Gladstone's Library Reviews

Thank you for making our Book Club Xmas Lunch so special, we really appreciate the extra effort you went to for us, the food was great ( huge portion of beautiful turkey and home made mince pies ) and the lovely welcome your staff gave us. I think your Library is one of the best places in North Wales, a real gem. Thank you, Vicky Jones

Lovely place. Great atmosphere and very tranquil. Friendly and helpful staff.

A very respectful quiet environment with good wholesome options for lunch. Intermittent WiFi is a little annoying but I should probably have been working anyway!

Chill out place. Located in the quiet village of Hawarden, just a few miles away from Chester is this gem of a place. It is an independent library given to the people by the great Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone who believed in education for all. It offers residential retreats, apart from a space to study or just enjoy a meal at their restaurant. A walk around the gardens is so uplifting for the soul to be in its surroundings. U can get a 15 min. glimpse into the library through scheduled arrangements by ringing them up.

Beautiful building and grounds. Cafe can be busy but you can reserve tables

A great place to relax and stay over, with great tasting food served in the Food For Thought restaurant and cafe.

Unfortunately I could only give 4 stars as the library was closed.

An excellent place to study in impressive surroundings

Beautiful room for reading and reflection, and the best scone I ve had in my life from their restaurant.

Lovely Sunday lunch. Great value in a beautiful building.

Lovely, calming space. Highly recommend the cafe, which is open to the public, for home made food and excellent coffee.

Thoroughly recommend afternoon tea between three and four. If you've not been before they give a brief introduction and then tour round old library rooms at 4pm. Food is great and will cater to dietary needs. Library is an inspiring and peaceful place to study and reflect.

So quiet respectful and kindly. beautiful places to sit and read. library accessible to guests till 10 pm.

What an absolutely fabulous place! Had an overnight stay while attending a training course nearby, the rooms are well appointed and the atmosphere is unrivalled in terms of bookishness.

Thorough refreshment for mind, body and soul. A gorgeous library with lovely staff in a beautiful setting with delicious food - what more needs to be said?! I loved it.

This building is amazing but we visited the cafe for the second time the first visit was fine but on our second visit the food was poor to say the least, we had to return some of the food which did not go down well with the lady behind the counter, but in fairness i think if you cant get you teeth into a piece of cake I do think you are in your right to do so. I was going to comment to her about the awfull stickiness on the table (my friend put her phone down on the table and it stuck to it. She only had her phone out because a family member was ill) but the mood this lady was in i thought best not to say anything, i heard a few people commenting about the tables so it wasn't just us. So this cafe is definitely off our list of places to go which is a shame

This is a review in 3 parts because of 3 excellent and distinct aspects to visiting Gladstone's Library.

First, we stayed in a twin bed room on the first floor which was clean and very comfortable. The furniture was spare Scandinavian with warm woods, comfy mattresses, and nice sheets with a special local wool blanket. The light fixtures and the radio were mid-century modern. There is no TV in the room as the focus is on books (however, if you must watch TV there is one in the common room). All very neat and relaxing. The bathroom was a wet room with fully accessible shower and toilet. We could hear the bells ringing in the church tower next door. This wasn't disturbing with the windows closed but if you sleep with the windows open, it might be. A satisfying continental breakfast was included in the price of the room. Additional hot dishes could be ordered for a slight additional charge.

Second. Afternoon tea. We reserved and paid extra for the afternoon tea. Sandwiches, scones, and sweets were all delicious and the atmosphere delightful. A good value for the price (especially compared to a tea we had later in London at St. Pancras).

Third. The library itself. Our hotel stay afforded us access to the library. No talking. It was one of the most quiet, restful, and immersive days of our trip. If you love books, or you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world, I highly recommend a night at Gladstone's Library.

Many thanks to all the staff for a dignified family gathering after the funeral of my beloved mother. The buffet food provided was excellent & the venue perfect for such an occasion. We looked at other places in Hawarden, but this seemed the most suitable and it turned out to be the best choice. A very sad occasion was made more bearable because the wake was so well organised. You did Mum proud.

Absolutely lovely Sunday lunch in a beautiful setting.

A library built by the famous Liberal politician, William Ewart Gladstone. Very beautiful and an excellent place to visit.

Gladstone s Library is one of my three favourite places in the world. I find the architecture, furniture and general decor perfect. I go there for afternoon tea every time I m in the area, and enjoy working in the library. Good meals, which can also provide a pleasant opportunity to chat with other people. When I stayed overnight once, my room was fine.

First time at Gladstone's Library for the Gladfest and really enjoyed it.

Perfect getaway to relax and really indulge yourself in writing reading or simple relaxing. The Food For Thought Cafe/restaurant on site serve delicious lunches and afternoon tea!

Interesting old building. Given to the town of Hawarden by Gladstone. His name is on many buildings and monuments in Wales.

Had afternoon tea there with my family. Such a tranquil place. Worth the brief visit around the library as well. Highly recommended.

Very nice place to go for the day only an hour's drive away from where I live. Definitely recommend.

I cannot recommend Gladstone's Library enough if you are a book lover. We stayed for one night and spent most of that time in the silence of the library looking through the thousands of books that Gladstone collected. As a resident you can stay until 10pm which feels like a great privilege.
The hotel room was comfortable and warm and the food from the onsite restaurant was fresh and delicious.
There is a separate lounge room with a fire in winter where you can sit, read, drink wine and eat cheese - absolute bliss!

This is a fantastic place for a retreat. The rooms are comfortable clean and tastefully decorated. The food is excellent and there is plenty typical of space and quiet to enjoy timeout from a chaotic life.

Such a great place - atmosphere, very comfortable, stylish. Food is good and library is very conducive to study.

Fantastic place beautiful building food is very good.
Library is stunning and you can stay here too good selection spirits.
They also have meeting room here easy access to the A55 too .
Staff are friendly helpful to and very knowledgeable about the place.

Absolutely superb home-made afternoon tea.

This place is a hidden gem.

A fabulous place to enjoy excellent food in the comfort of a lovely historic building.

The talented chef, Matt, makes the most delicious scones and cakes and specifically the chocolate coated moist coconut bombs are divine.

Corina served us on the day and was friendly, helpful and attentive and ensured our visit went without a hitch.

Overall I would highly recommend a visit to this lovely place for whatever culinary delight takes you fancy.

Lovely grounds, beautiful area. Surrounded by loads of Pokemon gyms and stops!

Twice my husband and I have been able to spend extended time here for study, rest and refreshment. The library is a national treasure and the food and company of other learners staying at the residential library was a delight and intellectually stimulating. I just hope we can return again some day.

Such a great place,staff is so helpful and location is great.From the moment I walked in the door the staff was so friendly they made me feel like I was home.This place is fantastic if you want to have a relaxing time

I have just run a training course at Gladstone Library.

It's a fantastic facility with characterful meeting rooms, really nice staff and warm atmosphere. There is a good cafe and you can stay over.

A great place for meetings and events. Hope to be back soon.

Beautiful scenery, lovely building and friendly staff

Absolutely gorgeous library, along with stunning local surroundings. The staff are amazing & the food is delicious. If you re ever in Hawarden, this is the prime place to visit.

Food here is poor and far too overpriced for a canteen. Grim.

Lovely facilities, beautiful building, very glad to be able to have a 'glimpse'.

Interesting cultural experience; very quiet, quite historic. Themed rooms on the upper floors available for a stay with detached/shared washrooms. Clean, more basic than luxury; the experience will vary widely depending on who else is in residence at the time. A pleasant change if you've burnt out on the madness of youth hostel travel. Large walled park and a very limited number of shops within walking distance; coming with a vehicle will make for a more flexible trip.

I'm giving 5 stars as this is an extraordinary and special place. Stayed one night and although would love to stay again the bed was unfortunately extremely uncomfortable. But the building, staff, cafe and food are faultless.

Visited for lunch for second time.i had a cooked meal and drink.meal luke warm as was the coffee.Also a certain member of staff in the cafe has a right attitude. very rude when asked a question on my previous visit with a friend and also very off with a different friend today.customer service roles are hard I know as this was my role in a Bank but being rude is not an option however you feel

Such a beautiful building. A lovely day reading in the library and relaxing in the cafe.

I come here to work in peace and quiet. I love the old wood panelled library and the beautiful grounds. The library is silent so I can work without distraction and there is a lovely cafe for a coffee break