A retreat is your chance to step aside from life for a while, to rest and just 'be' in a welcoming, peaceful place.
Gladstone’s Library
Retreat Centre Description
Gladstone's Library is the UK's finest residential library, boasting three stunning reading rooms set across two floors, 26 bedrooms, an on-site restaurant, chapel, comfortable guest lounge and lovely gardens. It is also the UK's only Prime Ministerial library and was built following a bequest from William Ewart Gladstone, Victorian statesman and four times Prime Minister of Great Britain. The current building, raised in 1902 and designed by John Douglas, was funded by public subscription. The organisation is a self-sustaining registered charity: every donation made and pound spent here goes directly into maintaining the site and the collections it protects.
We host a lively programme of events which includes talks, workshops, masterclasses, residential courses, festivals and tours of the Reading Rooms. You can find out what's on by going to: www.gladstoneslibrary.org/events. We also host externally organised conferences and retreats.
Our world-famous Reading Rooms house 150,000 printed books, including the Gladstone Collection, which comprises 20,000 items from Gladstone's own personal library. It is also home to several unique archival collections, making it a destination for scholars from across the globe.
The Reading Rooms are silent study spaces, offering writers, researchers and readers a space in which to think and work. Many published works, including academic books and bestselling novels, have been produced here. You can search our catalogue using the form on our website.
Accommodation on Offer
Accommodation:
Our 26 bedrooms have a simple, fresh look and feel to them and are a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of daily life and routine. We also have a suite available which is perfect if you wish for a little more space.
Our bedrooms have private bathroom facilities, free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee facilities, and a hairdryer. There are no TVs in the bedrooms, instead there is a radio. This is to create an environment of study and reflection, and our guests love the opportunity to unplug with a book!
Please visit our website www.gladstoneslibrary.org or contact Reception on 01244 532350 to book.
Conferences:
Gladstone's Library has a variety of spaces available to hire for self-led retreats, away days, business meetings, training courses, corporate presentations, product launches, panel interviews, committee gatherings or one-to-one sessions - we can adapt to suit your needs.
Our meeting rooms can be hired on a room-only basis or with the addition of refreshments and lunch for your party. Our rooms can be laid out to meet your requirements.
We offer:
- A range of meeting and conference rooms
- Refreshments and delicious home-cooked food in your meeting room or in our restaurant
- Accommodation up to 26 bedrooms
- Free WiFi
- Free parking
- A comfortable, sociable and stimulating environment
- Resources and surroundings for focus and creativity
Please email us conferencebookings@gladlib.org or call us on 01244 532350 and press option 3. Prices vary depending on room type, attendee numbers, and requirements for food, accommodation.
Retreat Centre Facilities
Please see website for retreat centre facilities
Types of Retreat Offered
Please see website for retreats offered
2025 Events
There is always something happening at Gladstone's Library!
We host courses (residential and short courses) focusing on theology, literature, film and faith, Victorian history and politics and much more.
Retreat Centre Location
Church Lane, Hawarden, Deeside CH5 3DF, UK
2026 Events
We host a lively programme of events which includes talks, workshops, masterclasses, residential courses, festivals and tours of the Reading Rooms, led by authors (from emerging to renowned), academics, artists, musicians, politicians, religious leaders, Gladstone's Library staff and more. You can find out what's on by going to: www.gladstoneslibrary.org/events. We also host externally organised conferences and retreats.
Gladstone’s Library
Church Lane, Hawarden, Deeside CH5 3DF, UK