Venue at a glance
The Renaissance at Kelham Hall is a 19th-century stately home set within 42 acres of riverside grounds near Newark-on-Trent. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott after a fire in 1857, with Scott later reusing design elements for the facade of London's Midland Hotel (now the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel), the venue combines heritage architecture with large-capacity event infrastructure, including the Great Hall, a domed former chapel.
The venue actively caters for traditional, Asian, and multicultural weddings, alongside conferences, awards ceremonies, private events, and outdoor functions ranging from intimate board meetings through to large-scale celebrations.
Why choose this venue
The Great Hall is one of the venue's strongest differentiators. Originally built as a domed chapel, it retains soaring Byzantine architecture, balconies, and a dramatic flying archway. The venue describes it as the second-largest concrete dome in England, creating a space that feels dramatically different from standard hotel ballrooms or conference suites.
Many heritage venues struggle operationally at scale. Kelham Hall combines a stately-home setting with large-capacity event space, free parking, and multiple breakout rooms across the estate.
The venue actively markets and supports Asian and multicultural weddings, with experience handling large guest counts and flexibility for religious ceremonies, civil ceremonies, evening receptions, and multi-day celebrations.
Although the venue feels secluded and grand, it sits close to the A1 and A46 and is approximately 90 minutes from London by road. Newark North Gate provides East Coast Main Line services to London King's Cross.
From the Summerhouse open-air ceremony space to riverside meadows and marquee setups, the estate offers a mix of indoor grandeur and adaptable outdoor space for summer events and festival-style functions.
Planning details
Best for
- Weddings
- Asian and multicultural weddings
- Gala dinners and awards ceremonies
- Conferences and leadership events
- Product launches
- Team building events
- Outdoor summer events
- Heritage venue filming and photography
- Celebration of life gatherings
Less suited to
- Events requiring on-site guest accommodation
- Ultra-modern minimal event styling
- Small-budget private hire
- Walk-in casual event bookings
- Events needing immediate station access without transfers
Catering
- Model In-house catering across weddings and corporate events, including a conference buffet lunch within the day delegate package. Styles include wedding breakfasts, buffet lunches, working lunches, gala dinners, conference catering, Asian and multicultural wedding catering, and private dining.
- External External catering for Asian and multicultural celebrations should be confirmed with the venue (confirm with venue).
- Bars In-house bars available, including in the Carriage Court and Dining Room. Licensing hours, payment terms, and any BYO policy to be confirmed with venue.
- Dietary Dietary and allergy accommodation should be confirmed at enquiry stage (confirm with venue).
Accessibility
- Features Free on-site parking
- Ground-floor event spaces
- Caveat As a Grade I listed historic building, accessibility may vary between spaces. Specific provisions such as accessible toilets, lift access, and step-free routes are referenced by some third-party listings but are not detailed on the venue's own pages. Buyers should confirm step-free access routes, accessible bathroom proximity, balcony access, and outdoor terrain suitability directly with the venue against their event requirements (confirm with venue).
Sustainability
- Details The venue publishes a sustainability policy via its website. Specific operational sustainability measures should be confirmed directly with the venue. The building is Grade I listed, recognising it as a structure of exceptional historic interest.
Pricing notes
- Day delegate
- per person (special offer rate) from £40 inc VAT
- Note Special offer rate. Pricing should be reconfirmed directly with the venue.
- Wedding offer (2026/27)
- 50 daytime and 80 evening guests, selected dates £8,000 (usually £11,000)
- Note Selected dates only. Other room hire and weekend pricing to be confirmed with venue.
Space combinations
- Great Hall + Carriage Court Ceremony plus evening reception
- Great Hall + Gardens & Grounds Conferences with outdoor activation
- Marquee + Grounds Large multicultural weddings and outdoor celebrations
- Library + Drawing Room Workshops with breakout discussions
Wedding notes
- Ceremonies Civil ceremonies are offered in a choice of five licensed rooms, open-air ceremonies at the Summerhouse overlooking the riverside meadow, and religious ceremonies at St Wilfrid's, a 12th-century church within the grounds.
- Scale The venue markets itself as catering for celebrations from 4 to 500 guests. Wedding guest counts range from intimate gatherings through to several hundred guests depending on room combination and setup.
- Notes Traditional and Asian wedding packages are available, with experience hosting a wide range of multicultural weddings, plus bespoke and classic wedding packages. A 2026/27 traditional wedding offer covers 50 daytime and 80 evening guests at £8,000 (usually £11,000) on selected dates.
Compare event spaces
The Great Hall
A landmark domed hall for large-scale events Originally built as a chapel in the Byzantine style during the Hall's years as home to an Anglican order of monks,…
Pairs well with The Carriage Court, The Marquee, Gardens & Grounds
The Carriage Court
A flexible event room with integrated bar and dancefloor The Carriage Court is centrally located within the Hall. Its integrated bar and central wooden floor make it well…
Pairs well with The Great Hall, The Dining Room
The Music Room
A vaulted Victorian room for presentations and elegant receptions The Music Room features a stone baronial fireplace, a vaulted ceiling, a decorated ceiling, and large windows overlooking the…
The Dining Room
A characterful private dining and entertaining space The Dining Room combines rich decoration, a fireplace, and large windows overlooking the gardens and Kings Walk. It has its own…
Pairs well with The Carriage Court
The Drawing Room
An elegant room for smaller executive and private events The Drawing Room is designed for smaller-scale gatherings where atmosphere matters more than scale. It works well for executive…
Pairs well with The Library
The Library
A bright meeting and workshop space overlooking the grounds The Library features floor-to-ceiling bay windows and direct access to the manicured gardens, creating a lighter and more informal…
Pairs well with The Drawing Room
The Estate Office
A boardroom-style space with historic character Formerly the operational office for the estate, from where all aspects of life at the hall and wider estate were managed, this…
The Lady Chapel
An intimate licensed ceremony space The Lady Chapel is one of the original spaces within the Hall and is used as a wedding ceremony setting. Best for Small…
The Marquee
A flexible large-capacity event extension space The marquee supports larger receptions and outdoor-focused events where additional capacity or weather contingency is required. Best for Large receptionsOutdoor weddingsAsian wedding…
Pairs well with Gardens & Grounds
The Summerhouse
A riverside open-air ceremony setting The Summerhouse offers open-air ceremonies overlooking the riverside meadow and is used during warmer months. Best for Outdoor ceremoniesIntimate summer celebrations Capacities Layout:…
Gardens & Grounds
Large-scale outdoor event space within a riverside estate The grounds include riverside meadows, gardens, lawns, and open green space suitable for outdoor receptions, team building, marquees, and festival-style…
Pairs well with The Great Hall, The Marquee
Capacity matrix
| Space | Weddings | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The Carriage Court | 150 | Ask |
Facilities and services
Facilities & Amenities
Getting there
The Renaissance at Kelham Hall is located in Kelham, near Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, at Main Street, Newark, NG23 5QX.
AddressNewark, Nottinghamshire
PostcodeNG23 5QX
AreaEast Midlands, Newark
Nearest stationNewark North Gate and Newark Castle
Good forAwards and galas, Christmas parties, Conferences, Corporate events, Meeting rooms, Parties
- Direct road access via the A1 and A46; approximately 90 minutes from London by road
- Newark North Gate
- Newark Castle
- East Midlands Airport and Birmingham Airport (confirm distances with venue)
- Free on-site parking (specific space count referenced by third-party partners; confirm with venue)
Frequently asked questions
Is it good for conferences and large events?
Yes. The corporate events page states the venue accommodates business events from 2 to 1,000 delegates across spaces suited to conferences, awards dinners, leadership events, training workshops, and product launches. Note the venue's history page references events up to 600 guests, so the true operational maximum should be confirmed directly.
Is it suitable for Asian weddings?
Yes. The venue actively markets and supports Asian and multicultural weddings, with experience handling large guest counts and flexible spaces for ceremonies, receptions, and multi-day celebrations.
Which space has the biggest impact?
The Great Hall is the architectural centrepiece of the estate. The domed ceiling, flying archway, balconies, and scale make it the standout room for gala dinners, ceremonies, and major events.
Can the venue be hired exclusively?
Exclusive-use weddings are referenced in reviews and wedding positioning, though corporate exclusive-use policy should be confirmed directly with the venue.
Does the venue include AV and WiFi?
WiFi is included throughout and is part of the day delegate package. Detailed AV provision per room, including any screen or projection infrastructure in the Great Hall, should be confirmed directly with the venue (confirm with venue).
How accessible is transport?
The venue is close to Newark-on-Trent and benefits from direct access via the A1 and A46, with London approximately 90 minutes by road. Newark North Gate offers East Coast Main Line connections to London King's Cross.