Frequently Asked Questions
About
Q. What is The Manor House?
The Manor House is an historical listed building in the centre of Sedgefield which is now a business and events centre with offices for businesses, and rooms and a bar for events including conferences & meetings, celebrations and performance.
Q. What was The Manor House previously used for?
The Manor House was refurbished for use as offices in the 1990’s and was owned by a utility company and an architectural practice prior to be purchased by the current owners in 2014. Between 1974 and 1990 The Manor House operated as Sedgefield Magistrates Court before a new court building was built in Newton Aycliffe. Between 1907 and 1974 it was the offices of Sedgefield Rural District Council up until Local Government Reorganisation and the formation of Sedgefield District Council in a new building in Spennymoor.
Q. Is The Manor House an accessible building?
As an historical listed building The Manor House is exempt from accessibility requirements. There are steps to the front and rear entrances and the building does not have accessible toilets or a lift.
Offices & Virtual Offices
Q. How many people can offices at The Manor House accommodate?
There are offices at The Manor House for two to six workstations and some can be combined into suites. Offices are on three different floors. For availability contact enquiries@manorhousesedgefield.co.uk .
Q. Are offices at The Manor House furnished?
Furnishing depends on availability of furniture at the time of renting an office.
Q. Do offices at The Manor House include car parking spaces?
All offices at The Manor House include parking provision within the rent in our large private car park.
Q. Is there a good broadband connection to The Manor House?
The Manor House has fibre broadband. We offer connection to The Manor House broadband for an additional cost or businesses can make their own arrangements with a provider.
Q. Do you charge a service charge for your offices?
There is a service charge additional to the rent for an office at The Manor House. The service charge includes utilities (except telephone and broadband), business rates, cleaning, security etc. It is calculated each January based on current costs and the proportion payable by each office is invoiced monthly.
Q. Are business rates included in your office service charges?
Business rates are included in the service charge for each office which is invoiced monthly.
Q. Do I have 24/7 access if I have an office at The Manor House?
When you take an office at The Manor House you are shown opening and locking-up procedures so that you can access your office 24/7 and secure the building when you leave.
Q. Are offices at The Manor House secure?
In addition to external security each office has it’s own key-code lock.
Q. Do you receive deliveries for virtual office clients?
We receive letter-box mail on behalf of virtual office tenants but we are unable to receive parcel deliveries.
Q. Can I have more than one business or organisation registered for a virtual office?
There is a small additional charge for adding businesses to an existing virtual office account.
Q. What are the requirements for opening a virtual office account?
To open a virtual office account we require to see photo ID for anyone who may collect mail. We also require a small bond for handling and posting mail.
Conferences & Meetings
Q. What are the rooms that you have available for conferences and meetings at The Manor House?
We have three rooms available for conferences and meetings. The Old Court Room is the largest and can accommodate between 10 and 80 delegates depending on how it is set-out. The Freville Room is ideal for board-room style meetings and can accommodate 2 to 16 delegates. The Pineapple Bar is a unique space for meetings and can accommodate up to 12 delegates.
Q. How are rooms set-out for conferences and meetings?
The Old Court Room can be set-out in a number of ways including board room, cinema, tables and chairs, lecture room or cabaret style. The Freville Room can be set-out board room, interview or presentation style. The Pineapple Bar has one long oak table with benches which makes for an excellent collaborative team meeting.
Q. Do you provide lunch for conferences and meetings?
We use external caterers to provide catering for business events at The Manor House and this can include breakfast, lunch or an evening buffet.
Q. Do you provide refreshments for conferences and meetings at The Manor House?
We can provide refreshments for conferences and meetings which include tea (assorted teas and infusions), coffee, fresh water, juice and biscuits. We have a premises licence so that we are also able to provide wines, beers etc. if required.
The Pineapple Bar & Events
Q. Is there a bar at The Manor House?
The Manor House has a fully-licenced bar in the cellars known as the Pineapple Bar. In addition there is an events bar on the ground floor.
Q. What is the capacity of The Manor House for events?
The capacity of The Manor House for event booking depends on which spaces are booked and how they are used. The capacity varies with number of spaces booked (e.g. Old Court Room, Georgian Reception Hall and Pineapple Bar or one or other on their own) and how they are set-out for seating, tables or standing. For example, the Pineapple Bar can accommodate up to fifty guests, the Old Court Room can accommodate 10 – 65 seated at tables, 80 seated in rows or 100 standing. When all spaces are booked we recommend a maximum of 120 guests.
Q. Can we be married at The Manor House?
Our licence for marriages and civil partnership ends in Spring 2024 and we will not be renewing it due to costs and changing trends. We will continue to host wedding celebrations and we will be pleased to host ceremonies involving celebrants.
Q. Can we bring our own food to The Manor House or use a different caterer than the ones recommended?
We have approved catering suppliers for events at The Manor House because of the requirements of food hygiene and protection against allergies. We are also keen to ensure the service levels of events and feel the catering should match the standards venue. We will consider alternative caterers who have the appropriate food hygiene standards, risk assessments and public liability insurance. We have arrangements with our approved caterers for food service and provision of crockery and cutlery and therefore if an alternative caterer is used there will be an charge. We will also require to see and have copies of appropriate regulatory certification.
Q. Do you host children’s parties at The Manor House?
We don’t feel that The Manor House is appropriate for children’s parties partly because we are unable to provide competitive prices that adequately cover our costs for those events.
Q. Do you host funeral receptions at The Manor House?
We respond to enquiries for funeral receptions on an individual basis. Please enquire to enquiries@manorhousesedgefield.co.uk .
Q. What are the opening hours of The Manor House for the Pineapple Bar and events?
The Pineapple Bar is not open for regular hours but opens for private bookings. Events are operated on a booking basis and hours are discussed during the boking process. Events must finish by 11.30pm.
Q. Is The Manor House licenced?
The Manor House has a premises licence for service of alcohol, performance and service of food.
History
Q. Why is The Manor House a listed building?
The Manor House is a building of significant historical interest because of the external architecture, surviving original internal features and it’s origins. It therefore has a Grade II* listing and in Sedgefield ranks behind only St. Edmunds Church in terms of historical importance. It was listed in 1953 and is featured in the Pevsner Guide ‘The Buildings of England’ County Durham edition.
Q. Is there a book about the history of The Manor House?
The book 'Hidden in Full View - A history of The Chief Justice of Carolina's mansion house in Sedgefield' which was researched and published by one of the current owners and tells the history of The Manor House and is available from the Manor House for £12.99. Contact enquires@manorhousesedgefield.co.uk. It is also available as Kindle download on Amazon.
Q. Can I visit The Manor House?
Visits and tours can be arranged by contacting enquiries@manorhousesedgefield.co.uk. Tours take around two hours and there may be a charge. They can include visiting to the Pineapple Bar.
More about
Q. Who owns The Manor House?
The Manor House is independently owned by a couple resident in Sedgefield.
Q. How is The Manor House funded?
The owners operate The Manor House as a business and proceeds from the business are used to invest in The Manor House with the joint aims of successfully operating the business and ensuring that the building is sympathetically maintained and improved. The building receives no external funding support.
Q. Is Sanction Gin based from The Manor House?
Gin Without Borders who own the Sanction Gin brand have their registered office at The Manor House. Sanction Gin is sold at the Manor House bars.