Lancashire wedding venues: what Astley Bank Hotel was like, including venue size, accommodation, cost & food

Astley Bank Hotel is a 19th century mansion house on the outskirts of Darwen, which has functioned as a hotel and wedding venue since 1999.

Along with my partner, I was invited to a wedding reception at the hotel on a Saturday daytime, along with the evening do in the same location that night.

As we were travelling over from Merseyside, we thought it was best to stay at the hotel as a guest both the Friday and Saturday night, which also gave me more time to assess the hotel’s facilities- without a glass of prosecco in hand!

What were the hotel facilities like for a wedding?

From the outside, the building was pretty and stately enough to be impressive but not too impressive so as to be intimidating - it gave off a homely and inviting aura whilst still feeling special enough for a couple’s special day.

Inside you are met with a small reception room, which is well decorated with charming, traditional features such as a large white marble baroque fireplace, chandeliers, dark hardwood doors and furniture, as well as a winding double staircase.

As a wedding party, the only time you spend in the foyer is when following the bride and groom out for pictures but you will spend plenty more time in the large lounge that follows it.

In here, guests of the hotel could relax with their drinks from the connecting bar area both in between the reception and evening party, as well as after the night’s entertainment ends. 

The lounge was a good enough size to fit all the guests in whilst still feeling intimate as if you could walk up to any other group if you chose to, rather than sitting in sparsely different camps.

As we learnt on our first night - when the Friday wedding party was awaiting the use of the wedding function room - if you have your wedding at the hotel, you will take up the entirety of the lounge and bar.

This will suit different tastes- you may like the idea of having the hotel ‘to yourself’, but I must note that other guests still have to use the space to get to their rooms or to get their own drinks from a bar -  on the Friday night we just had to awkwardly wheel a suitcase in between the many daintily high heeled guests…

What were the event spaces like?

Both the wedding reception and the evening party take place in the same room called the ceremonial hall/function room, which did surprise me but then, I have never been to a one-venue wedding before.

The space was nice and bright and big enough to seat up to 120 guests in the daytime and 180 in the evening. The decorations for both the wedding reception and evening party were chosen by the bride and groom so I’ll reserve judgement on that in this review!

Overall though the space was large and airy and was otherwise a blank canvas for couples to do with what they want. The floor length windows looked out onto picturesque gardens and the surroundings were peaceful and non disruptive. 

What was the wedding food like?

The hotel provides the wedding breakfast, which I was impressed with, finding the food well presented, tasty and filling. I got Chicken Liver & Brandy Pate and Crispy Pot Roasted Duck Leg, whilst my vegetarian partner had Roast Tomato & Basil Soup and a Feta Cheese and Sundried Tomato Quiche, and we both got the Eton Mess. 

There was a decent enough range of options to choose from too, with other main courses being a Grilled Lock Salmon, Roast Portobello Mushroom, Asparagus and Spinach Tagliatelle, a Vegetable Mixed Grill and a Roasted Vegetable Risotto, as well as a Hot Chocolate Fudge Brownie to finish.

The hotel sorts the evening meal as well which was served in the midst of the disco and they went for the no fuss option of sausage or pork buttys with chips. This informal option felt appropriate when we were all enjoying the evening’s entertainment and it was still very tasty.

The kitchen was also apologetic and accommodating when my partner (the only vegetarian at the do) asked if there was anything he could have with the chips- they straight away whipped him up his own double portion of cheese sandwiches.

If you do stay over, you can also book onto the wedding party package and receive a breakfast for free, which was very tasty and plentiful. A full continental spread was already out but then you could order all the usual hot breakfast items, myself going for a full English.

What was the hotel like to stay at?

Astley Bank Hotel was large enough to accommodate all the wedding guests that may want to stay, which is a bonus convenience for anyone hosting their special day there.

We went for the standard room option and were pleased with what we were greeted with on arrival: the room was reasonably spacious, modern, well decorated and had all the usual amenities.

Our room was only on the first floor, and was right opposite the function room so we were worried it would be too loud in the evenings but both nights we stayed up past the disco's curfew so it was no bother at all.

What was the cost like?

Without being privy to which option our bride and groom went for, the cheapest wedding package starts at £4275. This seems well priced to me and is most likely the package we experienced. There are extras you could add to your wedding day - with the most expensive package costing £14,000 - but the quality of food and service we received on the day was certainly high enough.

Called the ‘Helena Package’, this included use of the function room, the gardens, the Bridal Suite for the night of the wedding and wedding planning advice with the hotels “experienced wedding coordinators”.

For the starting price, the day function for 50 guests featured a glass of Bucks Fizz on arrival, a three-course set meal, two glasses of house wine with the meal, a glass of Cava Brut for the toast, a Master of Ceremonies, a full ceiling draping and fairy lights, and a cake stand/knife, whilst the evening function for 100 guests included a fully prepared function room, the resident DJ, full bar facilities and hot sandwich buffet.

As guests, it was very reasonable with a two night stay, as part of the wedding party, costing £194. The only time we had to pay for anything was for some drinks in the evening and these were average priced too. 

Would I recommend it as a wedding venue?

If you are looking to host your wedding day and evening party all in one location, I would definitely recommend Astley Bank Hotel as a contender. 

As said previously, the venue was grand enough for a special day but understated and friendly. It was not the largest wedding venue I had ever been to but was ample enough for the capacity limit in place. 

The facilities were well presented, the surroundings quiet, the rooms comfortable, food tasty and staff helpful. But most importantly, the bride and groom, as well as all 150 guests - this writer included- had a wonderful time.