www.hockwoldhallnorfolk.comReviews of hockwoldhallnorfolk.com

Response from www.hockwoldhallnorfolk.comSep 15, 2026

Hi John, Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your overnight stay, although we would like to clarify a few points for those reading your comments. Regarding the tea and coffee facilities, a member of our team has confirmed that you were informed that additional tea, coffee, milk and sugar are available in the communal corridor and kitchen areas. Guests also have access to a bean-to-cup coffee machine, together with numerous selections of tea. These facilities are deliberately provided communally so that guests have a much wider choice available throughout their stay. We are more concerned to read your comments regarding the shower and water flow. We have checked our records and spoken with the team who were working, and we received no calls to our main telephone line and have no incident report or record of anybody informing a member of staff that your shower was not functioning properly during your stay. Had we been made aware of a problem at the time, a member of the team could have investigated it immediately and, if necessary, arranged access to alternative shower facilities while the issue was addressed. Unfortunately, we cannot rectify an issue during a guest's stay if it is not brought to our attention. Nevertheless, following your review, we will ensure that the facilities in the room are checked so that we can establish whether there is any issue requiring attention. We are sorry that you felt your stay did not represent good value, but we hope the above provides some additional context for those reading your review. Kind Regards, The Hockwold Hall Team

Response from www.hockwoldhallnorfolk.comSep 8, 2026

We are disappointed to read this review because it contains factual inaccuracies contradicted by CCTV, records and our investigation. Important context: Following the wedding, Daniel demanded a £2,000 refund, stating: “I will be going onto trust pilot, all social media plus all village news around the area with all this unless I receive a refund.” After reviewing the evidence, we declined the demand. Daniel then wrote: “Ok Richard i hope you enjoy you 100 plus bad reviews on trip advisor, trust pilot, Facebook ect.” Three days later, five negative reviews concerning this wedding appeared on Trustpilot on the same day. WEDDING DRESS: Your dress was initially in our Bridal Preparation Studio. At your instruction, it was moved to your bedroom where you intended to dress. Before any bridesmaids entered, your mother saw the dress and requested that they not see it. This was immediately respected and the bridesmaids did not enter. The dress was not “laid out for everyone to see”; it was where you instructed us to put it, and nobody other than your mother saw it in that context. Hockwold Hall did not instruct your bridesmaids to “get ready in one small bathroom”. Alternative rooms used after your mother's request were their choice. FOOD: CCTV shows staff repeatedly asking guests to take their seats. Numerous guests continued leaving the marquee to smoke/socialise. After approximately the third request to one guest, he replied: “All right, I fucking heard you.” A final announcement was made and food service commenced approximately 60 seconds later. The assertion that food was served without attempts to inform guests is inaccurate. PLATES: CCTV shows clearing commenced at approximately 5:21pm and finished at 5:34pm. Toast drinks followed at 5:40pm and speeches began at approximately 5:43pm. Tables were therefore cleared before speeches. Only children's meals remained where children were still eating. BEER: The statement that we “ran out of beer in 25 minutes” is false. We had five draught lines. ONE developed a technical dispense fault and was reported for repair. The other FOUR continued operating, alongside SEVEN bottled beer/lager products. One unavailable draught product is plainly not a bar “running out of beer”. HEAT: Our marquee is not air-conditioned and has never been advertised as such. Approximately 12 functioning fans were provided, including three behind the bride and groom. CCTV/video shows them operating. Claims that the fans were broken are incorrect. CAKE: You chose to provide your own wedding cake. Hockwold Hall does not provide a cake assembly service and there is no record of us agreeing to assemble it. GUEST CONDUCT: We reject the suggestion that the owner simply shouted at guests or children. One guest attempted to bring multiple bottles of gin/whisky into our licensed premises for personal consumption. He was calmly informed this was prohibited and offered secure storage. Very young children were also found inadequately supervised, including a young child found alone and hanging upside down in a tree. The responsible adult was asked to supervise them. Earlier, that adult had been refused further alcohol because staff considered her too intoxicated to continue being served. We make no apology for prioritising children's safety or responsibly refusing alcohol. ENTRANCE MUSIC: This was investigated using the supplied instructions, staff communications and video evidence. The supplied tracks were played according to the instructions provided. We accept legitimate criticism when we get something wrong. We will not, however, accept factual allegations contradicted by objective evidence. We have retained the relevant CCTV, photographs, communications and records. Given the documented £2,000 demand, subsequent warning of “100 plus bad reviews”, and five reviews concerning the same wedding appearing three days later on the same day, we have asked Trustpilot to investigate. Hockwold Hall

Response from www.hockwoldhallnorfolk.comSep 8, 2026

We strongly dispute this review. Several statements presented as fact are contradicted by CCTV, records and the events witnessed by our staff. ALCOHOL: The owner was not “obsessive with checking everyone’s luggage”. You personally entered our licensed premises carrying multiple bottles of gin and whisky which you wanted to consume during the event. You were calmly informed that outside alcohol could not be consumed on our licensed premises and were offered secure storage until you left, which you accepted. You became verbally aggressive when told you could not consume your own alcohol, to the point that consideration was given to asking you to leave. Staff remained calm and resolved the situation without ejecting you. Your subsequent description of the owner randomly checking guests’ luggage is completely disputed. GUEST/CHILDREN: We also reject your characterisation of another interaction. Very young children were found inadequately supervised in the grounds, including one young child found alone and hanging upside down in a tree. The responsible adult was asked to supervise them. Earlier, that adult had been refused further alcohol because staff considered her too intoxicated to continue being served. Our priority was the welfare of unsupervised young children. We make no apology for intervening or responsibly refusing further alcohol. HEAT/FANS: Your claim that there was “nothing to cool the venue down other than 1 fan” and that “all our other fans are broken” is demonstrably incorrect. Approximately 12 FUNCTIONING fans were provided, including THREE behind the bride and groom. CCTV/video shows them operating. Our marquee is not air-conditioned and has NEVER been advertised as air-conditioned. The claim that only one fan was available is false. BEER: Your claim that one unavailable draught product “left only one very unpleasant beer for the rest of the day” is also false. Our bar had FIVE draught lines. ONE developed a technical dispense fault and was immediately reported for repair. The other FOUR continued operating. In addition, SEVEN bottled beer/lager products remained available. Guests therefore had multiple beer options throughout the event. FOOD: Your assertion that food arrived “unannounced” also omits what occurred. CCTV shows our team repeatedly asking guests to take their seats. Numerous guests continued leaving the marquee to smoke/socialise. After approximately the third request to one guest, he responded to our staff member: “All right, I fucking heard you.” A final announcement was made and food service commenced approximately 60 seconds later. We can repeatedly ask adults to take their seats; we cannot physically compel them to stop smoking/socialising. The claim that guests received no indication that food service was commencing is inaccurate. CAKE: The couple chose to provide their own wedding cake without a professional supplier to deliver, assemble or manage it. Hockwold Hall does not provide a cake assembly service and there is no record of us agreeing to do so. Finally, important context surrounds this review. Following the wedding, the couple demanded a £2,000 refund and stated they would publish material on Trustpilot/social media unless it was paid. We investigated the allegations and declined the demand. We subsequently received the written warning: “i hope you enjoy you 100 plus bad reviews on trip advisor, trust pilot, Facebook ect.” Three days later, FIVE negative Trustpilot reviews concerning the same wedding appeared on the same day, including this review. We accept legitimate criticism when warranted. We will not accept factual allegations contradicted by objective evidence. We have retained the relevant CCTV, photographs, records and communications and have referred the circumstances surrounding these reviews to Trustpilot for investigation. Hockwold Hall

Response from www.hockwoldhallnorfolk.comSep 8, 2026

We strongly dispute several factual claims in this review and feel readers deserve the context. ALCOHOL/BAGS: The claim that the owner was “demanding to go through everyone’s bags” is untrue. The incident arose because a guest entered our fully licensed premises carrying multiple bottles of gin and whisky which he intended to consume. He was calmly informed that outside alcohol could not be consumed and was offered secure storage for his bottles until departure, which he accepted. There was no indiscriminate search of “everyone’s bags”. The guest became verbally aggressive when told he could not consume his own alcohol, to the point that consideration was given to asking him to leave. Staff remained calm and resolved the situation. OWNER/GUESTS: We categorically reject the suggestion that the owner simply walked around “shouting at guests”. One interaction concerned very young children who were inadequately supervised in the grounds, including a young child found alone and hanging upside down in a tree. The responsible adult was asked to supervise them. Earlier, that adult had been refused further alcohol because staff considered her too intoxicated to continue being served. We make no apology for prioritising children's safety or responsibly refusing further alcohol. AIR CONDITIONING: Our marquee is not air-conditioned and has NEVER been advertised as such. The wedding took place during exceptional heat. Approximately 12 FUNCTIONING fans were provided, including three behind the bride and groom. CCTV/video shows them operating. CARD PAYMENTS: The claim that our bar “most of the time doesn’t accept card payments” is completely false. Our bar routinely accepts card payments. There was a temporary connectivity issue affecting card processing, which was resolved. A temporary technical issue is plainly not the same as a bar that “most of the time” doesn't accept cards. BEDROOMS/TOILETS: We also dispute the sweeping assertion that “none” of the rooms can be secured and that the toilets were dirty. Facilities are routinely checked and cleaned during events. Any specific issue reported to staff can be addressed immediately. Finally, there is important context surrounding this review. Following the wedding, the couple demanded a £2,000 refund and stated that they would publish material on Trustpilot/social media unless it was paid. We investigated their allegations and declined the demand. We subsequently received the written warning: “i hope you enjoy you 100 plus bad reviews on trip advisor, trust pilot, Facebook ect.” Three days later, FIVE negative Trustpilot reviews concerning the same wedding appeared on the same day, including this review. We welcome genuine criticism where warranted. What we will not accept are factual allegations contradicted by CCTV, records and other evidence. We have retained the relevant CCTV, photographs, records and communications and have referred the circumstances surrounding these reviews to Trustpilot for investigation. Hockwold Hall

Response from www.hockwoldhallnorfolk.comSep 8, 2026

We strongly dispute this description of our staff and service. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, serious factual allegations should be accurate and capable of being substantiated. CROCKERY: The allegation that the crockery was “absolutely filthy” is categorically disputed. Crockery is commercially washed and checked before service. No issue concerning supposedly filthy crockery across the wedding tables was reported to us during the event. Had such an issue existed and been brought to our attention, it would have been addressed immediately. FOOD SERVICE: We also completely reject the claim that food was “thrown at us rather than served”. Food was professionally served by the catering team. This allegation provides no specific incident, person or detail that would allow such a serious description to be substantiated. Our CCTV also shows staff repeatedly attempting to get guests seated so food service could commence. Numerous guests continued leaving the marquee to smoke/socialise despite repeated requests to return to their tables. On approximately the third request to one guest, our staff member was told: “All right, I fucking heard you.” Despite this, our team remained professional and continued trying to coordinate service. “RUDE” STAFF: We are extremely protective of our team and reject the sweeping description of them as rude. Our staff were dealing with a particularly challenging event and remained professional despite instances of aggressive and abusive behaviour from some guests. The review also states that we “messed up a lot of things” requested by the bride and groom, yet provides no details whatsoever as to what these supposed requests were. We cannot meaningfully respond to unspecified allegations. There is also important context surrounding this review. Following the wedding, the couple demanded a £2,000 refund and stated they would publish material on Trustpilot/social media unless it was paid. We investigated their complaints, including reviewing CCTV and records, and declined the demand because the evidence did not support a number of their allegations. We subsequently received the written warning: “i hope you enjoy you 100 plus bad reviews on trip advisor, trust pilot, Facebook ect.” Three days later, FIVE negative Trustpilot reviews concerning the same wedding appeared on the same day, including this review. We welcome genuine criticism and will always investigate legitimate concerns. However, we will equally defend our staff and business where sweeping allegations are made which are unsupported or contradicted by objective evidence. We have retained the relevant CCTV, records and communications and have referred the circumstances surrounding these reviews to Trustpilot for investigation. Hockwold Hall

Response from www.hockwoldhallnorfolk.comSep 8, 2026

We categorically dispute this review. Several factual allegations are contradicted by CCTV, records and our investigation following your complaint. WEDDING DRESS: The claim that we “exposed” the dress to everyone is false. The dress was initially in our Bridal Preparation Studio. At the bride’s specific instruction, it was moved to her bedroom where she intended to get dressed. Before any bridesmaids entered, the bride’s mother entered, saw the dress and requested that the bridesmaids not see it. This was immediately respected. The bridesmaids did NOT enter or see the dress. The dress was therefore not “exposed to everyone”. It was moved exactly where the bride instructed us to move it, and only her mother saw it in that context. CAKE: You chose to provide your own wedding cake without employing a professional supplier to deliver, assemble or manage it. Hockwold Hall does not provide a cake assembly service and there is no record of us agreeing to assemble it. It is therefore misleading to simply state that we “ruined our cake”. FOOD: CCTV shows staff repeatedly asking guests to take their seats so food service could commence. Numerous guests continued leaving the marquee to smoke/socialise despite repeated requests. On approximately the third request to one guest, our staff member was told: “All right, I fucking heard you.” A final announcement was made and food service commenced approximately 60 seconds later. We can repeatedly ask adults to take their seats; we cannot physically compel them to stop smoking/socialising. The claim that we simply “messed food times up” ignores what actually occurred. DRINKS: We did NOT “run out of drinks”. Our bar had FIVE draught beer lines. ONE developed a technical dispense fault and was immediately reported for repair. The other FOUR continued operating, alongside SEVEN bottled beer/lager products. One unavailable draught product is plainly not a venue “running out of drinks”. STAFF/OWNER: We reject the sweeping descriptions of our staff as “very unpleasant” and the owner as a “nightmare”. Our team dealt with challenging incidents including abusive behaviour towards staff, attempted consumption of unauthorised outside spirits on our licensed premises and concerns regarding inadequately supervised young children. We will always prioritise guest safety, responsible alcohol service and children's welfare, even where this is unpopular with individual guests. Finally, there is important context to this particular review. Following your wedding, YOU demanded a £2,000 refund, writing: “I will be going onto trust pilot, all social media plus all village news around the area with all this unless I receive a refund.” You demanded payment within five days and stated you were “not interested in talking” and would make the alleged “shambles of a wedding clear for everyone to see” unless we had “made up for it”. Rather than simply dismissing your complaint, we conducted a detailed investigation including CCTV, records, staff accounts and communications. We provided a comprehensive response explaining why the evidence did not support a number of your allegations and declined your £2,000 demand. You subsequently wrote: “i hope you enjoy you 100 plus bad reviews on trip advisor, trust pilot, Facebook ect.” Three days later, FIVE negative Trustpilot reviews concerning your wedding appeared on the same day, including this review. We accept legitimate criticism when warranted. We will not accept factual allegations contradicted by objective evidence. We have retained the relevant CCTV, photographs, records and communications and have referred the circumstances surrounding these reviews to Trustpilot for investigation. Hockwold Hall