Kelham Hall: Grade I listed wedding venue due to reopen

The new owners are planning a series of events during the festive season

A grade I listed wedding venue, which closed last year leaving couples "heartbroken", is due to reopen.

The company which ran Kelham Hall, near Newark, Nottinghamshire, went into liquidation in June after Covid restrictions shut the building.

Now new owners have confirmed the renamed Renaissance at Kelham Hall will open its doors in time for Christmas.

They said they were delighted to "breathe new life into this beautiful and iconic building".

The closure of the venue took many couples and businesses by surprise

Last summer, some couples who had booked weddings only found out the hall had closed when suppliers passed the news on.

Those who went to investigate found handwritten signs confirming the site was shut.

Mitchell Wilson is still £8,000 out of pocket more than a year later.

"We haven't heard anything from the liquidators about whether we will get any of the money back.

"We got married on the original date, and it was a brilliant day, but the problems with the original venue are a sour side to it."

A number of festivals and other events were also affected.

Now Rachel Bill, business development manager at Kelham Hall, said: "[We] are delighted to be able to breathe new life into this beautiful and iconic building, as we work together to restore it to its place within the heart of the community.

"As a local resident myself, I fully appreciate the love and excitement that the community have for the venue and its grounds, and we look forward to reopening this festive season."

The estate was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and was completed in 1863 as a precursor to his London St Pancras train station.

It includes about 42 acres of formally designed landscaped gardens and parkland alongside the River Trent.

After being sold by the original owners in 1903, the building housed the Society of the Sacred Mission theological college.

Later it was headquarters of Newark and Sherwood District Council for 40 years before being sold to Kelham Hall Limited in 2014.