Planning a visit to Hensol Castle?
From weddings and event spaces to accommodation, dining, experiences and accessibility, we’ve covered the essentials below to help you plan your time at Hensol Castle.
If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, our friendly team is always happy to help. Simply get in touch and we’ll be delighted to assist.
General Enquiries
Hensol Castle is primarily a venue for weddings, private events, business and experiences, so general day visits or casual exploration is not available. However, we do welcome visitors who have pre-booked one of our experiences, such as afternoon tea or a spirits experience. We look forward to welcoming you!
Hensol Castle is not open for general day visits, so our food and drink facilities are available exclusively to guests who have pre-booked an experience, event or other offering.
We don’t serve Sunday Lunch at Hensol Castle. However, we’re located within the grounds of the Vale Resort, where the main hotel serves a delicious Sunday Lunch every Sunday. Enjoy!
Hensol Castle welcomes assistance and service animals only. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accommodate pets within the castle.
Yes, we have ample parking available for guests at Hensol Castle, with up to 250 spaces available.
Hensol Castle is located within the grounds of the Vale Resort in Hensol, in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. We’re conveniently located just a short drive from Cardiff, making us an ideal destination for weddings and other events.
Yes, Hensol Castle is wheelchair accessible. We have designated disabled parking spaces in our car park, two accessible ground-floor bedrooms and ramps throughout the venue. If you have any specific accessibility requirements or would like to discuss your visit with us before booking, please contact our team. We’ll be happy to provide further information and help plan your visit.
Weddings & Celebrations
Every wedding at Hensol Castle is unique, and our pricing can vary depending on your chosen date, guest numbers and requirements. Our dedicated wedding team will be delighted to create a personalised quote for your day.
Hensol Castle can accommodate weddings ranging from intimate celebrations of around 60 guests through to larger celebrations of up to 200 guests. Our Courtyard Hall can seat up to 150 guests for a wedding breakfast and up to 200 guests for an evening reception. For ceremonies, the Oak Room can accommodate up to 100 guests, while the Courtyard Hall can accommodate up to 150.
Hensol Castle offers a selection of beautiful spaces for every part of your wedding day. For your ceremony, you can choose from the elegant Oak Room, our romantic outdoor Bandstand overlooking the lake, or the contemporary Courtyard Hall. Following your ceremony, you can enjoy drinks and canapés in the castle’s reception spaces or grounds before moving into the Courtyard Hall for your wedding breakfast and evening celebrations. Our wedding team can help you choose the spaces that best suit your plans and guest numbers.
Absolutely. Hensol Castle is designed to host your entire wedding day in one spectacular setting. From getting ready and saying “I do” to your drinks reception, wedding breakfast and evening celebrations, everything can take place at the castle. We are also licensed to host civil marriages and civil partnerships.
Yes. Hensol Castle is an exclusive-use wedding venue, and we only host one wedding per day. Exclusivity excludes our distillery and Atrium, but these are located at the other side of the castle to your wedding day.
We’d love to show you around Hensol Castle and help you imagine your wedding day in our beautiful surroundings.
Simply contact our wedding team to arrange a viewing. We’ll talk through your plans, answer any questions you have, discuss available dates and guide you through the booking process.
Wedding enquiries: 01443 667900
Email: sales@valeresort.com
A civil ceremony is a legally binding wedding or civil partnership ceremony conducted by a registrar rather than a religious official. It contains no religious content, though couples are free to include readings, music and personal vows that reflect their own beliefs and relationship.
Civil ceremonies can only take place at a venue licensed as an approved premises by the local authority. Hensol Castle holds this licence, meaning your ceremony here is fully recognised in law. Please contact our weddings team for guidance on the process, required timings and available ceremony spaces.
Civil ceremonies at Hensol Castle are conducted by registrars from the Vale of Glamorgan Register Office. Couples need to give notice of marriage at their local register office (this cannot be done more than 12 months, and must be at least 29 days, before the wedding), and then book the registrar separately for the ceremony date at Hensol Castle. Please contact our wedding team for guidance on the booking process.
Yes, the fairy-light-lit Bandstand overlooks the lake and grounds for a romantic outdoor ceremony. We recommend agreeing on a wet weather alternative with our team in advance.
Business & Functions
Hensol Castle can accommodate over 300 delegates, depending on the room layout and event requirements. For smaller meetings and events, we have a selection of intimate spaces available.
We have eight multifunctional conference and meeting spaces, offering flexible options for everything from smaller meetings and training sessions to large conferences and corporate events. Spaces include the impressive Courtyard Hall, the Oak Room, The Buttery and The Coach House, alongside a selection of other flexible rooms.
Our meeting and conference spaces offer flexible room layouts, Wi-Fi and the facilities needed to deliver professional presentations, meetings and events. If you have specific technical requirements, our events team can discuss these with you when planning your event.
We offer day delegate and 24-hour delegate packages to suit different meeting and conference requirements. Depending on the package selected, inclusions may cover meeting space, refreshments, catering and accommodation. Please view our current conference packages or contact our sales team for a tailored quotation and a full breakdown of what’s included.
Yes. Our dedicated team can provide a range of catering and refreshments tailored to your event. From working lunches and buffet options to refreshments throughout the day and formal dinners, our chefs provide a range of menus to suit your requirements, dietary needs and style of event.
Yes, Hensol Castle has 23 bedrooms available for overnight stays. If additional accommodation is required for your delegates, further rooms can be booked at the Vale Resort hotel, which is located within the same grounds.
Absolutely. Hensol Castle is part of the wider Vale Resort, making it easy to combine business with overnight accommodation and leisure activities. Your delegates can enjoy experiences such as gin-making in our castle cellars, golf or spa and leisure facilities at the Vale Resort, subject to availability. Our team can help you build a complete package around your event.
Events & Experiences
Throughout the year, Hensol Castle hosts a varied programme of events and experiences in our beautiful historic surroundings. Events can include murder mystery evenings, fine food and wine experiences, Champagne and dining events, Christmas celebrations, wedding fayres and other seasonal experiences.
Our events calendar is updated regularly, so check our What’s On page to see what’s coming up.
Tickets for our upcoming events can be booked through the relevant event page on the Hensol Castle website.
We recommend booking early, as some of our events have limited availability and can sell out.
Our murder mystery evenings combine dinner, entertainment and an intriguing mystery in the atmospheric surroundings of Hensol Castle.
Expect an evening of clues, characters and plenty of twists and turns as you work alongside your fellow guests to uncover the culprit.
Each event can vary, so be sure to check the individual event details for information about the evening’s theme, dining and entertainment.
We serve afternoon tea at Hensol Castle Friday – Sunday from 12:30pm-3:30pm. You can view more and book via our afternoon tea page.
Our afternoon tea includes a delicious selection of delicate finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with cream and preserves, and an irresistible assortment of handcrafted cakes and sweet treats. Enjoy your afternoon tea with a choice of fine teas or freshly brewed coffee.
To make your experience even more special, you can upgrade your afternoon tea with Hensol Castle Gin for an additional £7.50 per person, and Laurent-Perrier Champagne for an additional £15 per person.
Yes, we offer a range of gift vouchers for afternoon tea at Hensol Castle, including options with Hensol Castle Gin or Laurent-Perrier Champagne upgrades. You can also choose from our selection of afternoon tea, distillery tour and experience vouchers, making them the perfect gift for a special occasion.
The distillery can be visited as part of one of our bookable spirits experiences. These experiences give you the opportunity to explore the distillery, learn about the production process and discover more about our spirits.
As the distillery is a working production facility, we’re unable to allow visitors to explore the area independently or without a pre-booked experience.
Deep beneath Hensol Castle, you’ll find our full-scale working spirits distillery. We offer a range of unique experiences, giving you the opportunity to discover more about spirits, learn new skills and enjoy tastings in the atmospheric surroundings of our castle cellars.
Our current experiences include:
Gin Tour & Tasting – £25 per person
Gin Making Experience – from £99 per person
Rum Making Experience – from £99 per person
Cocktail Masterclass – £30 per person
You can find out more about our Spirits Experiences on our Tours & Experiences web page.
As alcohol is part of the experience, all Hensol Castle spirits experiences are strictly for guests aged 18 and over.
All of our gift vouchers are valid for 12 months from date of purchase, unless bought as part of a promotional offer. You can check the validity of your Hensol Castle gift voucher online.
To redeem your voucher or make a booking, please contact our Reservations team who will be happy to help you arrange your experience and answer any questions you may have.
Telephone: 01443 667800
Email: reservations@valeresort.com
All gift vouchers are non-transferable and non-refundable.
You can choose to have your voucher delivered via Royal Mail in our beautiful gift packaging or via email. You can also add your own personal message to the recipient during the checkout process. Alternatively, our reception team are available 24/7 and would be happy to help with your purchase if you’re visiting us.
Stays & Leisure
Yes. You can book a stay at Hensol Castle online through our website. Leisure stays are available on selected dates throughout the year, so availability is limited, but you’re very welcome to browse our available dates and book your stay.
With 23 individually styled bedrooms within the historic castle, a stay at Hensol Castle offers a unique opportunity to experience the character and charm of a 17th-century castle while enjoying modern comforts.
Hensol Castle has 23 individually styled bedrooms available for overnight stays, with a selection of room types including executive, suites of different levels and accessible rooms.
Each room has its own character and bespoke features, with many including four-poster beds, roll-top baths and beautiful views across the castle grounds.
Your stay includes your overnight accommodation and breakfast, served in the castle’s beautiful atrium.
Guests can also enjoy dinner at the Vale Grill at the Vale Resort, which is located within the wider estate, with a complimentary shuttle service available.
Depending on your stay and availability, you can also add experiences such as afternoon tea, a spirits experience, spa treatments or other activities across the resort.
Yes. Hensol Castle has 23 individually styled bedrooms, making an overnight stay the perfect way to round off your visit. Accommodation is subject to availability and selected dates, so we recommend booking your room in advance. Guests staying overnight can also enjoy the wider facilities and experiences available across the Vale Resort.
Yes. As a resident guest at Hensol Castle, you can enjoy access to facilities across the Vale Resort.
This includes the resort’s leisure facilities, while spa treatments and dedicated spa experiences can be booked separately.
Please note that spa treatments and some facilities are subject to availability and booking requirements.
Yes. As a resident guest at Hensol Castle, you can enjoy access to facilities across the Vale Resort.
This includes the resort’s leisure facilities, while spa treatments and dedicated spa experiences can be booked separately.
Please note that spa treatments and some facilities are subject to availability and booking requirements.
Yes. Hensol Castle has on-site accommodation that makes it particularly convenient for weddings and special celebrations.
Please speak to our sales or reservations team for more information.
Yes, you can walk between Hensol Castle and the Vale Resort through the grounds. The walk will take 10 minutes at a leisurely pace. If you are a resident of the Castle you can also use our shuttle bus service. Just pop to reception and speak to a member of our team.
Breakfast is 8:30am-10:30am and is served in the Castle Atrium.
Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by 11am.
If you have booked dinner during your stay at Hensol Castle, you will dine in The Vale Grill, located within the main hotel at the Vale Resort. You are welcome to enjoy a leisurely 10-minute stroll through the grounds, or visit Castle Reception, where a member of our team can arrange transport via our complimentary shuttle service.
Breakfast is served in the Hensol Castle Atrium, located next to Castle Reception.
There is plenty to enjoy during your stay, with a wide range of facilities and experiences available across the resort. Complimentary access to the Health & Racquets Club is included, while additional experiences can be booked, including relaxing spa treatments at Wales’ largest spa, championship golf, afternoon tea at Hensol Castle and a selection of distillery experiences in the Castle cellars, from gin tours and tastings to gin or rum making and cocktail masterclasses.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, there are scenic local walks and nearby attractions to explore. If you’re looking to venture further afield, Cardiff, Wales’ vibrant capital city, is just a 25-minute drive away, offering a wealth of shopping, dining, culture and sights to discover.
Hensol Castle is approximately 20 minutes’ drive (around 12 miles) from Cardiff city centre, within the Vale of Glamorgan.
No – our Christmas Break is an adults-only experience.
Our 2 night Christmas break includes welcome mulled wine, a Laurent-Perrier Champagne afternoon tea, a distillery tour and gin tasting, 4-course Christmas Eve dinner, full Welsh breakfast, champagne reception, 6-course Christmas Day lunch, and access to the Vale Resort’s leisure facilities.
Full day-by-day inclusions are listed on our Christmas Break page.
Yes – guests can extend into Boxing Day from £169 per room, bed & breakfast. You can find more details on our Christmas Break page.