Cooling Castle Barn
Cooling Castle Barn is a long established and popular wedding venue in the Kent countryside; under one hours drive from central London. Boasting castle turrets and one of the biggest, most atmospheric barns in the business.
We (Talking Fly Wedding Films) have had the privilege of being on Cooling Castle’s recommended supplier list for the past several years. With over 60 of our couples choosing to tie the knot at this charming barn venue – it’s fair to say we are frequent visitors.
This page showcases our most recent wedding films, stories, and blog posts from Cooling Castle Barn.
COOLING CASTLE BARN WEDDING VENUE
Cooling are a “wedding only” venue. They do weddings. Just weddings. No product launches, conferences or corporate dos.
They’ve mastered the art of running the perfect wedding. No venue quite lives up to Cooling’s proficiently. Every detail is covered – from where Granny should sit for the wedding ceremony to how you’d like your eggs in the morning.
Cooling Castle has long been one of our favourite Kent wedding venues. The stunning grounds and historic buildings are pure joy for us filmmakers. The Barn’s high ceilings and historic woodwork creates a magical atmosphere making this dream venue easy pickings for videographers and photographers.
With luxurious onsite accommodation in ample supply; bride and grooms often choose to spend their entire wedding day at Cooling. This is perfect for us – no time lost travelling between locations, maximising the time we have amongst the party to capture those all important memories.
Anna + Sam
We actually met through friends, Sam’s cousin is married to one of my best friends. We had even both been at their wedding and are next to each other in their wedding photos but at that point we hadn’t even met! Then a few months later Sam asked my friend if I was single and he messaged me on Facebook trying to work his charm! We had actually arranged a date but the day before Sam just ‘happened’ to bump into me in Rochester where I was out with a friend And the rest is history.
Emma + David
David and I both play a sport called Korfball. At the time I (Emma) was living in Edinburgh and represented the Scottish national team. We chose Cooling Castle Barn for our reception venue. The barn is very local to us so we knew about it before we were engaged! We loved the country location and how the venue combined the castle and barn landscape. The backdrops for the photos were breathtaking and the staff were excellent and getting ready there was perfect!
MOAT HOUSE
The venue consists of several buildings. The newest of these, Moat House – a magnificently designed “pimped to the max” dressing room. Spread over two floors, Moat House provides the perfect space for the morning preparations. Boasting a balcony with large windows – the space is flooded with natural light, benefiting all us creative folk; be it Photographer, Videographer or Makeup Artist alike.
HERITAGE BARN
The Heritage Barn provides a light and airy atmosphere for general mingling throughout the day. This is is where guests meet before the ceremony and often where brides and grooms are received once married. Offering a cosy fireplace, plush seating and a well stocked bar, it’s no wonder this barn is so popular.
FATHOM BARN
Cooling offer both outdoor and indoor wedding ceremonies. The Fathom Barn hosts the indoor ceremonies. This spacious barn allows brides and grooms to decorate and customise to suit their own tastes. The plentiful space gives us the flexibility to set up several discreet cameras to film from the ultimate angles. The Fathom Barn features a raised gallery, allowing the bride to make the most elegant of entrances.
TITHE BARN
Lastly, onto our favourite space. The Tithe Barn offers the ultimate environment to entertain and host your guests. The high ceilings, wooden beams and twinkling fairy lights creates a magical atmosphere that’s simply a delight to film. Cooling have gone to great lengths to ensure the ultimate dinning experience. The food is outstanding and the service is second to none. Every table is lit by it’s own spot light allowing us to capture all of those facial reactions throughout the speeches.
Once the dinner service has concluded and the speeches are complete, the tables are pushed aside and the room is transformed for the party – ready for you to dance the night away.
HISTORY OF COOLING CASTLE
Set in the village of Cooling, on the Hoo Peninsula – this 14th Century castle was built back in the 1380’s by the Cobham family. The castle’s sole intention was to protect the area against raids into the Thames Estuary by the French. Cooling Castle is the earliest example of an English castle designed to accommodate the use of gunpowder weaponry. Surrounded by a moat and multitude of ditches, the castle comprised of two courtyards enclosed by a curtain wall.
The castle fell victim to a gunpowder assisted assault in January 1554 despite it’s own ability to accommodate gunpowder weaponry. Lasting just eight hours, the siege was led by Sir Thomas Wyatt during his revolt against Queen Mary. This attack saw the castle fall into ruin and ultimately led to it’s desertion. The castle sat abandoned until a century later, when a farmhouse, accompanied by a barn were constructed amongst the tumbling stonework. The farmhouse is now the permanent residence of English musician Jools Holland and the barn has become our most adored wedding venue, Cooling Castle Barn.