Just north of Chelmsford lies the serene 300-acre Clifford Estate which contains the stunning Channels Estate. The estate is home to a multitude of spaces in which to marry and celebrate your big day, including the Tudor period clubhouse and the popular wedding reception venue, Channels Essex Barn.
All of the charming venues mentioned above are individually licensed for civil wedding ceremonies, and can also host formal receptions and evening parties, meaning that you can enjoy your entire day in the beautiful estate. When you book with Channels, the wedding coordinators will cater for your personal needs to the last detail, helping you plan every aspect of your celebration.
Records of the original Channels Farm date back to the Domesday Book, and it was in agricultural use until 1929. The former farmland includes the magnificent 15th century clubhouse and hotel, both converted from their Tudor originals. Next to the clubhouse is the Essex Barn which dates back to the 1600s. Nowadays, the Clifford Estate makes the most of its vast and picturesque landscape.
Take a peek at Channel's Essex Barn's sister venue, The Courtyard Suite at Little Channels.
There are various spaces around the grounds where couples can have their wedding, from ceremony to evening celebrations.
The 15th-century clubhouse at Channels is ideal for smaller ceremonies, with sufficient space for 20 seated guests.
Civil ceremony capacity - 20 guests
The neighbouring Essex Barn has capacity for 90 guests for a ceremony, accommodating 130 for a formal wedding breakfast and up to 200 guests for an informal evening reception party.
Civil ceremony capacity - 90 guests
Formal reception capacity - 130 guests
Evening reception capacity - 200 guests
Alternatively, the outside civil ceremony licence offers a unique way to exchange your vows, and you can then choose to move into an indoor venue for the formal reception and evening party.
Whichever venue you choose, it's exclusively yours for the entire wedding day. There is disabled access and it is child-friendly. For the evening reception, you're welcome to engage the equipment company of your choice, or the staff can easily recommend one.
The Channels in-house catering team will work closely with you to ensure that you fully achieve your ideal wedding menu. They offer free tasting sessions for each bride and groom, giving you the opportunity to experience the fine food and dining ambience before the big day. Any guests or family members are welcome to join the menu tasting sessions at a specially discounted rate.
There is no need to book independent external accommodation for the wedding party, thanks to the Clifford Estate's Channels Lodge, which consists of 14 guest rooms. In the vicinity of the lodge are four separate suites, including a honeymoon suite.
To enquire further about booking Channels Essex Barn for your wedding celebrations, either click "Email this business" or call them on the telephone number at the top of the page.
AddressHuge, huge thanks to Samantha, David and the team for making our wedding of 7 October so perfect. We were lucky enough to have an outdoor wedding and the setting is beautiful. The Essex Barn at Channels also provides a stunning venue for the wedding breakfast (which was all beautifully cooked) and the party afterwards. The staff were so helpful and made our day so very special. This along with the full use of the Channels Lodge and the connected bar and brasserie makes the perfect wedding venue. Thanks to you all. We will be back to visit soon.
Steve and I had our wedding at Channels on 3rd September and it was amazing!! Whilst planning the wedding the communication was great and the staff were very responsive when we contacted them with any questions. Our wedding coordinator was Sam and she was fantastic. On the day she made us feel both at ease and ensured everything went completely to plan. Channels do a lot of weddings but still managed to make it feel like it was all about us! We could not recommend Channels as a wedding venue enough, having the accommodation on site just makes it! Our day was everything we imagined and more and we have received so many positive comments about the venue! Thank you to Sam and the team for helping us create memories that will last a lifetime!
Thank you so much to Emma , Sam and the team at channels who assisted with our wedding Sunday 3rd December. The wedding breakfast was gorgeous as was the whole day. The Essex barn was beautiful and the staff very professional. We can't thank you all enough.