Highcliffe Castle
A Grade I listed clifftop castle with sea views to the Isle of Wight, Highcliffe, Dorset
Highcliffe Castle is a Grade I listed Gothic Renaissance castle on the Dorset coast, with a Wintergarden for ceremonies of up to 110 guests, state rooms for wedding breakfasts and a beach reached by a woodland trail.
Highcliffe Castle stands on the Dorset coast at Highcliffe, a Grade I listed house in the Gothic Renaissance style built in the early 1830s for the diplomat Lord Stuart de Rothesay. Its carved-stone exterior and tree-lined grounds overlook the coastline, and after two fires in the 1960s the building has been carefully restored. Four state rooms are available on the wedding day, and the grounds include front lawns and a woodland trail that leads to the beach.
Civil ceremonies take place in the Wintergarden, a light-filled room with floor-to-ceiling windows that seats up to 110. The wedding breakfast is held in the State Dining Room, for up to 80, or the Great Hall, for up to 110, and the Drawing Room becomes the evening reception for up to 200 guests. Couples choose from a list of approved caterers and may use the Castle drinks packages or bring their own drinks. After the ceremony, drinks and photographs take place on the lawns outside the South Porch. A dedicated wedding team guides each couple from the first enquiry to the day itself.
Highcliffe Castle
Gallery
Images courtesy of Highcliffe Castle
The Essentials
- Where
- Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset
- Capacity
- 110 for the ceremony and wedding breakfast, 200 for the evening
- Ceremony
- The Wintergarden, seating up to 110
- Price
- Ceremony only from £1,225 (2026)
- Exclusive use
- The state rooms are yours for the day
- Catering
- A list of approved caterers
- Parking
- A wedding bay and 30 permits
- Curfew
- 23:00, with a midnight extension
A clifftop castle on the Dorset coast
Highcliffe Castle was built in the early 1830s for the diplomat Lord Stuart de Rothesay. Its Gothic Renaissance carved-stone exterior and tree-lined grounds look out over the Dorset coastline, and the Grade I listed building has been carefully restored after two fires in the 1960s.
Four state rooms
Couples exchange vows in the light-filled Wintergarden, which seats up to 110. The wedding breakfast takes place in the State Dining Room for up to 80 or the Great Hall for up to 110, and the Drawing Room hosts the evening reception for up to 200.
Lawns, a woodland trail and the beach
After the ceremony, drinks and photographs take place on the front lawns beside the South Porch. A woodland trail leads from the grounds to Highcliffe Beach for a quiet moment or an evening stroll.
The Wintergarden
A light-filled room with floor-to-ceiling windows and high ceilings, seating up to 110 for a ceremony.
The Great Hall
A room with a 9 metre stained-glass Jesse Window, seating up to 110 for a wedding breakfast.
The State Dining Room
A room of exposed brick and hardwood floors seating up to 80 on round tables, entered along a fairy-light walkway.
The Drawing Room
The room for the evening reception, with a bar linking it to the dining rooms, for up to 200 guests.
Lawns and parterre
Front lawns outside the South Porch for after-ceremony drinks, with lawn games, outdoor seating and live music if wished.
Beach and woodland trail
A woodland trail leading from the grounds to the sands and grasses of Highcliffe Beach.
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Highcliffe Castle
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Highcliffe Castle in our magazine: the setting, the day and the details, page by page. Read it online, or download it on a computer.
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Dorset
Highcliffe Castle
Rothesay Drive, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 4LE, United Kingdom
Parking. The castle car park has 130 spaces including a wedding bay of 30 spaces, with 30 parking permits included in venue hire.
Things to do nearby
- Highcliffe Beach
- The coastal path to Steamer Point
- Hengistbury Head
- Cliff Top car park walk
- The castle's virtual tour
Getting there
- Southampton (SOU)
- Bristol (BRS)
What a wedding here costs
Ceremony only, Monday to Thursday: £1,225 in 2026 (£1,350 in 2027, £1,485 in 2028)
Ceremony only, Friday and Sunday: £1,400 in 2026
Ceremony and reception, Friday: £8,495 in 2026 (hire 14:00 to 23:00)
Ceremony and reception, Saturday: £9,995 in 2026 (hire 09:00 to 23:00)
Venue hire does not include registrar fees
Includes exclusive use of the state rooms, a dedicated function manager and team, chiavari chairs, 30 parking permits and a planning meeting with ceremony rehearsal
- Seated dinner110
- Ceremony110
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Highcliffe Castle
How many guests can Highcliffe Castle host for a wedding?
The Wintergarden seats up to 110 for a civil ceremony, the Great Hall seats up to 110 and the State Dining Room up to 80 for a wedding breakfast. The evening reception takes up to 200.
Is the castle available for ceremony only?
Yes. Ceremony-only hire of the Wintergarden is offered Monday to Friday and Sunday, from £1,225 in 2026, not including registrar fees.
Who provides the catering?
The wedding breakfast is provided by one of four approved caterers, with additional catering for drinks or the evening welcome for a £250 ground fee.
Can couples bring their own drinks?
Yes. A Castle drinks package or a corkage option is offered, and the team chills and serves the drinks.
How late can the celebration run?
Venue hire runs to 23:00, with an extension to midnight available.
Is there parking for guests?
The car park has a bay for wedding cars taking up 30 spaces, and venue hire includes 30 parking permits.
