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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2020

Last update: March 2024

The West Mill is a wedding venue reeped in history located on the banks of the River Derwent in Derbyshire. This Grade I listed property has been lovingly restored to retain many of its original features. You can celebrate in style over four stories to keep your guests talking for years to come.

Facilities and Capacity

With four beautiful event spaces for each part of your wedding all under one roof, you'll be wowed at each part of the wedding. The top floor called The Cotton Quarter is licensed for civil ceremonies and accommodates up to 160 guests. Think original tile flooring, exposed brickwork and cast iron beams creating an atmosphere like nowhere else for your heartfelt vow exchange. The Georgian-paned windows and industrial ceilings create the most incredible golden light and breathtaking backdrop for your ceremony.

Afterwards, your guests can retreat to the venue's courtyard and riverbank overlooking the weir for a relaxed champagne reception. If the heavens open, your guests can still enjoy milling around The Gallery which offers an industrial-chic aesthetic comprising cast-iron beams, polished concrete flooring and vintage decor.

As the wedding breakfast is called, guests will make their way up to the second floor's Breakfast Room providing a bright and airy space for a magical dining experience. With original barrel-vaulted arches, exposed brickwork and Georgian-paned windows, it boasts a historic ambience where you can enjoy heartfelt speeches and a golden atmosphere.

As night falls and the party gets started, The Spinning Room is the only place to be. With vintage booth seating, an industrial-style bar area and spacious dance floor with room for live entertainment, it really is the perfect party set up.

From 11am, the bride and her tribe can head to our delightful Bridal Suite to pamper and relax in VIP style and comfort as her guests gather in the Cotton Quarter next door.

The West Mill offer two types of accommodation, The Mill House is reeped in history and has eight double ensuite bedrooms and sleeps up to 16 adults and five children. In here, our friendly housekeepers will cook you and your guests a full English breakfast the morning after so you can sit back, smile and relive your dream day again and again.

The Mill Cottage is a charming space which sleeps 10. This beautfiul Mill Managers cottage has a gorgeous seated terrace and firepit and garden full of blooms - perfect for any getting ready shots ahead of your big day.

Services Offered

The West Mill is an exclusive-use venue so you and your guests can enjoy our space all to yourselves.

We are also a no-corkage venue meaning all you have to do is drop it off the day before your day, and we will serve and chill it for you with no extra charge.

Our in-house catering team will create the perfect wedding menu to suit you. You will also be invited to a Tasting Evening at the venue so that you and your loved one can try an array of our impressive dishes ahead of your day.

As part of your day, you will have one of our dedicated Event Managers to manage your day - effectlively a glorified wedding planner to ensure that your day is as magical as possible from start to finish.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

Unusual weddings
Historic
Landmark
In the city
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Alcohol licence
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

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

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Confetti permitted
Pet-friendly
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Do you have any questions?

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4.9 out of 5 rating
79 reviews
  • Quality of the service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
98% Recommended by couples
Hannah
Hannah B. Sent on 02/04/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing venue!

I cannot rate The West Mill highly enough.

It was the second venue myself and my husband went to and we knew it was the one, so much so that we canceled other venue viewings.

They know exactly what they are doing and the day ran seamlessly (special thanks to Nicola at The West Mill)

I am very much an over thinker and worrier but I can honestly say I had no nerves on my day as I just knew the venue had it covered, and they really did.

We had so many guests speaking to us about the venue and how amazing it was, even now, weeks after we are still being told what a great venue!!

We can't not mention the food, WOW, it's amazing and whatever you pick you cannot go wrong.

Thank you for making our special day truly amazing, it really was the best day of our lives
Tessa
Tessa A. Sent on 12/03/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The right choice.

We loved the west mill the moment we stepped foot on the property.
We had so many compliments from our guests about being able to seamlessly move from floor to floor as the day progressed.
Such an amazing space.
Michael
Michael W. Sent on 02/03/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Unique, stress-free & versatile venue!

I can't even begin to explain how perfect our wedding at The West Mill was!

First of all, we had to postpone the wedding due to Covid, and it couldn't have been an easier process. Everyone at the venue was very supportive and allowed us time to consider our options. It was this moment, I realised how lucky we were to have our big day in such safe hands.

There were a number of planning events we really enjoyed, but most notably, the taster evening! It was so great to visit the venue and see it set-up and speak to so many members of staff. Throughout the entire planning process, there was always someone at the venue, at the end of the phone or an email to answer our questions, and we never felt like an inconvenience.
Our event manager was also so lovely - she helped us to stay calm on the big day and was generally a pleasure to be around. All staff were attentive and our guests had nothing but praise for every aspect of the venue.

Aside from how helpful and lovely the staff are, the big pull was obviously how gorgeous and versatile the venue is. At West Mill, they have a number of props, decorations, candles and all table linen/cutlery etc. which you are able to use. Alternatively, it's easy enough to hire in companies or add some special details yourself. The good thing is that without adding any of that, the venue is gorgeous as it is, so you can't really go wrong!

There are so many other pros to booking this venue; we really loved how flexible the catering plans were - fantastic vegan options, sharing platters and alternatives to suit your vision. We decided to go for trestle tables and found it was such a sociable set-up! The on-site dressing room was also something we really loved! It looks small but we managed to have around 10 people getting ready in there, and it didn't feel too full.

The thing we loved most about this venue, was the size! We had a winter wedding and the weather was terrible! However, it really didn't affect our day as each element to the wedding took place on a different floor and so, it felt as though we were moving locations throughout the day. Guests made comments about how varied the day was and that the venue was full of surprises.

I could go on and on about The West Mill but I'll will sum-up by saying that I have no negatives, and I would encourage anyone wanting a stylish, sociable and stress-free wedding, to book this venue! 🙌
Jessica
Jessica H. Sent on 02/03/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Our Perfect Wedding

We have just returned from our honeymoon and had time to reflect on our brilliant day and just wanted to say Thank you so much for making our day as special as it could possibly be. It was honestly a dream day and would couldn’t be grateful enough.

The team were absolutely incredible setting everything up and the staff were so kind and supportive to everything we asked for to the finest detail.

We’d also like to send a HUGE thank you to the catering team. The wedding breakfast was brilliant. We couldn’t stop talking about how fantastic the food was throughout and our guests said they’d never had such beautiful food at a wedding before, everything was perfect.

We will do nothing but recommend The West Mill as the best wedding venue future bride and grooms could ask for. It has been such an easy process to the build up of our big day and we cannot thank you all enough.
Anna
Anna H. Sent on 10/02/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

Amazing venue - we had the best day !

We had our wedding at the west mill and I would highly recommend the venue and team. The venue is absolutely gorgeous and the entire team were so helpful and flexible making sure our day was just the way we wanted it.
Carrie
Carrie M. Sent on 02/12/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely Amazing

Would 100% recommend The West Mill as a venue, always stayed In contact with me even when I had to postpone due to Covid and everything was set up to exactly how I imagined it on the day and Shannon my wedding co-ordinator was amazing nothing was too much trouble and she was just the best
HappyGreenStationery6330
Helen B. Sent on 12/01/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Best Day Ever!

The West Mill was the second venue that we viewed and instantly we knew it was right for us.
One of the great things about The West Mill is that each part of your wedding happens on a different floor, so there is none of this ushering guests out whilst the room is set up.
The owners have done an amazing job with the decor, we loved the industrial chic style.
Hannah from the West Mill Kitchen was fantastic - great communication, ideas and recommendations. The food was fantastic and our catering manager on the day was also brilliant.
We also recommend hiring The Mill House in the night of your wedding too, much like the venue it’s very well done and aesthetically pleasing and convenient!
All in all if you book The West Mill you won’t be disappointed! Highly recommend! Thank you guys for the Best Day Ever!
Lauren
Lauren R. Sent on 04/10/2018
5 out of 5 rating

The Fantastic West Mill

The West Mill were great to me and Jermaine, very flexible to our needs. Our day exceeded our expectations and that is mainly down to the West Mill's organisation. The food was incredible I could not fault anything.

I would strongly recommend The West Mill.
Renna
Renna M. Sent on 04/03/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Best Day Ever

Fantastic venue, fantastic staff, fantastic food, fantastic service. I can not fault the west mill in any shape or form. Such a unique industrial style venue. You will not regret booking your wedding here.
Fontaine
Fontaine C. Sent on 16/11/2017
5 out of 5 rating
The West Mill was the perfect venue for our wedding day and all of our family and friends fell just as much in love with it as we did. The staff were amazing and accommodated us all without any hesitation. I would recommend having your wedding here any day of the week!!
Elesha
Elesha R. Sent on 18/10/2017
5 out of 5 rating
This venue really does speak for itself. It's a truly stunning converted Cotton Mill that has has been renovated to perfectly cater to your wedding needs. The West Mill has a wow factor, with 4 unique levels to accommodate each wedding element (service, good, party, welcome room) and a gorgeous courtyard for your drinks reception beside a spectacular weir, the venue really does tick all the boxes.

The staff go above and beyond to ensure that your day runs perfectly and the onsite caterers Jenkinsons are equally fantastic.
R
Rebecca C. Sent on 03/09/2023
1 out of 5 rating

Poor cancellation policy beware

We booked our wedding at the West Mills Venue, Derby on the 26th January and cancelled on the 27th February due to unforseen circumstances.
We were 9 days outside this heinous contract, of which we had to pay 25% of the overall venue hire. Which left us out of pocket over £3000. There is a 10 day cancellation policy. We feel there was lack of transparency by the provider about this. We had already paid a deposit £1500 and before we could even cancel we had to pay the full remainder of the cancellation percentage. Otherwise according to the policy we would have had to pay a total of £6000 plus to cancel a short period later.
Disappointed in the approach taken by the team. Understanding this is a business, there contract makes it incredibly profitable for cancellations. The majority of vendors come with an admin fee cancellation charge or a deposit lost cancellation charge. If another person books the same date you may see some of your money back but who knows if they would be transparent about this given their lack of help in other areas.
Proceed with extreme caution.
A
Ashleigh H. Sent on 17/11/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The most incredible venue

We knew from our first viewing at this venue that it would be absolutely perfect for our special day! It has such character and you can decorate it as much or as little as you like as it juts oozes beauty naturally. We were kept updated throughout and they made it super easy to keep in touch. We had Lou look after us and she was incredible throughout! All the other members of the team that looked after us on the day were also amazing and couldn't do enough for us. The food was absolutely outstanding and we got so many compliments about it. We also made use of the mill house and the mill cottage which were done to incredible standards. We couldn't of asked for anything better and were so glad we chose the west mill!
H
Helen R. Sent on 08/12/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Best venue ever!

The West Mill ticks all the boxes - so much space all to yourselves, excellent service before and during the wedding from all the staff, no corkage drinks, delicious food, beautiful setting and building and the staff decorate the spaces for you and tidy up your decor for collection. All of our guests were very impressed and it just added to a wholly incredible day.
A
Adrian W. Sent on 21/02/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing venue,truly amazing day

From our first visit to view The West Mill we both fell in love with the venue,perfect was the word we both used.
From the early stages to our Wedding day itself, the staff were absolutely brilliant in every way. Our ‘taster’ evening was fabulous & we were blown away by the standard of the food,so difficult to make our final food selections as it was all so beautiful, both in taste & presentation.
We had an amazing ( life saver) event manager in Jane,who just made everything so easy, eliminating any stress & worries we had,she guided us & made everything’perfect’.
Our entire Wedding day was amazing, the venue,staff, our dj & photographer ALL played a huge part in an unforgettable day, really words can’t explain just how brilliant the West Mill is.
The biggest Thank you for creating the most special of special days for us, I can’t imagine a better Wedding venue!
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The West Mill Real Weddings

Kim & Ben
44 photos · 04/09/2023
Andy & Claire
38 photos · 30/08/2023
Gabi & Marc
9 photos · 03/06/2023
Adam & Jessica
15 photos · 08/04/2023
Katie & Alfonso
32 photos · 13/02/2023
Sarah & Rob
56 photos · 21/12/2022

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Darley Abbey Mills DE22 1DZ Derby (Derbyshire)
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