A Birmingham mansion is now looking like a ‘crack den’ after the family rented out the rooms

A Birmingham mansion wedding venue, which has tried to claw back revenue lost during the pandemic by renting out rooms, has said it will tighten restrictions on making individual bookings after guests left it looking like a “cracked den”. Berrow Court, the former Edgbaston home of politician Joseph Chamberlain, has been closed for two years during the lockdowns and bosses plan to claw back some of the money by making the impressive building available to more guests.

However, the venue’s hopes of making up for the lost money resulted in huge repair bills thanks to disrespectful visitors who used drugs in the room and became violent when confronted. The Grade II listed Victorian mansion has ten rooms to accommodate wedding guests, some of which Berrow Court opened for individual bookings earlier this year.

Bosses say some guests showed a “complete disregard for the property”, trashed rooms and left them in a “terrible state”. The final straw came when one of the guests vandalized the room before things got physical.

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Berrow Court explained that the guest had to be “forced away” after he became “violent and aggressive” when a member of staff asked him to leave. A palace spokesman said the room was left looking like a “crack den” with drug paraphernalia strewn across the room.

They said: “After being closed for almost two years during lockdown, we thought it would help bring some much needed revenue into the venue. “The damage caused by guests has left us with a huge repair bill.

“It has been a difficult and challenging time. We are very fortunate to still be open as a lot of wedding and event venues have ground to a halt during the pandemic.”

The wedding venue reopened its doors to wedding guests again in January after closing in March 2020. Located in affluent Edgbaston, the former home of Joseph Chamberlain was renovated in the 1980s and sat empty for years before being acquired by the Parsons family in the 1990s. Which restored it to its former glory.

The venue will now focus on maintaining its rooms for guests booking for weddings and special events. After relaunching Berrow Court in January, general manager Janet Parsons said: “I was afraid we might not reopen after the pandemic. But we hosted our first beautiful wedding earlier this year, which was booked during lockdown.

“Since reopening, we have been busy with wedding bookings. Guests love that we now have 10 bedrooms available for wedding guests who want to stay overnight, without having to leave the venue and find a nearby hotel. It makes the whole experience that much more special for the couples and their guests.”

Berrow Court has been used as a photo and photography location by companies such as the BBC, Netflix and Sky. The TV show Boon was filmed on location – it was called The Coaching Inn in the show.

The venue is now available for booking for weddings and special events, although rooms will not be advertised individually on any online room rental platforms.