Venue Hire
For conferences, meetings and events
Wells Cathedral School Wells Cathedral School has over 40 acres of gardens, grounds and sports facilities, including what is widely acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the south west. Founded in AD909, Wells is one of the oldest schools in the world. Our earliest record was as a school for choristers when the then church of Wells became a cathedral.
Availability and contact Cedars Hall and our many other spaces for hire are based in the grounds of Wells Cathedral School. We can offer conference and event facilities mainly during school holidays (18 weeks of the year), which are October half term (two weeks), Christmas holidays (three weeks), February half term (one week), Easter holidays (three weeks) and Summer holidays (nine weeks). We may also be able to accommodate your event during term time - please contact us to discuss the availability of our venues and your requirements: The Events Team Cedars House, 15 The Liberty, Wells, Somerset BA5 2ST 01749 834230 events@wells.cathedral.school https://wells.cathedral.school/venues
How to get here From London: Leave the M4 Motorway at Junction 19 (M32). In Bristol, follow signs for Wells A37. Or‌ Leave the M3 Motorway at Junction 8 and join the A303 westwards. Follow signs for Warminster (A36), then Frome (A362), then Shepton Mallet (A361) and then Wells (A371). From the South West: Leave the M5 Motorway at Junction 23 and join the A39 eastwards following signs for Wells. From the West Midlands: Leave the M5 Motorway at Junction 20 and take the M4 eastwards and leave the motorway at Junction 19 (M32). In Bristol, follow the signs for Wells A37.
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Cedars Hall Our world-class performing arts and recital venue Cedars Hall opened in autumn 2016, and was designed by leading London architect, Eric Parry. Cedars Hall provides the capacity for audiences of up to 350 in its main auditorium, named Eavis Hall after our Old Wellensian Michael Eavis, CBE, founder of the Glastonbury Festival. Cedars Hall has industry-standard recording facilities and is suitable for broadcast-quality production. Eavis Hall is an ideal venue for lectures, conferences, dinners, and concerts, and includes an inbuilt projector and screen, flexible staging, state-of the-art audiovisual facilities and the ability to livestream.
Cedars Hall also has another large reception venue, the John Baxter Foyer. This light, airy space has a double-height area, and is ideal for informal performances, as an exhibition space, or for dining and receptions. In addition to events in Eavis Hall, Cedars Hall provides three further rooms on the first floor which are ideal for meetings and breakout sessions. To hire Cedars Hall, please contact us to discuss your individual requirements.
Capacities Concert in Eavis Hall: approximate seated audience capacity 210 to 350 Conference/lecture in Eavis Hall: maximum audience capacity 350 Dinner in Eavis Hall: maximum seated capacity 160 Dinner in The John Baxter Foyer: maximum seated capacity 80 Drinks reception in The John Baxter Foyer: maximum capacity 150 Whole venue party: maximum capacity 300
Cedars Hall floor plans Cedars Hall Lower Floor
Cedars Hall Upper Floor
Green Room / Breakout Room
Green Room / Meeting Room
Green Room / Breakout Room
Cedars Hall hire rate card Guideline hire costs are itemised here, but please call us to discuss your individual needs. All prices shown are subject to change and are exclusive of VAT which will be added at the current rate. Prices are correct as of January 2019 and are based on an eight-hour booking.
Hire of Eavis Hall and The John Baxter Foyer, green room and second dressing room (price includes Hall Manager and basic technical support)
From £950
Hire of Eavis Hall, green room and second dressing room per additional hour
From £120
Break-out room cost
Please contact us for further information
Hire of Steinway D or B grand piano
£37.50 per hour/£20.00 per hour
Piano tuning
Please contact us for further information on rates and contact details for approved piano tuners
Specialist technical support
Price on application
Late get-out per half hour for recital hall and green rooms (beyond contracted hours)
£60
Additional services Box Office
12.5% commission on total ticket sales Minimum fee of £250
Performing Rights Society (PRS)
Hirer responsibility/invoiced separately
Marketing in seasonal brochure/website
From £150
Front of House Manager/Stage Manager/ backstage crew in addition to duty technical manager
Please contact us to discuss your requirements
Licensed bar and catering
Please contact us to discuss your requirements
Cedars House Cedars House is one of the main school buildings and houses the Box Office and school reception, as well as boarding facilities. This elegant Georgian stone former private home contains two adjoining rooms which are ideal for small functions or meetings. The largest room, Cedars Drawing Room (pictured above), can host dinner parties of up to 32, cocktail parties or receptions of around 60 and
can be configured as a space for meetings - it also contains a Steinway piano, which can be used for entertainment if required. Decorated in a similar fashion, the adjoining Cedars Morning Room contains a large meeting table for up to 12 people and a sofa area for extra comfort. Both rooms can be hired, either individually or together, as part of a package of venue hire or as a separate booking.
Quilter Hall Part of our music school buildings, opposite Wells Cathedral and close to the centre of Wells, Quilter Hall is a small, medieval building that was once used as a library. This atmospheric space can be laid out for an audience of up to 90 people for lectures, small music recitals and talks - and is an ideal venue for receptions or small parties.
We can provide microphones and audiovisual equipment if required, and there is a Steinway piano available which can be used for small concerts or as background music. Quilter Hall can also be used for breakout sessions from a main conference or event being held at one of our other venues.
Sports Pavilion Our new sports pavilion, built in 2016, is situated behind Cedars Hall overlooking the cricket square and field. The pavilion can hold up to 25 people seated around a table and up to 40 standing for a reception. There is a small bar and kitchen area for catering purposes.
The room is equipped with a screen for audiovisual presentations, and the doors can be opened wide to enable guests to use the balcony area and outside seating to relax and enjoy the view. The building is ideal for small meetings, receptions and as a breakout area for a conference.
Sports Hall The spacious sports hall is situated in the main block of school buildings, close to Cedars Hall and the main school reception in Cedars House. It is a large and versatile space and has been successfully used for several conferences which required an exhibition close to the main conference venue.
It can easily host around 40 stands (depending on size) plus catering facilities. The sports hall is situated next door to our covered and heated swimming pool and its climbing wall which can be used for team building exercises if required.
The Cook Building The Cook Building is situated in the main block of school buildings next to the sports hall and close to Cedars Hall and Cedars House. The building contains a large room on the first floor that can be used as
a small meeting room or another breakout venue. This room has a capacity of 100 people seated. It has audiovisual equipment available and can be laid out in several different configurations.
Ritchie Hall Ritchie Hall is a theatre with a raised stage and good sized floor area for an audience of up to 90 people. This versatile space can be used for a drama
performance or a lecture and can be set up in many different ways - for example, as a meeting space with conference-style tables and chairs.
Other venues and accommodation Many other venues around the school can be added to your package to provide extra space for meetings or breakout sessions. We may be able to provide accommodation within our boarding houses if
required. We can also provide a list of local B&Bs and hotels for your delegates. Please contact us to discuss your individual requirements.
Hire rates All of our venues are available for hire subject to availability. Guideline hire costs are itemised here, but please call us to discuss your individual needs.
All prices shown are subject to change and are exclusive of VAT which will be added at the current rate. Prices are correct as of January 2019.
Quilter Hall
From £400
Ritchie Hall
From £250
Cedars Drawing Room
From £200
Cedars Morning Room
From £200
The Cook Building
From £200
The Sports Hall
From £320
The Sports Pavilion
From £200
Additional services Box Office
12.5% commission on total ticket sales Minimum fee of £250
Performing Rights Society (PRS)
Hirer responsibility/invoiced separately
Marketing in seasonal brochure/website
From £150
Front of House Manager/Stage Manager/ backstage crew in addition to duty technical manager
Please contact us to discuss your requirements
Licensed bar and catering
Please contact us to discuss your requirements
In and around Wells Nikolaus Pevsner, the eminent architectural historian, wrote that Wells can boast the most beautiful square mile in the whole of the British Isles. Wells Cathedral School sits in the heart of this medieval city, occupying buildings ranging from grade 1 listed former private homes over 800 years old to the very modern - the most recent being Cedars Hall. Wells nestles on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with its wealth of walks and visitor attractions. Often described as England’s smallest city - just over 10,000 people live here - Wells can call itself a city because of the magnificent 13th century cathedral at its centre. Wells remains remarkably unspoilt and features many historic buildings, including the unique moated Bishop’s Palace, Vicars’ Close (the oldest purely residential street with original buildings surviving intact in Europe), St Cuthbert’s Church and the Wells Museum. The Market Place, with lively
markets twice a week on a Wednesday and Saturday, the narrow streets and an eclectic mix of building styles all reflect on the continuing development of the town throughout the ages. Wells’ historic architecture has led to the city being used as a shooting location for numerous films and television programmes including Poldark, Hot Fuzz, Wolf Hall and The Huntsman. Wells Cathedral School is a five-minute walk from Wells Cathedral and the High Street with its wealth of restaurants and coffee shops - plus hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation. Not far away is the iconic Glastonbury Tor, the stunning Cheddar Gorge (with its caves, cheese, climbing and tea shops), and the breathtaking Somerset Levels, made famous by the annual starling mummerations. Shoppers after a bargain can delight in the Clarks Village Outlet Shopping centre in nearby Street.
Marketing your event Cedars Hall concerts and events brochure The Cedars Hall concerts and events brochures are published three times a year (for Autumn, Spring and Summer). We distribute 12,000 brochures each season - many of these (around 7,500) are sent out via the professional distributor Culture Calling to arts venues, tourist information offices, cafes, relevant shops, libraries and so on across Bath, Bristol, Street, Glastonbury and surrounding areas. We also distribute the brochures to people who have been to previous events, our staff, current parents, music schools and colleges, local bed and breakfasts and everyone else on our box office database who has asked for a brochure. Electronic versions of the brochure are sent out in marketing emails to many others. We can offer you the opportunity to advertise your event in the brochures (from ÂŁ125 plus VAT), or to include your event in the listings section (ÂŁ150 plus VAT).
Ticketing and Box Office We can sell tickets to your event for you. Delegates can purchase tickets online, over the phone and in person at our Box Office, which is located in Cedars House. Our Box Office is flexible with the facility to offer discounts, early bird price reductions, and many other combinations of ticket pricing. The price for our Box Offices services is 12.5% of tickets sold, minimum ÂŁ250.
