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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2021

Last update: May 2025

St Chad’s is a wedding venue in Durham, England. This charming venue, which sits in the shadow of Durham Cathedral and fronts onto the medieval North Bailey, is a place of peaceful serenity, where picture-perfect gardens stretch out to meet the wooded gorge of the River Wear.

Facilities and Capacity

St Chad’s welcomes couples and their guests during Durham University Easter and summer vacation periods. St Chad's is licensed to host civil ceremonies. The impressive glass-roofed Cassidy Quad and the lawned garden can seat 120 ceremony guests; the Senior Common Room is also available for couples planning a more intimate ceremony. The Moulsdale Hall, which features tall, arched windows that afford a lovely view of Durham Cathedral, hosts wedding breakfasts for up to 120 guests. The Cassidy Quad has capacity of up to 140 people for after-ceremony celebrations. The happy couple can also enjoy a complimentary stay in a cathedral-view room on the night of their wedding. Competitively-priced overnight accommodation is also available for wedding guests.

Services Offered

St Chad’s hosts one wedding per day. The venue's staff is committed to providing a professional, friendly, and caring service. St Chad's head chef and his team offer a selection of dining options to suit every palate. Couples can count on everyone at St Chad’s to go above and beyond to ensure that everything is perfect and ready for their special day. Viewings are available, and the team at St Chad’s looks forward to meeting you.

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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

Historic
Landmark
In the city
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
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Wedding coordinator

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
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Do you have any questions?

Reviews for Weddings at St Chad's

Rachael
Rachael Sent on 15/04/2025
5 out of 5 rating

The best day of our lives!

We cannot begin to express how amazing our wedding day at St Chads was. The venue was stunning and every single guest was in awe! Darryl and Lesley were fantastic from the minute we made our first enquiry. They literally couldn’t have been more helpful. From the bottom of our hearts we truly can’t thank you enough for making our day truly unforgettable!
A
Alex Sent on 02/04/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic wedding day

We recently got married at St Chad’s college and had the most amazing day. All our guests commented on how stunning the venue was. Many had walked past many times but never know how beautiful it was inside.

We can’t thank the staff enough, from the planning, preparation and on the day, they were so attentive, responsive and helped our day go by amazingly. Our guests commented on how smooth it went and the level of organisation that was evident throughout.

Everything we asked for was listened to and we had nothing to worry about on the day. Daryl and Lesley were amazing and any questions were answered and our worries were elevated.

The food was amazing - we had so many guests comments on how fabulous it was. Even the breakfast the next day was delicious. So thank you!

We can’t recommend St. Chad’s enough as a wedding venue.

Thanks so much again,
Alex and Tom
A
Ashley Sent on 07/03/2025
5 out of 5 rating

The end result was breathtaking!

My vintage wedding gown was a family heirloom, and I wanted to modernize it while keeping its sentimental value. They carefully adjusted the silhouette, added new beading, and restored the fabric beautifully. The end result was breathtaking!
E
Emma Sent on 26/02/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful winter wedding

We had the most wonderful wedding at St Chad's. The day itself went without a hitch, and everything felt so easy in the months prior for organising. It's incredible value for the service and experience - we couldn't have asked for a better day.
Thank you Darryl and Lesley for all the work went into making our day so special.
Rebecca
Rebecca Sent on 20/10/2024
5 out of 5 rating

We wish we could get married here all over again!

Not to be cliche, but we absolutely had the best day of our lives getting married at St. Chads!

We are both Durham Univeristy graduates, so getting married at St. Chads meant a lot to us both.

The venue was perfect for our elegant but relaxed wedding. The space worked so beautifully for the whole day, and the transformation of the quad from ceremony room to dance floor was seamless. The building is so charming that hardly any decoration is needed, but the decoration provided by the team at St. Chads was the perfect extra touch (plus beautiful table and chair decorations by The Artisan Wedding House).

We were lucky enough to have glorious weather, and got to make the most of the lovely gardens for drinks, canapes, boules and photos. The whole area surrounding the college is beautiful, and provides the ideal place for some extra couple photos.

Darryl, Lesley and the rest of the St. Chads wedding team were absolutley fantastic from start to finish. We planned our wedding from several hundred miles away, and yet the process was made easy and stress free by Darryl and co.

The food was fantastic, and just the right portion sizes to not be too full to dance the night away. As St. Chads is a student college in term time they are very used to feeding a crowd, and catering for a variety of dietary requirements was easy.

Having a bedroom provided in the college for us was so useful, as it was a great place to do a quick outfit change before the serious dancing began. Plus, the added bonus of an en-suite bathroom big enough to accomodate a poofy wedding dress!

Darryl and the team were also very accomodating with letting us leave decorations and other items off the day before the wedding, and picking them up the day after. They also went above and beyond to meet the extra requests we had (thank you for ensuring an ample supply of creme de menthe behind the bar!).

Overall, we can't reccomend St. Chads enough! Thank you for the best day ever.
(Review photos by Jules Barron Wedding Photography)
Brittany
Brittany Sent on 19/01/2025
4.8 out of 5 rating

Gorgeous venue!

We got married abroad and wanted somewhere budget friendly to throw a big reception when we got home to invite all of our family and friends who couldn’t make it to our ‘real’ wedding. St Chad’s was perfect. We both agreed that it would have been amazing to have the full wedding day there if we hadn’t gotten married abroad. The venue is beautiful and needs very minimal decor, the surrounding area is gorgeous for photos and the packages are very reasonable! We chose to have a hot sandwich buffet which was really nice! The gardens were a lovely place for our guests (especially kids) to be if they weren’t dancing. An all round lovely venue at a very reasonable price.
S
Steven Sent on 16/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Exquisite venue

Lots of our guests commented how did we find this venue? The atrium they call the Quad lights up in the evening in a way that is highly atmospheric. Staff very helpful and friendly.
A
Alexandra Sent on 20/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The ultimate wedding venue!

It’s hard to imagine a venue more perfect than this one! Darryl and Lesley truly went above and beyond to help us with our special day; one we will never forget. Nothing was too much trouble and the attention to detail and co-ordination with suppliers was exceptional! With St Chad’s you’re getting a venue that is beautiful architecturally but maintains a relaxed feel. The variety of space for guests on offer is also what led us to choose here; there are places for friends and family to chat and gather indoors and outdoors as well as a dance floor for a boogie later. The food at the wedding breakfast and evening buffet was also delicious and of a really high quality. As a former Chadsian this place truly holds a special place in my heart and serves as out of this world wedding venue that will continue to be so special to me and my husband for many, many years to come.
K
Katharine Sent on 21/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect wedding venue!

St Chad's is one of the most beautiful venues in Durham and as we met each another at Durham University, it was a no brainer for us! Darryl and Lesley were a fantastic team and worked hard to ensure all our requests are catered for. Communication was prompt and the pre-wedding meeting was helpful to clarify all our questions. The food portion from the canapes, wedding breakfast and evening buffet were generous, delicious and outstanding service by the kitchen and waiting staff. Darryl was around the entire day of our wedding to make sure things went smoothly and we felt very well looked after. The Quad area was stunning and with a large screen allowed us to put up a recurring video slideshow for our guests to witness our story as a couple. Overall, St Chad's Durham as a wedding venue is outstanding and great value for money - huge thank you to both Darryl and Lesley for making our special day such a memorable one. Best wishes, Katharine and Adrian
C
Catherine Sent on 21/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Magical Wedding Venue

We had a truly magical wedding day at St Chad's! Darryl and Lesley are a dream team; they planned everything to perfection and ensured that we could relax and enjoy our special day. St Chad's is a beautiful venue; the glass roofed quad and gardens are stunning. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful catering; the canapes, wedding breakfast and buffet were all delicious. We enjoyed every minute of the celebrations and were delighted that we could host our guests in such a special venue.
C
Clare Sent on 18/05/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful day

We had an amazing day for our wedding, thanks to Darryl and Lesley's help. They were so calm and professional before and during the day, and they really helped us to get a handle on how the day should run! The food was lovely, the staff were so friendly and helped everyone feel comfortable on the day. St Chad's jumped into action and found a replacement dessert when our gluten free cake was a disaster, nothing was too much trouble.

We'd definitely recommend St Chad's as a venue!
Claire
Claire Sent on 10/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Wedding Venue

We chose St Chad's for its location, beauty and as a Durham graduate, its unique link to the University and Cathedral. We had our wedding reception here in April 2024 and highly recommend this wedding venue. Lesley and Darryl were extremely helpful from the start, always willing to answer our questions promptly and nothing was too big of an ask. On the day, Darryl was an incredible coordinator who did everything to ensure that we stayed happy and present in each moment. Darryl, along with the catering team, worked together seamlessly to deliver an exceptional service. They catered to a range of dietary requirements. Overall, we can't recommend Chad's highly enough. It truly is a hidden gem if you are getting married in Durham. Thank you!
Sam
Sam A. Sent on 24/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

PERFECT day from start to finish! Exceptional service from all the staff, delicious food, stunning venue!

St Chads gave us the best day of our lives! Our wedding was a truly amazing day. All of the staff went above & beyond, the service was exceptional throughout the whole day. The food was delicious, we had canapés, a 3 course wedding breakfast and the cold buffet on the evening. All of our guests had the best day & gave us so many lovely compliments about the venue. A special thank you to Lesley, Darryl & Sara for all the communication & organisation that made the whole process stress free. I would recommend St Chads to anyone getting married. Thank you so much, we’re eternally grateful to you all for giving us a wedding day better than we could have ever imagined it to be. Sam & Dean - Wedding 08.09.2023
M
Miss Sent on 11/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect venue

As soon as we viewed the venue we knew. St chads looked perfect for our wedding. The courtyard in so beautiful it barely needs any extra decorations. Staff very easy to communicate with. Set up a beautiful table (and side tables) with genius little hacks to make it all look extra nice (such as found a nice box for the handfans to be displayed in). When the speaker system broke (after having worked that same morning) they found alternative speakers to use. Guests did not notice the problem. Already recommending St Chads to everyone.
Sarah
Sarah Sent on 01/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Beautiful venue, stress free day

We booked Chad's as our reception venue and couldn't recommend it more for anyone wanting a beautiful wedding. The venue is the perfect place for a wedding reception, and all our guests were commenting on the picturesque surroundings. The quad and the garden particularly were brilliant spaces. The organisers were so slick and professional in the lead up to the wedding, that planning was so easy. They even gave us some great ideas like having a picture slide show of our family and friends. On the day, Darryl was the image of a man in control of the day, to the extent that as the bride and groom, we could just enjoy the day. We are so happy we booked Chad's for our wedding.
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Badges

Hitched Wedding Awards 2025 Winner
Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 Winner
Hitched Wedding Awards 2023 Winner
Hitched Wedding Awards 2022 Winner
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Weddings at St Chad's Real Weddings

Zuo & James
18 photos · 17/04/2025

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Map

18 North Bailey DH1 3RH Durham City (Durham)
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