Private Parties
Go on – spoil yourself
There is no doubt that Sopley Mill holds everything that you would expect from a building dating back to the 1780’s. The moment you walk through the door, the rustic charm, low ceilings, old beams, open fire places and remnants of the original working parts of the Mill envelop you in a sense of nostalgia and history. The restoration of this beautiful building to how it looks today – surrounded by the Avon water meadows, with its spacious patio area and carefully manicured lawn – has been a labour of love for David, whose family has owned the Mill since 1870. Each floor has been lovingly restored and beautifully decorated in a minimalist but rustic style so as to keep with the originality of the building.
Private functions
and parties
The hiring of Sopley Mill for any private functions and parties is based on an exclusive use basis for the whole day and evening and is based on the same costs as it would be if you were hiring the venue for a wedding. Your hire of the building starts at 11am on the day. For any bookings six months and more before the event, it is based on a full price. If you are looking at booking the Mill for a particular event less than 6 months before the date and if there is availability, we may be able to offer the Mill just for the day or the evening rather than on a whole day hire. Please note that the price will be on application. We do have more flexibility with this in the winter months and mid week.
We cannot thank you enough for everything you did for us and our guests on our wedding day – you truly went far above and beyond to ensure our day went without a hitch – it was an amazing day and most of that is down to you.
Venue Details
The Garden
The grounds at the Mill are definitely one of its highlights. Flanked on both sides by the Avon river and with beautiful views, it is the most stunning location for your party. Relax on the deck sipping cocktails from the River Bar, play garden games on the lawn, watch the sun set over the meadows before hundreds of twinkling lights turn on to make the gardens come alive at night.
The River Deck
Cocktails anyone? Add a dash of something delicious, a splash of balmy summer’s eve and mix thoroughly with fabulous views to get the perfect way to spoil your guests. In the summer months the River Bar opens in time for thirsty early guests and runs through to evening cocktails.
The Ground Floor
The ground floor is made up of three individual, quirky rooms characterised by wooden beams and exposed brick work. The Holt has its own bar which can be used for your drinks or Thirsty Willow Bar Company can run a pay-bar there at any stage during your event. The next room contains the ground floor fireplace which is a wonderful place for drinks receptions. This space is also particularly good in the evening for older guests who want a cosy spot to sit and chat. The bright and airy Boat Room at the end has large double doors heading into the garden. This is the ideal spot for an evening buffet on lovely summers evenings when your guests are sitting outside watching the sun set.
The Granary
The Granary is a great option for drinks receptions, as a meeting or conference room or for parties of up to 120 people. We have created this room to be purposefully light and bright and it has wonderful views from all sides.
For evening parties there is a full-size bar (the Potting Shed) and a dance floor. Thirsty Willow can run a pay-bar from here, should you want it and We Perform (the DJ company we work with at the Mill) can provide DJ’s for your event. We welcome bands at the Mill, subject to certain sound restrictions, and they would also play in the Granary (please ask us for full details). The Granary is also equipped with air conditioning – very important on hot summer’s evenings.
The Riverview Room
The Riverview Room, on the top floor of the Mill, is the ideal place for dining. The vaulted ceiling, beams, exposed brickwork and grain hatches in the floor give the history and character which makes it such a unique venue for your event.
The River View Room can fit 10 round tables of ten people per table. Alternatively you might prefer to have long tables or a buffet. For caterers, there is a kitchen on the top floor of the Mill.
The Bars
No corkage – now that sounds like a refreshing idea.
We want you to be able give your guests the drinks you would like without costing the earth so that is why we don’t charge corkage if you would like to supply your own. Alternatively, if you would like to leave all your drinks in the hands of the professionals Thirsty Willow run the pay bars at the Mill and offer great value drinks options. During the day they create delicious cocktails from the stunning River Bar outside and in the evening work their magic from the Potting Shed Bar in the Granary. We also have a wet weather/winter whisky bar on the ground floor in the Holt.
Parking
Nothing is more boring than hunting for a parking space or waking up the next morning in a panic that wardens will get there before you do. Here we have plenty of parking for all your guests. And they are more than welcome to leave their cars overnight.
