If you’re thinking about getting married at The Priests House, you’ve made a good choice!
Some venues are all about scale and grandeur.
…and then some venues are all about intimacy and who’s in the (very pretty) room with you.
The Priests House at Barden Tower is very much the second one.
It’s a 15th-century house and chapel sitting right beside the ruins of Barden Tower, just up the valley from Bolton Abbey. Small. Characterful. And completely yours for the day.
If you read my Tithe Barn post, you’ll know I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for this part of Wharfedale. This one’s a different kind of special, though.
A tower, a chapel, and 500-odd years of history
Let’s get this out of the way because you can’t fake this kind of character.
The Priests House sits next to Barden Tower, a proper medieval ruin. Not a “rustic-inspired” anything. It’s the real thing.
The Chapel beneath the house was left unloved for years before being carefully restored in 2016, and they kept all the good stuff:
- Old stone walls
- Original features everywhere you look
- Archways and a porch that basically beg for photos
And the best bit? It’s already beautiful. You don’t need to dress it up much. A few flowers, some candles, and the building does the rest. But if you want to go bigger with your flowers and decor, trust me when I say it’s going to look absolutely incredible!
Small on purpose
This isn’t a venue that tries to squeeze in 200 people. And that’s exactly the point.
They do only one event a day, so the house, the Chapel, and the grounds are all yours.
No bumping into another wedding party. No rushing out so the next lot can get in for their ceremony.
The numbers, roughly:
- Up to 76 for your ceremony and wedding breakfast
- Around 85 for the evening
Which means you actually get to talk to everyone. You don’t just wave from across the room on your way to the next photo.
And from my side? Smaller weddings are brilliant to photograph. Everyone’s closer and the real moments just keep coming.
The Oak Room – for your closest people (or just the two of you)
Want to go even smaller? This is the bit I love.
You get married in the Chapel, then head up to the Oak Room for the cosy wedding breakfast up to 24 people. Dark oak beams, open fires, candles, old artefacts dotted around. It feels more like a really good dinner party than a “wedding reception”.
Perfect for micro weddings, elopement-style days, and especially if you’d rather have 20 people you love than 120 you feel like you should invite.
Firelight, candles and a medieval stage
This is where the Chapel really comes into its own.
Once the evening kicks off, you’ve got:
- A bar (obviously)
- A dance floor
- A piano
- A medieval tiled stage for your band, DJ, or top table
- A fire pit just outside when people need a breather
As the light drops, the old stone and candlelight make everything glow. It’s moody in the best way possible.
And because the space is more compact, the dancefloor fills up fast. No awkward empty gap in the middle. Just everyone, together, making a lot of noise.
One thing to plan for: the party here finishes earlier than at some venues. More on that in the honest bits below.
Barden Tower and the Dales = magical photo options
As a Yorkshire girl through and through, I won’t have it said that the Yorkshire Dales are NOT one of the most beautiful places on this planet! With views for days, you don’t need to go off-site for your photos if you don’t want to. BUT for the adventurous ones amongst you, we could jump in my car and nip down to the woodlands by the Strid, or to Burnsall riverside.
A bit of a personal one for me
I grew up in Otley, just down the road, and spent my weekends hiking or cycling out to Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, or Grassington. Which meant I passed Barden Tower most Sundays, and I always thought it looked a bit magical. Never did I imagine that one day I’d grow up and end up photographing weddings there!
The Strid was always a thing of fascination for me as a child (still is, actually!)
I remember visiting with my parents and seeing the dangerous swirling waters below as my hilarious Dad joked about chucking me across to the other side. It’s an inverted river, which means the river basically goes from 30 ft to 6 ft wide, and because there’s nowhere else for the water to go, it turns on its side and goes 30ft deep. DO NOT get close to the edge, or attempt to jump this as it carries a 100% fatality risk. Not even I would risk an epic photo too close to the edge!
Laura & Joe’s day at The Priests House
Having both grown up in the area, Laura and Joe feel the same way as I do about the Yorkshire Dales being utterly magnificent. Or “God’s own county,” as us Yorkshire folk like to say. They told me they’d fallen in love with the beautiful old building and wanted a super chilled, people-focused wedding day with a big party in the evening. They chose to have a later afternoon ceremony, followed by drinks and garden games outside during the long, hot June afternoon. The evening celebrations were kicked off by legendary Harrogate DJ Mark Green.
The Priests House has limited accommodation on site in the form of a bunk barn with shared rooms. Laura and Joe wanted to stay somewhere with a bit more privacy, so Laura and her bridal party got ready at a local B&B in Linton, and you’ll find an abundance of hotels, pubs and B&Bs around the Linton and Grassington area.
Why it works so well on a wedding day
Some historic venues are gorgeous but hard work.
This isn’t one of them.
- Ceremony, food, drinks, dancing, and photos all happen in one place
- Nobody’s ferrying guests between buildings or villages
- Rain? There’s the Chapel and the Oak Room. Sun? You’ve got the whole valley (Very handy round here)
- You get the whole place to yourselves, so it never feels like you’re sharing your day
- The team have a real reputation for looking after couples, so you can actually switch off and enjoy it
It’s the kind of place where the day just happens, in a good way.
The honest bits (because no venue’s perfect)
I love this place. But I’d much rather you go in with your eyes open, so here’s what’s worth knowing before you book.
It’s not a huge venue. The max capacity is 76 guests for the day and around 85 in the evening. If your guest list keeps creeping up, this probably isn’t the one.
Accommodation is limited. The only place to stay on site is a bunk barn with 4 shared rooms. Great fun for a group of mates. Less so for a newly married couple! And if the venue has weddings on consecutive days, that can affect who’s staying when, so ask about it early. Most couples book somewhere nearby instead.
There’s a strict curfew. Because it’s a historic building, the bar closes at 11 pm, and everyone needs to be out by 11:30 pm. On a Sunday it’s 30 minutes earlier: bar closes at 10:30pm, out by 11pm. Plan the evening around it and get the party started early!
But if you’re a bit of a nana like me, and enjoy a few afternoon drinks followed by an early night, this could be the perfect option for you!
It’s properly remote. There’s no phone signal and no public wifi. Brilliant for being present on the day and less brilliant when 80 people try to order a taxi at 11:30 pm. So, book your taxis in advance!! And let your guests know before the day, so nobody’s left stranded.
What your photos will actually feel like
If you’ve picked a smaller venue, chances are you care more about the people than the pomp.
Same.
At a wedding this size, every face matters. Your nan’s reaction during the vows. Your best mate trying not to cry during the speech. The kids running riot on the grass.
What I do is:
- Let the day unfold properly
- Keep things relaxed and low-pressure
- Step in when needed (family photos, a few natural couple shots by the tower)
- Then get out of the way again
So you get:
- Real reactions
- All your people, not just the loudest ones
- Candlelit, moody evening shots
- And photos that feel like your day, not a photoshoot
Is the Priests House right for you?
It’s especially perfect if you:
- Want a smaller, more intimate wedding (or a micro wedding in the Oak Room)
- Love history and character over shiny and new
- Want the whole place to yourselves
- Fancy an autumn or winter wedding with open fires and candlelight
- Want countryside photos without leaving your own wedding
It’s probably not the one if you:
- Have a guest list that’s still growing
- Want to party into the early hours
- Want a bridal suite on site for your wedding night
And if you’re looking for a photographer…
I’m Hannah! I photograph weddings for people who care more about how it felt than how it looked. I know that your guests mean a lot to you, and you’ll never have those same people in the one room ever again. Which is why I like to take loads of photos of them living their absolute best lives on your big day.
No awkward posing. No making you stand around for hours. And definitely no missing your own drinks reception or canapes!
As well as my cameras, I’ll bring a calm presence, a bit of gentle direction when you need it, and a lot of attention to the people you’ve chosen to have there.
If you’re planning a wedding at The Priests House, I’d absolutely love to hear about it.
