The Best Wedding Venues in England
Posted on: 14/03/2025
Planning a wedding can be a complete whirlwind, and it can be hard to know where to start. Typically, couples begin with selecting their desired location, followed by the all-important wedding venue. But what should you look out for when picking your future wedding venue?
From capacity to weather, and accessibility, there’s a lot to consider. Luckily for nearly-weds researching venues, our recent study has analysed hundreds of wedding venues in England, to uncover the “best of the best” places to tie the knot this year, or thereafter.
Our research compiled factors such as weather, online reviews and social media popularity.
The systematic scoring system has revealed the “best of the best” English wedding venues for couples planning a wedding in 2025. Ranging from stately homes, country manors and even local restaurants, the findings may surprise you.
We’ve also shared our own top tips on things to consider when picking a venue, and how to make sure your choice is unique to your personality and style.
The best wedding venue goes to 14th Century Manor Castle in Durham
Topping the list is Lumley Castle in Durham, which takes the top spot with an overall score of 84/100, based on a combination of factors.
Situated by the A1, Lumley Castle is a shining venue in the North of England, though it has easy access for those travelling from across the country.
The study found the 14th Century castle has a glowing online reputation with over 3,300 reviews on Tripadvisor and 11,000 hashtags across social media combined.
When it comes to predicted weather, it scored above average on temperature all year round and has only 6.7cm of rainfall a year - less than half of other competing regions of the country!
The historic venue provides a medieval but elegant feel and has 73 rooms in total, spread between the castle, converted stable and newly built cottages. Riverside walks and Durham County’s international cricket ground are within walking distance. The venue also homes a haunted Escape Room which operates all year round, perfect for couples tying the knot during spooky season!
A restaurant in London takes second place!
In an unusual turn of events, the second-best wedding venue in England is in fact a restaurant in Greater London – Joe Allen.
Nestled in Covent Garden, also known as “Theatreland”, Joe Allen Restaurant is a cosy and welcoming venue for intimate wedding celebrations. It stormed to the top of the list for its generous social media following (over 8,000). Weather predictions look optimistic, with only 62cm of rainfall in the area each year, and an annual average temperature of 16 degrees.
Established in 1977, London’s Joe Allen is named after its owner and follows in the footsteps of its original sister restaurant in New York. Couples can expect a relaxed but sophisticated atmosphere where up to 120 guests can be seated for good food and good music.
The top 10 wedding venues in England:
Lumley Castle, Durham
Joe Allen Restaurant, Greater London
Hanbury Manor, Herfordshire
The Grand, North Yorkshire
Ettington Park Hotel, Warwickshire
Warwick Castle, Warwickshire
De Vere Beaumont Estate, Berkshire
Buxted Park Hotel, East Sussex
Talbooth Restaurant, Essex
Greenwoods Hotel Spa & Retreat, Essex
Joining them in the rankings is Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire, which has almost 2,500 reviews on Tripadvisor, and The Grand Hotel in York, which ranked for its social media popularity with over 5,000 hashtags on TikTok alone!
Interestingly, Buckinghamshire boasted one of the survey’s best weather scores despite none of its venues making the top 10. According to Met Office data, the county gets a mere 35cm of rainfall each year – take note if you want to ditch the umbrellas on your big day.
Northumberland and Northamptonshire named the BEST counties in England for wedding venues
According to our research the counties with the most high-scoring wedding venues are Northumberland and Northamptonshire.
Northumberland rises to the top with an average rainfall of 563mm, which is on the lower end compared to the rest of the country, as well as a generous average annual temperature of 16 degrees. It is home to the most social media-worthy venue, South Causey Inn, which has 591 hashtags on TikTok and 31,000 Instagram followers, earning it max points for both criteria.
Northumberland is also home to the most reviewed venue, Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa, with 2,732 TripAdvisor reviews.
Whilst Northamptonshire has a higher average rainfall of 649mm and an average temperature of 14 degrees, it is home to some showstopping venues.
It is home to the most social media-worthy venue, Barton Hall with 167 hashtags on TikTok and over 6,200 followers on Instagram.
The most-reviewed venue in the area is The Talbot Hotel, with 2,107 TripAdvisor reviews and counting.
The top 10 best counties for wedding venues:
- Northumberland and Northamptonshire – 70/100
- Warwickshire – 68/100
- Tyne and Wear, Essex, Durham and Dorset – 67/100
- Norfolk – 66/100
- Greater London – 65/100
- Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Cambridgeshire, Somerset – 65/100
- Staffordshire – 62/100
- Lancashire, West Midlands – 61/100
- East Sussex – 60/100
- Berkshire – 59/100
Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant is the most “Instagrammable”
The study also uncovered the most followed wedding venues on social media. Taking the lead was Bread Street Kitchen and Bar in London, with a whopping 230k followers on Instagram alone. Following in second place was family-owned estate, Mapperton, in Dorset with 138k followers.
The most “Instagrammable” wedding venues in England:
- Bread Street Kitchen, London – 230k
- Mapperton, Dorset – 138k
- Warwick Castle, Warwickshire – 82k
- The Nici, Dorset – 68k
- King Street Townhouse, Manchester – 38k
Jeremy Hinds, Wedding Expert at F.Hinds, said: “All of the venues that made the top ten list have something very special and unique to offer couples tying the knot.
“Whilst traditional weddings continue to be popular for couples getting married in 2025, the research shows that alternative options, such as city centre restaurants, are also a favourable option. This could be in line with more and more couples looking to create a less formal wedding day that challenges the ‘norm’.
“Choosing a venue is undoubtably one of the main decisions when planning a wedding. It’s important thing for couples to align and set out their values and priorities in advance, as it’s easy to become overexcited and not think of practicalities. Start with the basics such as budget, capacity, travel logistics and location.
“From here, you can research seasons and dates, as well as the suppliers on offer. Remember, like buying a property, a wedding is completely personal and unique to your own needs and style.”
Whether you’re after an “Instagrammable” wedding breakfast or the best chance of dry, mild weather, our findings show there’s some spectacular wedding venues in every corner of the country. From an intimate reception at a city restaurant, to a grand manor hotel, England has something to offer anyone, no matter the brief.