The Country Castle Company

The Country Castle Company: venue finding for events in the UK

The Country Castle Company is a British company that acts as an intermediary in finding venues for corporate events and private celebrations in the UK. Founded in 2007, according to its own website, it presents itself as a specialist in locating country houses, castles and manor houses for company meetings, retreats, offsites, leadership gatherings, team away days and family celebrations. The company does not own or manage the spaces it recommends: its role is that of a venue-finding partner, filtering options and facilitating direct contact with the sales and events teams of each property.

Venue-finding service at no cost to the client

The service is offered at no cost to the client. The company receives the event brief —dates, number of guests, preferred location, accommodation needs, space requirements and budget— and from there explores suitable options, contacts venue teams directly, confirms availability and gathers rates and proposals so the client can compare. A finished brief is not necessary to start the search: the company works with the information available and helps to shape it. The process is structured in four steps: gathering the basic details, preparing a focused shortlist, obtaining direct answers from venues and providing support during the decision phase, which may include arranging viewings.

Types of events and spaces

The company distinguishes between corporate events and private celebrations. In the corporate sphere, it covers conferences, team building activities, product launches, company celebrations, retreats, offsites and residential meetings. For private individuals, it offers country houses and castles for family celebrations, anniversaries and Christmas parties, as well as manor houses for large parties. The venue catalogue includes castles, country houses, mansions and manor houses, organised by regions covering the areas around London, the South East, the South West, Central England, the North of England, Scotland and Wales.

Examples of venues in the catalogue

The website shows a selection of properties with specific capacity and location details. These include Weston Park, a 300-year-old stately home set on a 1,000-acre estate in Central England, with capacity for 66 guests and 34 bedrooms; Leeds Castle, in Kent, with a moat, 45 bedrooms, 500 acres of parkland and capacity for 89 guests; Brocket Hall, in the South East, with 540 acres of parkland and 46 bedrooms for 88 guests; Down Hall, in Essex, with 110 acres, a spa and 98 bedrooms for 196 guests; Pennyhill Park, in Surrey, with 124 bedrooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant, a spa and 18 event spaces; Tortworth Court, a historic manor house in the Cotswolds near Bristol, with 14 event spaces, 201 bedrooms and 30 acres; Hever Castle, in Kent, with 31 luxury bedrooms and capacity for 61 guests; and Rushton Hall, a Grade I listed property in Northamptonshire, with 57 bedrooms and capacity for 114 guests.

First-hand knowledge and direct relationships with venues

The company states that its recommendations are not based solely on published listings, but on knowledge accumulated since 2007 through venue visits, real client briefs, events organised and ongoing conversations with sales and events teams. According to its presentation, this allows it to clarify aspects that are not always included on property websites, such as how spaces work in practice, bedroom allocations, exclusive-use options, catering, available activities, current rates and availability, as well as possible flexibility. In addition to venue selection, the company can help organise activities and catering.

Client profile and reach

Among the clients the company cites on its website are NSS, Compare the Market, Bytron, Insight222, Selina Finance and Cronofy, with events held at Weston Park, Kidlington Hall, Brocket Hall, Rushton Hall and Leeds Castle. The company operates throughout the UK and its registered office is in England and Wales with company number 14186708. The website is available in English and the company presents itself as specialising in venue finding for corporate events in the UK.