Venue Hire at Newcastle Castle

The Black Gate has full step-free access via lift at the rear of the building.

The Castle Keep has no step-free access except for the ground-floor Gaol which is wheelchair accessible. The Chapel is also on the ground floor but has 4 steps for entry.

If an amendment to a venue hire booking is required, please contact hire@newcastlecastle.co.uk as soon as possible with the change(s). We will endeavour to accommodate any amendments wherever possible, but this depends on the nature of the change and its feasibility.

Amendments to the Venue Hire Agreement require both parties to sign an additional variations form which may include changes to the price of the hire.

Newcastle Castle comprises two buildings: the Black Gate and the Castle Keep.

The Black Gate is our 13th-century gatehouse and is situated north of the railway line. It is fully accessible via lift and contains our toilets.

Level 1: Reception, gift shop, toilets

Level 2: The Harbottle Suite

Level 3: Museum Room

The Castle Keep is our original 12th-century fortification and is situated south of the railway line next to The Vermont hotel.

Ground floor: Chapel, Gaol

Level 1: Reception, Lower Hall (museum)

Level 2: Great Hall, King’s Chamber

Level 5: Rooftop

Each room at Newcastle Castle has a maximum capacity according to our fire regulations, while there are also spatial limitations depending on factors such as whether tables will be used and how a particular room needs to be set up. When hiring multiple rooms or a full building, we typically operate on the capacity being the maximum capacity of the largest room hired, not the sum of the rooms hired.

The Black Gate

The Harbottle Suite

o   50 standing

o   50 seated (theatre style)

o   35 seated at tables (cabaret style)

o   25 seated at tables (boardroom style)

o   20 seated at tables (u-shaped)

Museum Room

o   30 standing/seated without tables

The Castle Keep

Chapel

o   30 standing/seated without tables

Gaol

o   50 standing/seated without tables

o   35 seated at tables

Lower Hall (museum)

o   50 standing only

Great Hall

o   80 standing

o   60 seated without tables

o   50 seated at tables

Rooftop

o   80 standing only

Due to the age of the buildings, not all rooms in Newcastle Castle have an electrical supply. Moreover, the electrical capacities vary from room to room. Please carefully consider the electrical capabilities of your hired space when planning your event.

Rooms with built-in 13A sockets:

Black Gate: The Harbottle Suite, Museum Room

Castle Keep: Gaol, Lower Hall

Rooms with an extended 30A socket:

Castle Keep: Great Hall, King’s Chamber (Requires closure of Lower Hall for running cables. Wall sockets in the Great Hall do not work - please do not use them)

Rooms with no electrical supply:

Castle Keep: Chapel, Rooftop

Newcastle Castle is a dry-hire venue, giving you the flexibility to enjoy bespoke food and drink options. We do work closely with local food and drink companies who have provided for events at the Castle previously, and we can provide a list of these on request.

For corporate hires of the Harbottle Suite, we can provide complimentary self-serve hot drinks if desired (suitable for meetings, conferences, team building days etc.). Likewise, we work with a local catering company who can provide delicious buffet food for you and your delegates – please contact us for a menu and pricing.

Catering

For catering hire, caterers must cook their food off-site or bring electrical equipment to cook the food with (e.g. air fryers, small electric ovens, microwaves. No deep-fat fryers, high-power appliances or open flames). Newcastle Castle does not have kitchen facilities for food preparation or cooking, but food can be prepared and cooked in the Castle Keep, either in the Gaol or the King’s Chamber, depending on the nature of the hire and the type of catering.

All external caterers bringing or preparing food on-site must have visited Newcastle Castle prior to the event to ensure their familiarity with the access requirements. They must also have provided their Public Liability Insurance certificate for £5 million (see Suppliers and Subcontractors).

Before making catering arrangements, please ensure that your desired catering is possible within the limitations of your hire space(s) and timings.

If instead you wish to bring your own pre-cooked food to any room hire at Newcastle Castle, you are welcome to do so, and we can set up tables and linen to accommodate this.

Bars and Alcohol

Newcastle Castle is not licensed for the sale of alcohol, so any such retail sale (including open bars) requires a Temporary Event Notice (TEN). Any TEN should be submitted by the alcohol provider at least ten clear working days prior to the event and must be checked by Newcastle Castle prior to submission, after which it is subject to approval by the local licensing authority.

If hiring a bar, they work best when set up in the Gaol on the ground floor of the Castle Keep. Any bar or alcohol supplier hired into Newcastle Castle must have visited Newcastle Castle prior to the event to ensure their familiarity with the access requirements. They must also have provided their Public Liability Insurance certificate for £5 million (see Suppliers and Subcontractors).

As with catering, you are welcome to bring your own drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to Newcastle Castle, with no corkage charge. Providing there is no retail sale of alcohol, a TEN is not required.

When having drinks in the Castle Keep, we do not allow glasses or glass bottles on the stairs as this is a significant safety risk. Please ensure that drinks are consumed in glass-free containers (e.g. paper cups). Aluminium cans, glass and closed containers are not allowed on the Rooftop.

Newcastle Castle is happy to provide in-house furniture, decorations, and equipment as part of a venue hire. We have a range of in-house items available for use, depending on the nature of the hire and the room(s) being used. Our staff are responsible for the moving and handling of in-house items such as those listed below. Any external equipment is the sole responsibility of the client, supplier or subcontractor and cannot be handled by Newcastle Castle staff.

In-House Furniture

Plastic folding chairs x60 – white or black chair covers available

Pink cushioned chairs x60 – Harbottle Suite only

Red cushioned chairs x48 – Great Hall only, white or black chair covers available

Grey cushioned chairs x10 – Great Hall only

Gold cushioned chairs x3 – Castle Keep only

Wooden trestle tables (180cm x 80cm) x6 (Great Hall), x4 (Harbottle Suite)

Plastic trestle tables x8

Wooden tables x4 – Gaol only

Small wooden tables x3 – Gaol and Chapel only

Long wooden benches x6 (4 people per bench) – Castle Keep only

Pews x6 (3 people per pew) – Gaol and Chapel only

Kneelers x30 – for use as cushions in the Chapel

Black or white tablecloths also available

In-House Decorations

Fake foliage – ivy, flowers, vines, etc.

LED candles – tealights, small, medium, and large sizes available

Replica weapons – including swords, spear, mace, club

Replica armour – including helmets, chainmail, plate armour, shields

White aisle runner (8m) – weddings only

Curtains (white, black, green) – Harbottle Suite only

In-House Equipment

Hot water boilers x2 (including tea and coffee)

Wine glasses – Black Gate only

Projector and screen – Harbottle Suite only

Speaker system – Harbottle Suite only

Glassware (e.g. wine glasses, beer bottles etc.) is prohibited from being carried on the stairs of the Black Gate or the Castle Keep buildings, as this presents a serious safety risk.

As such, we recommend that hire clients use recyclable non-glass alternatives (paper, plastic) to minimise the risk of guests carrying glassware onto the stairs.

If glassware is used during a hire, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure that all glassware remains in that room and that all guests are informed of this requirement.

We require most professional hire clients of Newcastle Castle (including for filming, concerts, paranormal investigations, ticketed events etc.) to conduct a risk assessment for their event. We require a copy of the risk assessment no later than 4 weeks prior to the hire date. This is not typically required for hires such as weddings, meetings, corporate receptions and other low-risk hires.

We provide all hire clients (professional and non-professional) with a copy of our Hazard ID, which should be read carefully to understand the risks present here at Newcastle Castle. Those attending a hire event at Newcastle Castle should be made aware of the risks by the hire client so that they can prepare accordingly. For example, one of the most prevalent risks at Newcastle Castle is the steep and uneven stairs present in both buildings. We therefore ask that all visitors wear sensible footwear and hold onto the handrail when traversing the stairs.

Due to building restrictions on Scheduled Monuments, the Castle Keep has no heating system. As such, room temperatures in this building can be very low on cold days. We therefore advise that any hire within the Keep occurring between September and May is treated as an outdoor event, and that all guests dress warmly with this in mind. Please note that we frequently host events in the Keep outside of these months (including many Halloween film screenings) without any issues, but it is important to manage guest expectations.

Alternatively, The Black Gate building (including The Harbottle Suite and Museum Room) has central heating and is suitable year-round.

Please do not bring helium balloons or confetti into the Castle Keep. Due to the high ceilings in this building, loose helium balloons would be extremely difficult to retrieve and dispose of.

Confetti should be biodegradable and used outside, underneath the railway arches.

Please ensure that your hire timings fully cover the amount of time you need for your hire. As Newcastle Castle is usually open to the public from 10:00-17:00, it is not always possible to allow access beyond the times specified in your Venue Hire Agreement.

Your Agreement may include two sets of timings: get in/out times and event start/end times:

Get in time: This is the earliest time you and your subcontractors can arrive to set up for your hire, but your event (e.g. drinks reception, film screening, paranormal investigation) will start later and your guests will arrive later.

Start of event time: This is the beginning of your main hire period. If you do not have a ‘get in time’, then this is the earliest you, your guests and your subcontractors can arrive to set up for your hire. Any in-house furniture and equipment provided by Newcastle Castle staff will be set up by this time.

End of event time: This is the end of your main hire period. If you do not have a ‘get out time’, then you, your guests and your subcontractors should leave by this time. Any in-house furniture and equipment provided by Newcastle Castle staff will be taken down after this time.

Get out time: This is the latest time you and your subcontractors can stay to take down your hire, but your event will have finished and your guests will have left earlier.

We have a small private parking area next to the Castle Keep which is reserved for staff and clients. For venue hires, up to three vehicles can be parked here at no extra cost, depending on vehicle size and parking availability. This includes sub-contractors, such as a wedding coordinator, bar, caterer, photographer etc. Please let the Castle know in advance of your hire whether you require one of our parking spaces.

The parking area is accessed via removable bollards, so just ask a member of staff when you wish to be let in or out of the car park. Please also take care not to block any other vehicles.

We require all venue hire clients to pay a 10% or £100 non-refundable deposit upon booking (whichever is greater). The full balance of the hire is due 8 weeks prior to the event, or 12 weeks prior if the hire requires closure of any part of Newcastle Castle Keep. If the booking occurs within 8 weeks of a hire, or within 12 weeks of a hire that requires closure, no deposit is required but the full balance will be payable.

The payment schedule will be set out in the Venue Hire Agreement Form, and clients will receive an invoice when their payment is due.

Payments are to be made via bank transfer wherever possible, and the bank details can be found on the invoice. Payments by card are only permissible in exceptional circumstances and may be subject to a transaction fee.

Speakers

We have a speaker system in The Harbottle Suite in the Black Gate which can be used for any venue hires in that room. Connection is via a 3.5mm jack, and we have USB-C and Apple Lightning adapters.

For hires of other rooms, such as those in the Castle Keep, the client will need to provide their own speaker system. We highly recommend using wireless speakers due to electrical limitations in the building (see Electrics). For larger hires using the Great Hall, such as those featuring DJ sets, concerts, theatrical performances etc., we can accommodate wired equipment via 30A extension cables (requires closure of the Lower Hall).

Microphones

We do not supply a microphone for venue hires. If you believe one is required, you will need to provide your own and ensure it is compatible with the AV equipment you are using. Microphones are generally not required for The Harbottle Suite due to the size of the room.

Projection

The Harbottle Suite is equipped with a projector and screen which you are welcome to use when hiring this room. For hire of other rooms, we are unable to provide a projector or screen (except for private film screenings). If you would like to use a projector and screen in a room other than The Harbottle Suite, you will need to provide your own and ensure that the room has a suitable electrical supply (see Electrics) and that the screen is free-standing.

Please note that exterior light projection is not permitted without prior approval from Newcastle City Council.

If you are hiring any company or individual for their services during your event, you must send us a copy of their Public Liability Insurance with at least £5 million coverage. This includes but is not limited to: bars, caterers, photographers and videographers, entertainment, furniture suppliers, venue stylists etc.

All equipment belonging to any supplier or subcontractor is their sole responsibility and they are responsible for transporting it in and out of the building – Newcastle Castle staff are not insured to handle equipment that does not belong to the Castle and therefore they cannot assist with this. As such, we require any supplier or subcontractor to visit the venue before the event to ensure they are familiar with the access requirements.

There are no toilets in the Castle Keep, apart from four medieval long-drop toilets which are certainly not used anymore! Our only toilets on-site are based in the Black Gate. If you are hiring the Castle Keep, you and your guests can ask a member of staff to direct or escort you to the facilities in the Black Gate.

If you are planning to have a legal wedding ceremony at Newcastle Castle, please ensure as a matter of priority that a registrar is available for your chosen day and time. To do this, contact Newcastle City Council by phone on 0191 2787878 and ask for registrars, or email registrars@newcastle.gov.uk. Registrars can be booked up to two years in advance.