1 suite, dressing room and large bathroom
The Bridal Suite
Suite
The couple's room for getting ready and the wedding night, with a spacious dressing room and a large bathroom.
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Film by Birdsall House
Yorkshire · Historic hall
Birdsall House
Willoughby family house on the Yorkshire Wolds · Birdsall, near Malton
On requestStarting from
Up to 300Guests150 seated for dinner
6Bedroomssleeps 12 on site
64 kmNearest airportLeeds Bradford
A Georgian family home in the Yorkshire Wolds, given over in its entirety to one couple, with a speakeasy below stairs for the evening.
Birdsall House in the Yorkshire Wolds
Birdsall House is a Georgian house grown from a Tudor dwelling on the site of an ancient monastic settlement. It stands above the Yorkshire Wolds, with far-reaching views across the Vale of York. The Willoughby family have made it their private seat for some five hundred years, and for a wedding it remains a family home rather than a hotel. The rooms are still hung with the family's collected paintings, antique furniture and ancestral portraits. The house is given over in its entirety to a single couple, with complete exclusivity across the estate the day before, the day of and the day after.
A wedding at Birdsall can run across a weekend, with a family dinner the night before and a brunch the day after. The house is surrounded by extensive gardens and parkland, with a landscape designed by Capability Brown, rhododendron hillsides, lakes and lawns for marquees. Planning is led by the house's own events team, who work with each couple from the first enquiry through to the final toast. The estate also offers game shooting, filming and a programme of events that includes Feast Nights with chefs and cocktail tastings, so the house is a working family estate as well as a place for weddings.
Birdsall House
Gallery
28 photographs
Images courtesy of Birdsall House
Birdsall House
The venue on film
Birdsall House & Estate · Hero Video
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At a glance
The Essentials
Facts checked 5 October 2026
- Where
- Birdsall House, Birdsall, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 9NR, United Kingdom
- Standing reception
- Up to 200 guests
- Exclusive use
- The whole property
- Stay
- 6 rooms, sleeping 12
- Latest finish
- 12.30am
- Also
- Bar on site · Gardens · Indoor ceremony setting · Marquee or tent permitted · Outdoor ceremony setting
Ceremonies
Ceremonies
Couples can marry in St Mary's Church on the edge of the parkland, for a ceremony or blessing, or among the ruins of the old church on the front lawn, where the original arched walls and bell tower frame an open-air ceremony. The Little Temple above the lakes is an intimate setting for a blessing. Ceremonies are also held on the Verandah, in the gardens and in a marquee, and ceremonies can take place in the state rooms, including the Georgian Dining Room, the Ballroom and the Oval Room.
Receptions
Receptions and the Old Kitchens
The Long Hall is where guests enter the house, and the place to gather before indoor ceremonies or host receptions. The Oval Room is an impressive reception room with a grand piano tuned and ready to play. The Dining Room has Georgian windows over the front lawn and the old ruins and is used for drinks. The Ballroom, the grandest of the State Rooms, is filled with natural light beneath crystal chandeliers. The Verandah, a covered loggia across the front of the house, gives shelter from sun and showers for outdoor receptions. In the evening the celebration moves below stairs to the Old Kitchens, the house's prohibition-style speakeasy, with a cocktail bar, a pantry for grazing, velvet sofas and a nightclub dancefloor. A standing reception takes up to 200 guests.
The stay
Staying at the house
The wedding party stays in six bedrooms at the house, including the Bridal Suite, which sits among the family bedrooms at the heart of the house with a spacious dressing room and a large bathroom. The other bedrooms are en suite, with carved headboards, collected paintings and a library bedroom lined with books, and guests wake to breakfast in the house. Langton Hall, the family's partner house, offers exclusive self-catering accommodation in a restored collection of cottages, and a minibus can be arranged between the two houses.
Food and drink
Food and drink
Catering is chosen from a list of recommended suppliers, with chefs creating menus from the produce of North Yorkshire, from fine dining to hearty seasonal dishes. A wedding breakfast can be held in the Ballroom beneath family portraits, in the Dining Room or in a marquee on the lawns. The bars are run by Fusion Events & Hospitality, with corkage offered for the reception and wedding breakfast. The house is licensed until 12.30am, with the option to extend.
Vows in an old church
Arched walls and a bell tower on the front lawn, with room for 300 at a ceremony.
The Old RuinsA bar under the house
The former service rooms, now a speakeasy with velvet sofas, side rooms and a dance floor for 200.
The Old Kitchens
Three days to yourselves
Exclusive use of house, gardens and parkland from the day before to the day after.
The estateA house still lived in
James and Cara Willoughby live here, and Cara plans weddings with the events team.
The family
Accommodation
6 rooms and suites
5 rooms, Bramley toiletries
En-suite bedrooms
Suite
Five en-suite guest bedrooms in the house for close family, with good linen and breakfast in the Dining Room.
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about two miles away
Langton Hall cottages
Restored self-catering cottages at the partner venue, Langton Hall, for a further 56 guests, with a minibus available between the two.
Enquire
Exclusive use and buyout
The whole of Birdsall House, to yourselves
- Rooms
- 6 rooms and suites
- Bridal Suite and five en-suite bedrooms (sleeps 12)
- Planning service with the events team
- Additional evening guests at no extra venue cost
Who you will plan it with
Owner and events lead
Lady Cara Willoughby
Lives at Birdsall House with her family, leads the events business and meets each couple during planning; she also runs the house tours.
Enquire about your wedding at
Birdsall House
Share a few details about your wedding at Birdsall House and your enquiry will be passed on to them. A reply cannot be promised, and no time can be given for it.
Location
Yorkshire
Birdsall lies south of the market town of Malton. Malton is the nearest railway station, with York the closest major station, and both have taxis to the house. The nearest airports are Leeds Bradford and Humberside, with Manchester and Newcastle for long-haul and Leeds East for private aircraft. Helicopters can land by prior arrangement, and the team provides pilots with landing information.
Leeds Bradford (LBA)64 km
Newcastle (NCL)123 km
Birdsall House
Birdsall House, Birdsall, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 9NR, United Kingdom
Transfers. A minibus can be arranged between Langton Hall and Birdsall House. Station Taxis in Malton and York are recommended and should be booked in advance.
Parking. There is plenty of parking at the house for events. Accessible spaces can be reserved in advance, and cars may be left overnight. St Mary's Church has its own entrance off the village road, cars only, with restricted width and one-way traffic.
Getting there
- Leeds Bradford (LBA)
- Newcastle (NCL)
Nearest station
Malton (TransPennine Express) is the nearest station, about 4.4 miles from the venue in a straight line.
Pricing and what to expect
What a wedding here costs
PricingOn request
Typically includes
- The planning service is included in the cost of booking
- Exclusive use of the estate covers the day before, the day of and the day after the wedding
- Bars are run by Fusion Events & Hospitality, with corkage offered for the drinks reception and wedding breakfast
Capacity
- Seated dinner150
- Standing reception200
- Ceremony150
- Guests who can stay12
Reviews
What guests say
0 reviews
Testimonial, not ratedVerified wedding
Review
We wanted to write and say how unbelievably grateful we are for all the generous, kind and thoughtful touches you added to our wedding day. We felt so lucky to be able to look back with the fondest memories which we will treasure forever. We truly wouldn’t not have changed a thing and our guests cannot stop raving about it as the best wedding this year, and we have had a lot!! No ask was too much for you all and we are so thankful that we chose to marry at Birdsall.
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Frequently asked questions
Birdsall House
Can we have Birdsall House exclusively?
Birdsall House can be taken for exclusive use.
Can guests stay at Birdsall House?
Birdsall House has 6 rooms, sleeping up to 12 guests on site.
How late can the party go on at Birdsall House?
The latest finish at Birdsall House is 12.30am.
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