Rowton Castle is a wedding venue near Shrewsbury in Shropshire. It has existed in some form since 1234, with it starting to take its present shape after William Lyster was installed as Lord of the Manor in 1482. The Lysters then owned Rowton for the next 400 years, carrying out more building work in the mid 1800s. In 1941 the family sold the castle to Royal Normal College College for the blind. This closed in 1978, after which the house lay derelict for eight years before being extensively renovated into first a luxury hotel and then purely a wedding venue. The result is a stunning, historic and classically English castle wedding venue.
All weddings are exclusive use, meaning the couple and their guests have the run of the castle and its 17 acres of land for the day. The surroundings offer everything from manicured green lawns and walled gardens to expansive, rugged woodland, resulting in something to suit most tastes when it comes to staging the all important photos of the big day. Members of the Rowton team are on hand before and on the day to help with planning and execution, including wedding coordinators, on the day managers and chefs.
Rowton is licensed to conduct civil ceremonies. If indoors, these take place in the Cardeston Suite, a Georgian Gothic style room with an ornately finished fireplace, chandeliers and carved pelmets. Outdoor ceremonies are hosted in the Linden Belvedere, a small pantheon-like building that opens out onto a grand paved area, resulting in a truly unique and impressive place to being married life. Those after a more intimate ceremony can use the Jaci Vianna room and the Rowton team are also happy to advise on church ceremonies.
Food options can be adapted to suit the individual requirements of each wedding. Everything from canapes to street food to traditional sit down wedding breakfasts are on offer, all of which is prepared and managed by the castle’s team of chefs.