Castle Asks if the ‘Next Chris Parkes’ Will be Pottering to its Door

One of the North East’s most popular wedding venues, Langley Castle, is hoping to find the next ‘Chris Parkes’ pottering along to its Wedding Showcase on February 22, to follow in the footsteps of a former groom who has consistently kept the Northumberland castle hotel on the map.

County Durham resident, Chris Parkes, has just exited the TV programme, The Great Pottery Showdown, but only having conveyed his love for Langley Castle to the full and in very dramatic fashion.  

The former British army soldier was amazed to be selected for the reality show, having only been a potter for around two years, and was unfortunately eliminated in round two.  However, it was his actions in show one that caught Langley Castle’s eye.

When asked to shape a salad set on the potter’s wheel, Chris opted to include an illustration of Langley Castle on one of his clay creations, demonstrating the degree to which the venue at which he married is inscribed upon his heart.

The marriage in question was to his wife Pippa-Rosy and took place in July 2023.  The beautiful woodland wedding incorporated everything from bagpipes to harpist and swing jazz quartet, but it was what happened before it that made national headlines.

On the day, Chris and nine groomsmen made national headlines when they parachuted down to the outdoor wedding ceremony, having carried out what is believed to be the world’s biggest simultaneous skydive into a wedding.  Not only that, they did so wearing tuxedos, which were later swapped for kilts, once the descent had been successfully completed.

The wedding itself came about because Chris had originally proposed to Pippa-Rosy during a black-tie dinner at Langley Castle, demonstrating the true extent of their love affair with the authentic medieval castle venue.  It was whilst staring out over the battlements that Chris realised that the castle’s setting, in ten acres and with extensive land beyond that, could make a skydive feasible, if weather conditions were favourable.

After extensive logistical manoeuvres and lots of planning with the castle wedding team’s help, all went swimmingly on the day.

Now, Chris and Pippa have a beautiful baby son and their story goes from strength to strength.  Chris even offers workshops through his own Durham-based ceramics studio, Mud Fox Ceramics, on whose social media channel he has shared images of his Langley Castle-decorated clay creation.

Langley Castle’s general manager, Mohamed Serag, says: “Langley Castle has an ability to capture the hearts of those who step through its doors in a way that seems truly magical.  It’s fair to say that goose bumps  are generated on arriving here and that this is part and parcel of what makes it such a special wedding venue.

“Chris Parkes is certainly not alone in having extraordinarily fond memories of the castle but he has gone the extra mile to demonstrate the impact that Langley Castle has had on him, since he and wife Pippa first came here.  We are now looking for other Chris Parkeses, who can be equally amazing ambassadors for our unique wedding venue and hotel, and hope that they will be found somewhere within the guests who attend our February Wedding Showcase.”

To discover more about the venue that can put brides and grooms under its spell, head to www.langleycastle.co.uk                                                                            

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Editors notes

Langley Castle, built in 1350, is located in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland and is one of the few authentic, fortified medieval castles in England. It has a rich history, with strong links to Jacobite rebellions, is located just a stone's throw from the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall and boasts features including battlements, seven-feet-thick walls, window seats set into the walls and the best example of medieval garderobes in Europe. It is one of the most exquisite wedding venues in the north and also offers a wide range of options when it comes to exclusive use, with the castle being available for weddings, family celebrations, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs, D&D-style events and a wide variety of corporate functions.