their own on-site bakery. From artisan plates to pub staples, the Head Chef expertly weaves the modern and traditional into each dish. The bar has a variety of house lagers in the fridge and ales and stouts on tap, from well-known favourites to local secret brews. They also boast a superb collection of wines to suit all palates and an extensive range of spirits to make signature mixed drinks and classic cocktails.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

Pub or restaurant
Unusual weddings
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

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

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Venue staff assistance:

Wedding coordinator

Other features:

Accessible facilities
Pet-friendly
illustration notebook

Do you have any questions?

Reviews for The Fishpond

Katie
Katie Sent on 05/11/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Thank you from The Rennisons!

When my husband and I got engaged I knew there was only one place where I wanted the reception.. The Fishpond.
We were introduced to Liley our wedding planner who really was the brains behind the operation of the wedding day. Liley is so lovely and also helped us make sure our day would flow nicely and make sure we had the best day ever! Which we did!
Like everything in life some things don’t go to plan, like the storm that happened during our wedding day so we weren’t able to do some of the things we wanted to, eg. Confetti toss. However this did not ruin our day and we were so grateful we booked the ballroom and the raft so our guests had enough room while we waited for the rain to pass.
We chose the hog roast for our wedding breakfast which was honestly one of our best decisions, it was delicious! Our guests commented on how much they enjoyed the food and how it suited us as a couple.
In the evening we had the traditional buffet which we also enjoyed!
I’d like to thank all the staff at the fishpond that helped make our day run smoothly and made our day extra special!
The fishpond is a gorgeous pub with an equally impressive ballroom. I’m so happy we had our reception here and would recommend to any couple looking for a wedding reception!
Hadfield
Hadfield Sent on 27/08/2025
5 out of 5 rating

What a day

Thank you so much to lily and the team ❤️. Absolutely incredible, from planning to the big day they made my day so perfect thank you
A
Abbie Sent on 07/06/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding May 2025

We had our wedding here (ceremony and reception) on 10th May 2025 and it was perfect! Everything we wanted!
We knew it was our venue from the first visit. Liley and the team are wonderful and very accommodating. We loved that it wasn't a 'x amount of people' package venue, they offer complete flexibility from numbers of people, to the type of food you have and even have the option of paying corkage on drinks if you wish.

Liley is very happy to get involved with helping decorate but also happy to leave you and your family/friends to your own devices the day before. Communication has always been great and we knew we were in safe hands.

The location is fantastic, great photo opportunities in Matlock Bath and plenty of places to stay nearby.

We can't recommend the fishpond highly enough, it really was our perfect day. If you are looking for a fun and relaxed wedding, this is your place!

S
Sarah Sent on 02/06/2025
5 out of 5 rating

The most amazing wedding venue

When my husband and I started looking at wedding venues, I couldn’t believe how expensive places were and how little autonomy you had. This was until we found the Fishpond.

Liley, the wedding co-ordinator, made our day perfect from the moment we met, until the day itself. She was so helpful and allowed us to choose what we wanted to do for food, the venue does a prop hire which means you don’t have to spend a fortune on decorations and flowers, and she also told us that we were providing too much alcohol/food (which was amazing as most venues will oversell!).

She worked tirelessly on the day to make our day perfect. Changing the room we used three times throughout the different stages of the day.

What was the most important part was the fact they allowed our dog to be part of the ceremony. The staff that worked that day were brilliant too, nothing was too big of an ask. Liley also managed to communicate with my mum and brother to arrange a surprise musician (bagpipes) which just made the day.

All of our guests commented on how amazing the food was too. We had meze platters to start and then Greek kebabs for mains. We didn’t do dessert which was great as no one was hungry! We then had pizzas and chicken wings for the evening, and we could bring our own cheese wheel, crackers and grapes for our wedding cake.

The venue may not be a stately home and is above a pub. BUT, the ballroom is beautiful, the terraces are gorgeous and the location is amazing. A perfect wedding venue that came to just over 5000 for the venue, wedding breakfast, evening meal, drinks package, wine on the table and prop hire for 50 people. You forget there’s even a pub downstairs!

Liley - you made our day. And we will forever be grateful. Thank you!!!
C
Charlotte Sent on 04/02/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Experience, Food & Vibes 10/10 💘

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Fishpond and I cannot recommend them enough. Liley, the Events Manager, is truly the best at what she does. Nothing was too much trouble and somehow she managed to understand every hare-brained idea we had and turn it into the most beautiful thing possible! Every single member of staff is amazing and the food, we had the pizza banquet, was outstanding. The guests will not stop talking about it!
Samantha
Samantha Sent on 17/10/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The most fantastic wedding day

The Fishpond was the most fantastic wedding venue for us as a laidback couple. It was reasonably priced and also super flexible - we could pretty much do anything. We were able to have our dog with us during the day too which just made it for us.

Everyone commented how amazing the staff and food were, as well as how beautiful the room looked. In fact, our photographer said it was the best food he'd ever had at a wedding!

Our wedding planner Liley was absolutely fantastic. Throughout the planning process, she was very responsive on emails and really made me feel at ease whenever I was stressing out about anything.

It was the very best day - all thanks to The Fishpond and their wonderful staff! Can't wait to return for anniversaries :)
C
Charlie Sent on 30/06/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Outstanding venue

A brilliant service from start to finish, dedicated wedding planner and flexibity to make it the day we wanted. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting a bespoke wedding
D
Dean Sent on 01/05/2024
5 out of 5 rating

They did it our way

We've just had our wedding at The Fishpond and we have to report that it was the greatest day of our lives. All made possible by the flexible approach of the venue. We were tired of viewing wedding venues with high prices and limited choices. Everyone complimented the food options where they were able to pick from a number of options avoiding us having to compromise on just one thing that hopefully everyone would enjoy.

Would definitely recommend this venue to others thinking about tying the knot in a quirky space
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204 South Parade, DE4 3NR Matlock Bath (Derbyshire)
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