The Parlour at Blagdon occupies a corner of the Blagdon Estate about ten minutes north of Newcastle, and it is the sort of place that looks better the closer you get. The setting is proper Northumbrian countryside — lush gardens, old stone, strings of lights in the trees — but the drive from the city is short enough that nobody has to plan a coach.
The buildings have been brought back one at a time and each has a job. The Smithy is Grade II listed and has been recently renovated, with feature stone walls, magnificent wooden beams strung with festoon lighting and a restored fireplace wall that has become the backdrop in roughly every photograph taken here; it takes up to 90 guests for a daytime ceremony. The Courtyard is the outdoor alternative, surrounded by gardens and planting, for couples who would rather marry under the sky. The Stables Bar handles the welcome drinks, and then the Willow Room takes over as the dining and celebration space, resetting between the wedding breakfast and the evening so that the room you eat in is not quite the room you dance in.
Everything runs on exclusive use, so the day is entirely yours — no other party through a wall, no strangers crossing the courtyard. Food in the evening runs from sandwiches to street food to a pizza van, and there is a Late-Night Lounge add-on with drinks packages and karaoke for those determined to see it through to the end. It is a warm, well-run venue that knows exactly what it is, which is more valuable than grandeur.
Where the band plays
The Willow Room is where the evening happens, and it is a good size for live music: intimate enough that a four or five-piece fills it comfortably, big enough that the dancefloor doesn’t feel apologetic. Because the room is reset between dinner and the evening, it is worth agreeing with the venue exactly when the band can get in and set up — a stage that goes in during the turnaround is far less disruptive than one built while guests are eating. A very large line-up would want the space measured first.
Ceremony, the Smithy and the courtyard
The Smithy, with its stone and beams, is a beautiful room for an unamplified acoustic act; a guitarist, a harpist or a string duo will carry easily without any assistance. A courtyard ceremony is the opposite case, as open air makes short work of an unplugged instrument, so plan for a small PA. For the drinks hour, with guests moving between the Stables Bar, the courtyard and the gardens, a roaming acoustic player keeps everything feeling connected.
How the evening runs
The venue’s resident DJ runs to midnight, extendable to 1am with a late licence, though live music itself has tended to finish a little earlier at around 11pm — worth confirming when you book, since the two need not be the same. Either way the shape is a good one: get the first dance in promptly after dinner and the band will play two full sets to a busy floor, with the DJ and the Late-Night Lounge carrying the rest.
Bands available in Newcastle upon Tyne and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Newcastle upon Tyne.
- Newcastle upon Tyne Wedding Bands
- Newcastle upon Tyne Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Newcastle upon Tyne
- Wedding DJs in Newcastle upon Tyne
- Corporate Entertainment in Newcastle upon Tyne
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.