The Drawing Room at Elizabeth Gaskell's House

Event Space in a Museum · Whole venue

  12 reviews  – 
84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester, M13 9LW
Ardwick, Manchester

About this space

The Gaskells’ drawing room has been carefully restored with authentic Victorian furnishings, including a boudoir grand piano which can be played by an experienced pianist. This comfortable room is perfect for intimate ceremonies for up to 36 people. This includes the couple and 34 guests.

Order of the day:
The couple will arrive first and you can access Elizabeth Gaskell’s bedroom as a prep room and private space. Guests will enter through the original front doors into the entrance hall. They are then free to mingle and explore.

Our wedding coordinators will ensure that everyone is seated so that you can make a grand entrance down the sweeping staircase. The important part comes next… you get married!

After the ceremony, you can enjoy a drinks reception in the entrance hall and period rooms. You can mingle with your guests, wander around the house and garden and take some beautiful photos.

If you wish, you can also have your reception at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. Our Servants Hall is the perfect space for your wedding breakfast and dancefloor!

If you’re getting married in the summer, our Garden is also available for ceremonies. All of our couples have exclusive hire of the house on their wedding day so you will still have access to all of the rooms.

This space is also available for photography and filming.


Prices

Monday
10:00 – 23:00
from £950 hire fee per day
Per day
10:00 – 23:00
from £950 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 23:00. All prices include VAT.
These prices are based on our 3 hour package. Prices are subject to change. Please get in touch for a quote.

We offer a 3 or 5 hour package and additional hours can be booked on top of this.

We suggest the following timings:
3-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos
4-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, canapes only downstairs
5-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering downstairs
6+hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering, and reception/dancing downstairs
Tuesday
10:00 – 23:00
from £950 hire fee per day
Per day
10:00 – 23:00
from £950 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 23:00. All prices include VAT.
These prices are based on our 3 hour package. Prices are subject to change. Please get in touch for a quote.

We offer a 3 or 5 hour package and additional hours can be booked on top of this.

We suggest the following timings:
3-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos
4-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, canapes only downstairs
5-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering downstairs
6+hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering, and reception/dancing downstairs
Wednesday
Closed
Note: Alcohol licence until 23:00. All prices include VAT.
These prices are based on our 3 hour package. Prices are subject to change. Please get in touch for a quote.

We offer a 3 or 5 hour package and additional hours can be booked on top of this.

We suggest the following timings:
3-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos
4-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, canapes only downstairs
5-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering downstairs
6+hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering, and reception/dancing downstairs
Thursday
Closed
Note: Alcohol licence until 23:00. All prices include VAT.
These prices are based on our 3 hour package. Prices are subject to change. Please get in touch for a quote.

We offer a 3 or 5 hour package and additional hours can be booked on top of this.

We suggest the following timings:
3-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos
4-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, canapes only downstairs
5-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering downstairs
6+hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering, and reception/dancing downstairs
Friday
10:00 – 23:00
from £1100 hire fee per day
Per day
10:00 – 23:00
from £1100 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 23:00. All prices include VAT.
These prices are based on our 3 hour package. Prices are subject to change. Please get in touch for a quote.

We offer a 3 or 5 hour package and additional hours can be booked on top of this.

We suggest the following timings:
3-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos
4-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, canapes only downstairs
5-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering downstairs
6+hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering, and reception/dancing downstairs
Saturday
10:00 – 23:00
from £1100 hire fee per day
Per day
10:00 – 23:00
from £1100 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 23:00. All prices include VAT.
These prices are based on our 3 hour package. Prices are subject to change. Please get in touch for a quote.

We offer a 3 or 5 hour package and additional hours can be booked on top of this.

We suggest the following timings:
3-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos
4-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, canapes only downstairs
5-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering downstairs
6+hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering, and reception/dancing downstairs
Sunday
Closed
Note: Alcohol licence until 23:00. All prices include VAT.
These prices are based on our 3 hour package. Prices are subject to change. Please get in touch for a quote.

We offer a 3 or 5 hour package and additional hours can be booked on top of this.

We suggest the following timings:
3-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos
4-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, canapes only downstairs
5-hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering downstairs
6+hours: couple arrival, guest arrival, ceremony, drinks reception, photos, sit down catering, and reception/dancing downstairs
Pricing updated by venue 10 months ago
Minimum booking duration: 3 hours

Capacity

Standing
up to 36
Theatre
up to 36

Catering and drinks

No in-house catering
External catering allowed
Venue provides alcohol
BYO alcohol allowed

Facilities

Wi-Fi
PA system / speakers
Natural light
Storage space
Quiet space
Free on-street parking
Paid parking facilities available nearby
Boudoir grand piano
Projector
Flatscreen TV
Whiteboard
Flipchart
Conference call facilities
Air conditioning
Accommodation available

Music & sound equipment

Own music allowed
Bring your own DJ
Noise restriction

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Accessible toilets
Ground level
Accessible parking spot available
Lift to all floors

Rules of the space

Allowed events

Promoted and ticketed events
Wedding licence
Temporary event notices (TENs) available

Host rules

No smoking in the building.

No naked flames are permitted anywhere in the venue or on the premises.

Biodegradable confetti ONLY.

No food and clear drinks ONLY are permitted in the Victorian period rooms. This is to protect the museum collection.


Reviews and ratings

(12 reviews and ratings - )

DS
David S.
August 2022
Civil Ceremony · 35 guests
Absolutely beautiful venue. Great central Manchester location. Perfect for our wedding party of 35. The booking process was easy, we had a lovely guided tour by Ellen and she was very reassuring.
Nothing
5.0
DS
David S.
June 2021
Excellent communication
Ellen has been incredible at responding to us. Thanks Ellen.
5.0
HS
Hannah S.
August 2022
Excellent communication
5.0

Situated just outside the hustle and bustle of Manchester City Centre, sits the former home of Manchester’s most famous Victorian writer, Elizabeth Gaskell. This beautifully restored Victorian house, with spectacular period rooms and villa style garden, provides a unique and stunning backdrop for any occasion.

Wedding ceremonies can be held in the cosy book-lined Study, the elegant Drawing Room, or the award-winning Garden. Complete with Victorian furnishings and a boudoir grand piano, Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is perfect for couples wanting something special, intimate and with plenty of charm.

Following the ceremony, we can provide a drinks reception in the Victorian period rooms, including the Dining Room where Elizabeth wrote her famous stories and letters. Weather permitting, the beautifully restored garden with its mixed heritage and native planting schemes offers another option for your drinks reception and is a beautiful backdrop for wedding photographs.

Our light and airy basement includes the original Servants’ Hall and kitchen, providing the perfect space for your wedding celebrations including wedding breakfast and reception.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is hired on an exclusive use basis and can accommodate up to 36 people in a wedding party. This includes the couple and 34 guests.

If you’re interested in in booking a meeting, workshop, away-day or conference, Elizabeth Gaskell's House has a choice of seminar rooms.

We can accommodate up to 35 delegates per room in various layouts. Each space includes a deluxe screen for your presentations and we have a variety of refreshment/ catering options available.

The house is fully accessible and disabled parking is available on-site. Our meeting rooms all have hearing loops installed.

Our servants' hall and garden are perfect breakout spaces, subject to availability.


Other spaces and event packages at this venue


Location