Soughton Hall was built in 1714 as a bishop’s palace, and it still carries itself like one. It stands near Northop in Flintshire at the end of a long avenue of chestnut trees, which is one of the great arrival sequences among north Wales wedding venues — the house appears, disappears behind the trunks, and then opens out in front of you. In the 1800s it was substantially reworked by Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament and of Highclere Castle, and the result is a listed house of real presence, with period detail down to the original service bells still on the walls.
Weddings here are exclusive use, one at a time, so the house and its grounds are entirely yours. Ceremonies can be held indoors among the panelling or outside in the gardens, and the Stables provide a permanent marquee-style space with its own bar and dance floor, which is what allows the venue to handle a larger evening without turning the house itself into a nightclub. The hall takes up to 150 for a seated wedding breakfast and 250 for a reception.
There are 16 bedrooms sleeping 36 guests, with bridal and honeymoon suites among them, so the immediate party stays on site. Catering is in-house only and the packages tend to bundle food, drink, coordination and technical kit together, which many couples find simplifies the planning considerably. Dogs are welcome, there is parking on site and level access, and the gardens give a photographer that chestnut avenue, lawns, and a house that looks good from every angle.
Where the band plays
The Stables is the room to think about for live music, and having a dedicated space with its own bar and dance floor rather than a drawing room hastily cleared is a genuine advantage. It means a band can load in, set up and soundcheck while dinner is still being served in the house, which removes the most stressful hour of the day for everyone involved. At 250 guests in the evening there is a proper crowd, and a five-piece or larger will have plenty to work with. The main house rooms suit something quieter — an acoustic act or a string trio during drinks and dinner.
How the evening unfolds
The day tends to run house to garden to Stables: ceremony, drinks along the front with the avenue behind, dinner in the hall, then everyone moving across for the party. Having the dancing in a separate building is also what keeps the noise away from the bedrooms, which usually means a more generous attitude to volume than you would get in a hotel where guests are sleeping directly above the band. Confirm your finish time and any music restrictions with the team when you book, and ask specifically about the Stables as opposed to the house, since the two may well differ.
Bands available in North Wales and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in North Wales.
- North Wales Wedding Bands
- North Wales Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in North Wales
- Wedding DJs in North Wales
- Corporate Entertainment in North Wales
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters at Venues: What You Need to Know. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.