Getting to know Walton Castle in Clevedon
Posted on: 10 Aug 2015
When it comes to a venue of unbridled grandeur and spectacle, few can match the absolutely stunning Walton Castle in Clevedon.
To find out a little more about this incredible landmark we spoke with head of marketing, Tracey Farquhar-Beck…
Walton Castle is a superb venue – can you tell us a bit about its history?
The site dates back as far as the Iron Age with Walton Castle set upon a hill fort. Reference to it is also made in the Doomsday Book as belonging to “Gunni The Dane”. However the construction as we now see it took place, according to Pevsner Encyclopedia, between 1615 and 1620. It was designed as a Hunting Lodge for Lord John Poulett, a wealthy and renowned Somerset land-owner and Member of Parliament.
The land surrounding Walton Castle had been acquired by marriage. The English Civil War marked a decline in such enormous and valuable holdings by absentee landlords and then by 1791, Walton Castle lay abandoned and derelict. The roof and floors then fell in and parts of the building became a convenient home for dairy cattle. Despite its exposed position the structure remained meriting Pevsner’s description in 1957 as “remarkable as a piece of ornamental planning”. Restoration by the largest landowners in the area was abandoned and taken up by a city financier who returned Walton Castle to its former glory. The current owner purchased the castle in 2013.
How's business?
Business is very good currently - we are fully booked for weekends now until October and taking lots of bookings for 2016 and 2017
Are you open for business throughout the year?
Yes we are and Christmas and New Year are very popular for family holidays
Whether a corporate event or a wedding what additional services do you offer other than the venue itself?
We hire the venue out as a whole with exclusive use mostly. We do hire out separate function rooms for conferencing and meetings on weekdays. We do however have an extensive list of superb local suppliers and help our clients find all the services they need.
Presumably you have a long list of approved suppliers for the venue, do they need to be used or are outside catering and service providers allowed?
Obviously we like our clients to be introduced to suppliers who we know are reputable and of the highest quality, but at the end of the day, it is the client’s day and most clients, corporate and couples, often have a specific theme in mind.
How do you cater for those that want to add a bit of modern flair to the traditional setting?
We have hosted so many different styles and the castle seems to be the perfect background to any theme
Any developments planned for Walton Castle in terms of types of events you are hosting?
Looking to the future, the outlook is to put Walton Castle on the map in terms of corporate events, private lets/holidays as well as some weddings. We are also planning a number of community events and working with the local community in terms of sponsorship and hosting local events.
What’s the best way for people to get in touch?
Email, Facebook, Twitter, telephone (0800 014 6101) or enquiry form on the website.
Tags: Venue, Castle, Wedding, Events, Day Trip, Gardens, House, Corporate events