Flash Back to Olivia & Patrick's Summer Wedding

A Gorgeous Berkeley Castle Summer Wedding

We were recently sent this brilliant video by Gorgeous Films from Olivia & Patrick's beautiful summer wedding last July. The sun shone, smiles were wide and a delightfully memorable day was had by all. 

Guests arrived via a double decker bus and enjoyed a wonderful ceremony in St Mary's church (mere metres from Berkeley Castle!). After the ceremony, the Bride & Groom went for a short drive in their Vintage Car whilst guests meandered over to the Castle Gun Terrace.

Bubbly was expertly poured, canapes were served with a smile and guests enjoyed musical jazz delights on the Terraces under the summer sun. 

One of our wonderful recommended florists, Maria at Sorori Design, decorated the Great Hall for the Wedding Breakfast to give a stunningly elegant effect, suiting the wedding day and couple perfectly. 

Olivia and Patrick's friends and family dined on a delicious three course meal which was followed by moving speeches and of course finished off with a toast!

Scrumptious cakes created by Jennie at Curtis & Co  were served in the Long Drawing Room along with macaroons to complement the serving of Tea & Coffee. In the Small Drawing Room guests relaxed on the comfy furnishings while tucking into the Cheese Tower and sipping on Port.

Whilst guests relaxed and mingled in the Drawing Rooms, the Berkeley Castle team were magically transforming the Great Hall for the evening Reception. Atmospheric lighting was bought in, tables were removed and center pieces decoratively re-positioned. With the DJ and Saxophonist setting up on their own mini stage, the dais, the scene was set. 

The Evening Wedding Reception involved much dancing and a serving of Bacon Rolls to keep guest's tummy's full and energy for dancing high. The day finished with a celebratory send off to Blossom Cottage for Olivia & Patrick full of cheers and smiles.

Many many congratulations to Olivia & Patrick, we hope you are continuing to enjoy married life (nearly a year on!). 

A massive thank you to Ian from Pear Tree Pictures for all of these truly beautiful photos.

If you're dreaming of a summer wedding, Pippa and Immy our passionate Wedding Coordinators would love to show you around the Castle and talk through your plans and ideas for your big day. Get in touch on weddings@berkeley-castle.com or visit the weddings website here. 

Countryfile films at Berkeley Castle

It's only February and we have already had so many highlights to the year- our most recent of which was a visit from the Countryfile TV crew and the wonderful Matt Baker! On Friday the 30th January, Henry Berkeley, Estate Director, Roly Brown, and Deer Park Manager, Rick Coombe had the pleasure of meeting Matt Baker and showing him around various parts of the Berkeley Castle Estate. To start the day he was invited up to the Castle roof where Roly revealed the strategic positioning of Berkeley Castle and the surrounding settings. The roof offers fantastic views across the miles of Berkeley land surrounding the Castle, one sight of which includes Whitcliff Deer Park, which Matt would later visit. 

The second stop of the day was to meet Henry Berkeley and visit the Berkeley Kennels & Stables, followed by a trip to The Salutation Inn which has recently been shortlisted for Countryfile's "Rural Pub of the Year Award". After a warming meal and a good old pint at the Sally, the team moved to Whitcliff Deer Park.
Rick Coombe, the Park Manager, invited Matt to get stuck in with the feeding of the deer and go over some basic health checks to ensure they're kept nice and healthy. Unfortunately our deer were not familiar with the cameras and therefore there was some encouragement needed from the crew & Matt for them to show their faces (see how that went during the show! 

Selected footage was used in Sunday's episode and we were delighted to hear so many lovely comments following the show- thank you to everyone who tuned in!  It was also brilliant to see Gloucester Services and all the wonderful local work they do. Here are some sneaky behind the scenes shots for you to take a look at: 

Berkeley Castle used for BBC Period Drama Wolf Hall filming

After being sworn to secrecy for many months, we are now officially allowed to talk about the fantastic filming for BBC One Period Drama "Wolf Hall" which took place here at Berkeley Castle last year. 

The Castle was taken over by the film crew for many weeks whilst they transformed rooms and worked their magic with props and lighting. A lucky few members of staff were able to catch a glimpse of Mark Rylance and Clare Foy acting out scenes, which was a real treat. 

Several rooms throughout the castle can be spotted in various Wolf Hall scenes, whilst they also utilized the beautiful Bailey Gates and Inner Bailey. Filming spots included The Great Hall, Kitchens, The Long Drawing Room and the Buttery, the history of which are all discussed when you visit Berkeley Castle and join one of the free informative and very interesting tours. 

Come along from April 1st to see if you can recognize parts of the Castle which were used for filming! Walk in the footsteps of the real historic characters... and the actors who played them! 

Berkeley Castle will be open from April 1st until April 8th with fantastic Easter activities taking place and then following this will open every Sunday- Wednesday until the end of October. 

Find out more about what's going on here: 

http://www.berkeley-castle.com/whatson.html

Berkeley Castle awarded Best UK Wedding Venue at the British Wedding Awards

We are so delighted to say that at The British Wedding Awards on the 23rd January 2015 Berkeley Castle was voted The Best UK Wedding Venue! 

We are absolutely over the moon and would like to say a massive thank you to all our lovely brides & grooms for voting and making this possible! We feel very honored and proud to have been bestowed such a prestigious award. 

Being our first wedding accolade here at Berkeley Castle makes it even more wonderful and special. 

Pippa, Wedding & Events Manager, has worked so very hard over the last few years to make weddings not only possible but also a dream come true for all our couples who choose to get married with us. 

We have an exciting year ahead and can't wait to continue helping all our Bride's and Groom's have a truly special day. 

If you're interested in holding your wedding or special event here at Berkeley Castle please take a look at our dedicated site or get in touch with Pippa or Immy on weddings@berkeley-castle.com who will be delighted to talk through your wedding or event plans. 

http://www.berkeleycastleweddings.co.uk/

Job vacancy for an Assistant to the Wedding and Corporate Events Manager

Thank you for your interest. This vacancy has now been filled.

Vacancy for a Butterfly House Assistant

Do you have a few hours to spare? We have a great vacancy in the Butterfly House at Berkeley Castle.....

Berkeley Castle is an historic visitor attraction in Berkeley, Gloucestershire which is open to the public from April to October. Within the Grounds is the Tropical Butterfly House which opens to the public from May to September. Throughout the year the Butterfly House environment has to be managed to ensure that when it opens, the flora and fauna is well looked after and at its best. The Berkeley Castle Estate is now recruiting for someone to join the small team responsible for running the Butterfly House.

Primary Duties

• Maintenance of the plants and water feature in the Butterfly House.
• Management of ventilation and watering to ensure correct environmental conditions for each season.
• Pest and disease control activities throughout year.
• Care and feeding of all livestock within the Butterfly House (butterflies, birds and fish).
• Handling and management of incoming stock of pupae through to emergence of butterflies.
• Interaction with visiting public.
• Assisting in work programme required to secure zoo licence.

Skills Required

• A sensitive approach to the care of plants and wildlife.
• Patience and manual dexterity to handle delicate pupae, caterpillars and butterflies.
• The ability to work in hot and humid conditions.
• Communicate well within the team and with the public.
• Ability to take a proactive approach to the maintenance of the living environment within the Butterfly House.
• Reliable and responsible.

Hours: Monday – Friday 8.30am-11am.  Occasional weekend cover will be required.

Rate of pay:     £6.50 per hour

Please email your CV and covering letter by the closing date of Friday 3rd October 2014 to recruitment@berkeley-castle.com

Love is in the air....

... and the winner of a romantic break for two is ...

Becky Payne - well done Becky!

This competition has now closed. Thank you for all of your entries.

Happy Valentines Day!

Enter our competition for one lucky couple to win free entry for 2 adults to Berkeley Castle, followed by an overnight stay for two in our luxurious bridal cottage.*

To enter please like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and tell us why your partner deserves to win this wonderful prize.

We will judge the best response on Valentine’s Day and announce the fortunate winner.

*Overnight stay must be taken on a Monday or Tuesday night, to be agreed and prearranged with the management at Berkeley Castle.  Free entry to Berkeley Castle to be taken during 2014 open season between 1^st April 2014 and 29^th October 2014.