About
Wistaston Hall is a welcoming, holistic, spiritual life centre that is an oasis of peace, care and comfort. At Wistaston Hall, we welcome all people who are searching. We strive to offer a place where you will find peace, rest and an opportunity for prayer away from the stresses of daily life.
Coming from the Catholic tradition, we sponsor a range of events throughout the year. We also host a wide variety of groups from different faith and social backgrounds. Oblate Retreat Centre staff members are available to help with organising your individual or group retreat, meeting or conference. A chaplaincy service can be provided on request.
The Oblate Retreat centre here in Crewe offers a beautiful setting for those seeking to grow in faith – encountering Christ through prayer and discernment.
Comfortable twin and single rooms are provided, many of which are en-suite and three are equipped for the less able.
The Grange
Originally built as the coachmen’s house for the Walthall estate before coming a family home, the Grange has been redesigned to serve contemporary needs. The newly renovated property contains four en-suite bedrooms, a sitting room, a fully equipped kitchen and dining room.
It is also home to the new Saint Oscar Romero Prayer Room, which contains a specially-commissioned stained glass window by Alan Davis.
As well as increasing the capacity of the centre, the Grange has been designed to enable individuals to make private retreats or take respite breaks. The new facility gives people the option of dining in the main centre or availing of the self catering facilities.
If you would like to enquire about the possibility of staying at the Grange, please do not hesitate to contact us. All are welcome.
Fr. Francis Morrisey OMI Building
The Francis Morrisey OMI building has been designed for day groups. It contains a conference room that can seat 50, and a small kitchen. There is also a small meeting room upstairs, which is available to groups of two-four people. Learn More >
Reflection Garden
The new Reflection Garden contains two new statues by Timothy Schmalz. For over 25 years, Timothy has been sculpting large scale sculptures. He is a figurative artist with his pieces installed worldwide. Some of his most reputed pieces are installed in historical churches in Rome and at the Vatican. The two statues selected for the garden are an invitation to encounter the love of God and a challenge to see the presence of Christ in the world around us. Learn more >
The Labyrinth
Labyrinths offer the opportunity to walk in meditation to that place within us where the rational merges with the intuitive and the spiritual is reborn. A labyrinth’s purpose is to help the walker find his or her way. There is only one entrance that starts at the outer edge, goes into the centre, which then becomes the path back out. It combines the perfection of the circle and the imagery of the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools. Learn more >
Renew and revitalise
Walk around the extensive gardens and become one with nature, sit for a while and listen to the birds and the sounds of the world around us. Listen to the calming sound of running water as it flows down the stream along the side of the grounds. This is a place to spend time away from our busy lives to renew and revitalize from the challenges of life.
Peaceful gardens and scenic walks surround the house, which is conveniently situated close to the towns of Crewe, historic Nantwich, and local amenities.
The beautiful Cheshire plain is within a short traveling distance with its many walks and other attractions. Crewe is ideally situated, with Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham all 30 minutes to an hour away. The town is also well connected by train.
Traditional hospitality
Meals are wholesome, seasonal and freshly prepared by our professional chef. Coffee, tea and biscuits are always available in our ‘Coffee Docks’ where you can help yourself at any time. Special ‘Celebration’ meals with wine are available to round off your event in style. Our bar is available on request.
Whether you are thinking of joining one of our own Events or organising your own, we can promise you a warm welcome and a pleasant stay in peaceful surroundings. The dedicated Wistaston Hall website provides essential information about the Retreat centre but please contact us if there is anything else you need to know.
Our calendar is a good starting point as it includes our events and shows what other dates may be available. View calendar of events >
Our History
The story of Wistaston Hall goes back to King Harold, whom William the Conqueror defeated at the Battle of Hastings, although there is not much know about the history of the Hall during this period.
In 1607, the Walthalls became Lords of the Manor, and the family continues to reside at the Hall until 1922. In 1694, and inventory was drawn up and contains the first description of what the house would have looked like. There was a main house with a parlour, a buttery and a pantry on the ground floor, and an attic room and bed chamber above on the first floor.
A number of owners have followed since 1922. Firstly, the Pralls, whose daughter ran a school at the Hall. The next owners were Rolls Royce, who used the Hall as a country club, until it was bought for the Oblate Mission. Since the Oblates took over in 1943, many additions and alterations have been made and many people in Wistaston now know it from the inside.
The area of Wistaston that the Hall is situated in is known by locals as ‘Joey the Swan’, named after a large aggressive swan that lived here in the 1930s, and was known to the people that lived here as Joey. Although he was pampered by the villagers he was know to deliver a vicious peck from time to time. Joey had a routine of flying on to the driveway of the Hall every day as the bakery van made its deliveries, he liked to eat the crumbs that were left behind. This is how he met his end, when the driver of the van reversed over him. The villagers later buried him in the nearby woods.
Our Food Philosophy
An important part of any time away is the enjoyment of good food.
Working together with our catering team, we are committed to providing all our guests with delicious food that makes us feel great. We believe in food that is cooked and prepared with love, in a warm and happy environment.
We believe in food that leaves as little carbon footprint as possible. We believe in local first, regional second and international after that. We believe in food that supports the community which is why we use a local butcher and fresh food company.
We believe that food is at the heart of our retreats, that our dining room is one of the main places where groups all meet as one, as equals and as valued guests. As the Gospel reminds us food is a leveller, food is for sharing and helps us build community.
We believe that the atmosphere in which we eat helps shape the experience. We believe in homemade, handmade, and happy. We believe in simple, nourishing, and seasonal meals.
We believe in the sacredness of all and we look forward to serving you.
Caring for creation
In keeping with our commitment to our common home, Wistaston Hall strives to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We locally source as much of our food as we can to reduce the impact had on the environment. All our tea and coffee is sourced from Fairtrade suppliers.
The entire building has been fitted with solar panels so that we can produce our own electricity to run the centre on and have electrical charging sockets in our car park, so that our guests can charge their cars. We are cultivating wildflower areas in the gardens to encourage bees and other wildlife.
We encourage all people to enjoy the extensive grounds we have here at the Centre.
Events
Contact
Fr Lorcan O’Reilly OMI: director@oblateretreatcentre.org.uk
Sr Anne Donnelly: anne.donnelly@oblateretreatcentre.org.uk
Rachel Challoner: rachel.challoner@oblateretreatcentre.org.uk
OMI Oblate Retreat Centre
Wistaston Hall
89 Broughton Lane
Crewe
CW2 8JS
England
Tel: +44 1270 568653
