Garden Party at Battel Hall

Garden Party at Battel Hall

I was excited to be invited to attend a garden party to celebrate the opening of Battel Hall a pretty new wedding venue in Kent that offers complete wedding packages for its couples.  It was a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon, just perfect for the occasion.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Battel Hall - Covered in Wisteria

On the drive up to Battel Hall, I passed the imposing entrance of Leeds Castle the wonderful wedding venue that has had the vision to lovingly restore this intriguing medieval old hall house, Battel Hall.

Although I’ve already written a couple of blog posts on Battel Hall and seen lots of stunning pictures of this wedding venue, my first actual glimpse of Battel Hall took my breath away. The detailed stonework of its façade was magical and the moment I set eyes on it, I instantly fell in love with this gorgeous hall house.  I couldn’t wait to go inside to see all the rooms in their true glory.

On arrival I was warmly greeted by the wedding team from Leeds Castle, they were so friendly and had an absolute passion for this beautiful building. We talked for a while about the restoration and the work that had gone into it by the Interior Designer, Francesca Rowan Plowden.

I had my own personal guide from the Leeds Castle team, Jenny who showed me around and made me feel so welcome. Firstly, we explored the outside areas of Battel Hall; she led me through the gardens and into an area that is being created in a beautiful walled garden just adjacent to the main house.  At the back of this walled garden, a new gate has been put in, so that wedding couples can access the local church by crossing through a field straight into its grounds. This is ideal for wedding couples that would like to have a traditional church wedding ceremony.

Outside I saw the wonderful Old English Bower which will offer wedding couples the option of an outdoor wedding ceremony, with their guests seated on the lawns.  The Bower is so old its original height wouldn’t have been high enough for a modern-day bridal couple to walk under, so it has been cleverly raised and permanently fixed to give it some extra height. It’s such a pretty structure it will make the perfect backdrop for an outdoor wedding ceremony.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - Retable Painting

We entered the inside of Battel Hall through the magnificent hallway.  Here you will see the carved stone corbels just above the inside of the front door, a replica of the painting ‘retable’ hanging over the staircase which was discovered when Battel Hall was restored and a rare basin called a laver adjacent to the main doorway.  All these period features have been beautifully incorporated into the refurbishment of the building.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - The Laver

Jenny gave me a tour of the rooms downstairs; the stunning morning room with its elaborate hand-painted De Gournay wallpaper, the Library adorned in elegant rich colours and the oak-panelled dining room which will be the main indoor wedding ceremony space as well as being used for intimate wedding breakfast celebrations.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - Oak-Panelled Ceremony Room

I was able to explore the upstairs of Battel Hall at my leisure.  All of the five ensuite bedrooms are designed in their own distinct style and are all absolutely gorgeous. As a couple, you will find it extremely difficult to decide on which bedroom to single out as the main honeymoon suite.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - The Larkspur Bedroom

Two of the bedrooms, the Hellebore and Peony Bedrooms have an interconnecting corridor between them with an intriguing tiny stone staircase that leads to nowhere!  This is just one of many fascinating period details preserved and highlighted in the restoration of this wonderful medieval manor house, adding to the overall charm of the building.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - Tiny Staircase

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Battel Hall and would highly recommend you arrange a visit if you are looking for an unusual wedding venue in Kent for your special day.

The Leeds Castle team have put together some complete wedding packages for this Kent wedding venue:

You can hire Battel Hall for a weekend from Fridays to Sundays; a three-night stay for up to 14 of your guests on a self-catering basis which includes:

  • Exclusive use of Battel Hall and a further two bedrooms in the adjacent Battel Hall Oast
  • Help with the planning of your wedding
  • Free entry into Leeds Castle during your stay
Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - Battel Hall Oast

For smaller intimate weddings up to 14 guests, Battel Hall is available for hire all year round and includes the following on your wedding day:

  • A glass of sparkling wine, 3-course sit down dinner or buffet, half bottle of wine during the meal, coffee & chocolates, staff to look after you and guest parking

For larger weddings up to 100 guests, Battel Hall is available for hire between the months of April to September and includes the following on your wedding day:

A marquee and luxury toilets for up to 100 wedding guests, this includes tables and chairs, use of the Old English Bower for an outdoor wedding ceremony, staff to look after you and guest parking.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - The Kitchen

For full details of the prices for hiring Battel Hall for your Kent wedding or to arrange a viewing, please contact the Leeds Castle wedding team by making an enquiry here.

Garden Party at Battel Hall

Image - The Hellebore Bedroom

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