The Pilgrims Rest is a 600 hundred year old Wealden Hall House situated in the medieval town of Battle in East Sussex - right in the heart of 1066 country. With endless features from huge inglenook fireplaces to ancient beams; linenfold doors to oak floors, The Pilgrims Rest is an historic gem. It even has ancient witch’s marks to ward off evil spirits and a secret tunnel that runs beneath the Abbey walls. Perfect for small weddings, intimate weddings and those a little larger, The Pilgrims Rest is a wedding venue with a difference. There are no hidden extras, no corkage charges and no fixed suppliers, giving you the choice to have a DIY wedding, a fully catered wedding or anything in between. The Pilgrims Rest is an exclusive use wedding venue run by our friendly and professional team who will guide you on the run up to, and on the day of, your wedding, ensuring your day runs seamlessly. A stunning backdrop for your wedding without the added expense of venue styling and prop hire. Professionally designed and styled to need little decoration, but one you can add to and make your own, every detail has been carefully considered creating a wedding venue that is beautiful yet relaxed; affordable yet aspirational. Quite simply a truly magical place to tie the knot. Far more than just a beautiful building; this grand old lady has historic soul. She has hosted celebrations from Medieval banquets to Georgian balls, Victorian luncheons to Edwardian tea dances. Over the centuries flagons of ale, goblets of wine and flutes of champagne have been consumed beneath her eaves, to the sounds of merriment and laughter flooding through her walls. Perfect for weddings all year round; during the warmer months and when the sun is shining - your guests can flood out into the pretty cottage gardens. And as the evenings start to draw in, stoke up the fires, light the candles, then watch as this grand old lady sparkles into life.

Personal Message from the Manager

Name of Wedding Contact: Amy

Hello, I am Amy. I love working at The Pilgrims Rest as we are a small, happy team. The venue is stunning and full of incredible architectural features and love how flexible it is. It is such a joy to meet so many creative and interesting couples They all put their own spin on the venue whether great or small. Every wedding is so different which makes my job great fun. I look forward to meeting you!

Experience

Year Business Was Established

2016

No. of Weddings Hosted

More than 50

Public Liability Insurance

Yes

No. of People In Team

Overview of The Pilgrims Rest

Wedding Venue Type

Wealden Hall house

Wedding Venue Capacity

Dining Capacity

Reception Capacity

Wedding Ceremony & Reception

Church Within Walking Distance

Wedding Licence

Confetti Permitted

Wedding Venue Details

Open Flame Permitted

Grade I/II Listed Building

Exclusive Use

Bridal Changing Facilities

Pet Friendly

Outdoor Reception Space

In-House Wedding Coordinator

Wedding Catering

External Catering Permitted

Alcohol Licence

No Corkage Charge for Own Alcohol

Pricing for The Pilgrims Rest

Wedding Venue Hire Only

£2,450 - £5,750

Reviews for The Pilgrims Rest
(62)

Chloë and Jordan

Happy couple married in November

December 2024

Perfect day, perfect venue🥂

The Pilgrims Rest is a dry hire wedding venue for couples looking to have more control and freedom over their wedding. We had our wedding on 30.11.24 here and could not recommend the venue enough. Both Waverley and Amy (the Pilgrims Rest team) are incredible. Although the venue is a dry hire (meaning you bring in the vendors you want and decorate it how you’d like), the team were on standby throughout the whole day to ensure it ran smoothly and were no issues with the vendors. The venue is also decorated beautifully, so we hardly added anything extra! The team were super friendly and were happy to help wherever they could. Our photographer even said they were better than most venues which have a dedicated wedding coordinator! Our day was made absolutely perfect and unforgettable by the team and the undeniably gorgeous venue. Couldn’t and would not have changed a thing about our day. Thanks so much to the entire team!

you are amazing!- Lucy

Happy couple married in August

April 2023

We got married here on 24th Sept '22

We got married here on 24th Sept '22. It was everything we dreamed of and more! This venue is unbelievably special. So many people commented on what a gem it is and how much they loved our wedding.. The Pilgrims Rest team made the planning process run super smoothly and were always willing to help and do whatever they can, which we were very appreciative of. I had the full capacity of guests and I was worried that during the evening party, the venue would feel cramped. It didn't - AT ALL!! Believe me, you can still have all your guests dance the night away. The most brilliant thing about Pilgrims Rest is the flexibility when it comes to suppliers. You can have whoever you want as your caterer, florist etc (with the help of their 'tried and tested' list if you need) - which is hard to find elsewhere. The team really do want you to have your perfect day - however that may look to you. The day after the wedding, the team had basically packed up everything for us - so it meant we didn't even have to do a lot with our rough heads! Cannot thank you enough Waverley and the rest of the team

Holly T

Happy couple married in March

April 2023

My husband and I cannot recommend this venue enough

My husband and I cannot recommend this venue enough. Waverley, Amy-Lou and Rachel - we thank you so much. The venue is absolutely stunning and our guests still talk about it. It was perfect for the intimate and rustic wedding that we truly wanted and we had a fantastic party in the evening!! The staff were so attentive, accommodating and professional from our very first viewing to the wedding day. We felt as though we were in safe hands the entire time. I hope I have the pleasure of being a guest next time I'm at this precious gem of a venue.

Cat and Ricky

Happy couple married in December

January 2021

The ladies are first class at what they do.

The Pilgrims Rest is such a beautiful venue. Every time I visited it felt so cosy and just like I was walking in to a friend’s house! The ladies at the Pilgrims Rest are first class at what they do! The service we received from Amy-Lou throughout, and including on our wedding day, was outstanding. We had a couple of date changes and Amy-Lou could not have been more accommodating, reassuring, and flexible, just what we needed! Hiring the Pilgrims Rest was a great option for us, as it is dry hire, we were able to hire all the suppliers we wanted and have just the day we had imagined! Due to the pandemic our wedding day was a lot smaller than initially planned, however this suited the venue so well! It did not feel like we were missing out and if anything, I think it helped massively in making the decision to go ahead with a 15 person wedding. For anyone looking for an intimate and cosy wedding venue, I would not hesitate to recommend the Pilgrims Rest!

Rachel and Will

Happy couple married in December

January 2021

Everyone commented on how stunning the venue was.

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for last Thursday. Everyone commented on how stunning the venue was. I can’t believe our luck to get in just before Tier 4! Thanks again for all you did to make the day go smoothly.

I wanted to write to express our thanks to all concerned at the Pilgrims Rest for making Adam and Jenna`s wedding day so special. We all had a lovely day. One to remember. The venue is special and we would have no hesitation in recommending it to others. The times are difficult and we feared that the restrictions might spoil the day but this was not the case. So thank you again for all that you did to help.

Emma and Ivan

Happy couple married in February

February 2020

Thank you so so much!

Thank you so so much for making our wedding day so amazing and special. It was absolutely perfect, you and your whole team worked so hard all day/evening. We are sad its all over!

Alistair & Mark

Happy couple married in December

December 2019

it was everything we wanted and more!

We held our Wedding at The Pilgrims Rest on 23rd December. We were looking for a smaller, intimate venue for our wedding and this was the first place we looked at and instantly fell in love with it! It’s just perfect! Beautifully decorated throughout - other than us adding additional flowers to the dinning table - it was ready to go, including fur throws, candles, seasonal flowers and decorations... it was everything we wanted and more! The two dressing rooms are beautifully decorated and were ideal for us both getting ready together - yet separately - at either end of the building - ideal for photos too! The two Amy’s went out of their way to make us feel relaxed and couldn’t do more for us on the day. Being able to stock our own bar and get our own caterer meant we were able to keep the costs down and have our day exactly as we wanted. An ideal venue for photo opportunities as it’s packed full of character and adjacent to Battle Abbey. We couldn’t recommend it more!!!!! Thanks for your good wishes. We had a wonderful time on Saturday and so many people commented on how lovely the venue was. Thanks also to you and to Amy Lou for all your help, both in the run up to the wedding and on the day.

Lyn and Steve

Happy couple married in December

December 2019

Thank you so much for everything!

We couldn't recommend the Pilgrims Rest highly enough and will treasure the memories we have made there for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much for everything! The Baileys xx

Gemma & Andy

Happy couple married in December

December 2019

Thank you so much for everything you did for us

Thank you so much for everything you did for us - on the day, and for the 20 months before with all the prep! I will leave a proper review once I'm back on my feet, and it will be glowing!

Location & Contact Details for The Pilgrims Rest

Website

Phone

Wedding Venue Address

1 High Street, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0AE, England, United Kingdom

Travel Notes

We are right next to Battle Abbey behind the pretty rose garden - you can't miss us! There are plenty of hotels and B&Bs within walking distance of the venue - some with parking. The train station is about a 10 minute walk away which goes from Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells in one direction and Hastings in the other. East Sussex has no motorways which is what makes it particularly beautiful. Take the A21 from the M25, go straight on and you will arrive in Battle. Turn left at the roundabout with King Harold's sculpture and when you see the gate house of Battle Abbey turn right. We are right next to it.

Nearest Town

Battle

Nearest Motorway & Junction

A21

Nearest Train Station

Battle Train Station

Nearest Airport

Gatwick

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Gallery

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FAQs

Find out a bit more from our FAQs

Describe the best wedding that happened at The Pilgrims Rest?

All our weddings are so different which is what we love about our venue. By being so flexible couples are able to have their wedding just how they want it and really enjoy themselves on the day.

What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Keep the guest list small and of people who matter to you.

What’s your favourite personal touch you’ve seen at a wedding?

It would definitely have to be one of our bride's dog walking her up the aisle.

Describe The Pilgrims Rest in 5 adjectives

The, Best, Venue, In, Sussex!

Where’s the best photo spot at The Pilgrims Rest?

The window overlooking The Abbey in the Bryant Bridal Room has wonderful light and beautiful old windows. With such an amazing historic building there are lots of great backdrops for photographs from old sandstone walls to stunning panelling.

Have you had any celebrity guest or wedding at The Pilgrims Rest?

Yes, but that would be telling!

What’s your favourite canapé?

An old timer - devils on horseback

What’s your favourite midnight treat?

Chocolate of any type

What is The Pilgrims Rest most unique feature?

The vaulted Great Hall for the ceremony and then dancing with its inglenook fireplace.

What part of your business are you most proud of?

It is hard to pick one part. Our team are incredible and nothing is ever too much trouble and the building itself is extraordinary. We are very lucky to have both.

Press & Awards

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The Pilgrims Rest