The Secret Tower Reviews 8

Legal action taken - proceed carefully

We booked this venue for our October 2026 wedding but ultimately cancelled due to a complete loss of confidence in the owner, Kevin Radcliffe, and how the business is being run. Since then, our small claims case has concluded, and the court has ordered the owner to repay our £10,000 — a claim the owner did not defend. We are now in the process of requesting a County Court Judgement (CCJ).

Our concerns began after reading and hearing multiple negative reviews, both online and in person. The more we looked into it, the more nervous we felt. These reviews did not exist at the time of booking our wedding, otherwise we would have kept well away. The VAT number on our invoice did not appear to be valid when checked via HMRC’s online service, and despite asking, we were never provided with a contract, only a receipt of payment. Kevin never tried to address or alleviate our concerns, adding to our ever-growing unease. To this day, we still haven’t heard from Kevin, despite our numerous attempts to contact him.

We later spoke with couples who said that their meals were served late and that some paid-for extras, like a particular wine, did not appear on the day. Even one of our booked suppliers, who had recently delivered services at a wedding there, described feeling “perplexed” by what they witnessed on the day.

The venue itself is beautiful. We were very disappointed to cancel, but we do not feel comfortable risking our wedding here. We have since rebooked elsewhere and feel an immense sense of relief knowing we can now finally start to look forward to our big day, even at the current loss of a huge sum of money, which we wait for Kevin to return to us as ordered by the court.

We share this review in good faith and in the spirit of transparency, and advise any prospective couples to proceed with caution under the advice of legal professionals.

My partners daughter was married there on the 12th July. It was a fabulous day, staff and food, brilliant. We and all our guests loved it. Thanks to Kevin for a brilliant day.

⚠️ Prospective Couples – Please Read Before Booking The Secret Tower (Newcastle) ⚠️

We booked The Secret Tower in July 2023, paying in full upfront, with the intention of holding our wedding there. Unfortunately, our experience was extremely distressing — both emotionally and financially — and we feel a responsibility to share it publicly to help others make informed choices.

Approximately 10 weeks before our planned wedding date, we made the difficult decision not to proceed. This decision was made on the advice of our solicitor, following a series of interactions and events that left us unable to move forward in good faith. We believe there were breaches of verbal agreements, and we had growing concerns about how we were being communicated with. To date, we have received no refund, and we are still out of pocket by nearly £8,000.

Throughout the process, we were not provided with a signed contract, despite multiple requests. This has made it extremely difficult to make a claim through our wedding insurance provider, which requires formal written documentation to process a claim.

In addition, we made three attempts to contact the venue owner, Kevin Radcliffe, through our solicitor, none of which were responded to. As of 4 July 2025, our small claims case concluded with no response from the venue, and we have now formally requested a County Court Judgment (CCJ) in an effort to recover the outstanding funds.

I live with an autoimmune condition that requires a strict gluten-free diet. At the time of booking, I was reassured that the catering could be adapted entirely to suit my medical needs. However, this offer was later withdrawn, and I was informed I would need to bring my own wedding meal in Tupperware. As a bride, this was deeply upsetting.

A phone call in February 2024 with Kevin left me particularly distressed. I experienced his tone during the call as hostile, and he made a number of allegations — including the suggestion that we might attempt to consume gluten deliberately in order to pursue legal action or contact the police. I found these remarks to be deeply inappropriate, particularly in light of my genuine health condition. Following this call, my partner (a man) took over all communication, as I no longer felt comfortable continuing the discussion myself.

The emotional toll this situation took on me was significant. I spent the weeks leading up to what should have been our wedding day in tears, struggling to focus at work, and unable to enjoy the lead-up to our celebration. What should have been a joyful time was overshadowed by stress and uncertainty.

Since our experience, we have been contacted by other couples who have reported similar issues, including difficulties securing refunds, cancelled weddings, and having to take formal legal steps to resolve matters.

This review is a reflection of our personal experience, shared in good faith and supported by legal correspondence and court proceedings. We strongly encourage other couples to do thorough research, ensure any agreement is documented in writing, and seek independent legal advice before committing to this venue.

We sincerely hope no other couple goes through what we

We got married here recently and I don’t even know where to start. The whole day from start to finish was absolutely magical and I just wish we could do it all again.

The day ran so smoothly and Tracey is an absolute star. You don’t even have to think or worry about anything she has every little detail under control and just knows exactly what to do.

We loved the venue from the first time we viewed it but we went back for a tasting day and the food just set it apart from anything else we had tried before. Tom is a food whizz and everyone commented on how good the food was. I would love to go back and have another meal there.

We were allowed to take our dog and he was our ring bearer and he had an absolutely fab day out. If you are looking for a dog friendly venue with a relaxed vibe and amazing food I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it!

I am totally not happy with this venue, there was not enough seats for everyone the standing around was ridiculous and the food was Atrocious how can you share a small platter if ribs with 6 people. I will not be recommending this Venue

I was a guest at a wedding here. Perfect for a small wedding, views, food, and staff were lovely. Got a little cold in the afternoon as we waited for staff to reorganise the seating, but enjoyed the appetisers while they did so!

Just a heads-up; steps were quite steep for the older guests.

We held my daughter's wedding at the Secret Tower 22 May 2021. Had never knew it existed but what a superb venue for small, intimate occasions. We were around 20 in total and it was perfect. Attention to detail, excellent food, friendly and professional staff in a fantastic setting. Even with the current Covid restrictions everyone had a throughly wonderful day.
Thanks to Kevin, Tracey and all the staff.

A fantastic bit of Newcastle history available to hire for weddings and other private functions.

We got married here in 2017 and all though it has limited capacity of around 60 guests all our family and friends found the medieval tower and its views over the Tyne spectacular.
I can not recommend this venue enough especially if you are looking for something different. The owner and staff are amazing and work very hard to make the day very special.
The only down side I can think of is that of the poor accessibility that comes with most historic monuments tat are on multiple levels but I suspect fixing ramps and lifts to medieval castles is frowned upon.