New Hall is thought to be the oldest inhabited moated house in England, and the moat itself — lily-filled, with the house's crenellated towers reflected in it — is usually the first thing a couple remembers about the place. The 26 acres of grounds around it are richly timbered, with formal gardens and trees old enough to have watched several centuries of Sutton Coldfield go by, and the 60-bedroom hotel and spa built around the historic core means a wedding here can easily run over a full weekend rather than just a day.
Where the band plays
Ceremonies are usually held in the Great Chamber, a genuinely atmospheric room with oak-panelled walls, an intricately painted ceiling and leaded windows, holding up to 75 guests. For the evening, the reception moves to the Garden Pavilion, which comes with its own private bar and dance floor built in rather than improvised — a proper room for a band to set up in. New Hall also permits fireworks and marquees on the grounds, so a band should expect to ask about exact timings and any noise restrictions specific to your booking.
How the day flows
A ceremony in the Great Chamber, or outdoors in the Rose Garden — which holds up to 200 for a blessing or non-religious ceremony, and 75 for a civil one — leads into a wedding breakfast catered by New Hall's own kitchen, which draws on produce grown in the estate's kitchen garden. Guests who want a quieter day can use the Sir Alfred Owen Room, which holds up to 40. Evenings move into the Garden Pavilion, and with bedrooms on site for the couple and their guests, nobody has to leave the grounds until the next morning.
Bands available in Sutton Coldfield and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
- Mirror — a Midlands mainstay, well suited to the Great Chamber's more formal character.
- Stereo Jack — a full-sized function band comfortable scaling between the Sir Alfred Owen Room and the Garden Pavilion.
- Kickback — high-energy and reliable once the evening reception gets going.
- Juno — polished and versatile, equally at home during a seated wedding breakfast or a later dancefloor.