Edmund Rice Retreat and Conference Centre

Went for a staff development day. Friendly staff served us the best (by far) lunch I have ever eaten at any similar centre.

Despite what the website says, this venue is only barely wheelchair accessible. If you are a power chair user, or have a larger manual wheelchair, it's very likely that you will run into difficulty in certain areas of the centre. There are doors with lips that are very high and uneven. Many ramps into buildings are too steep and short, and the doorways too narrow, for easy access. I started tipping backwards while trying to get up a steep ramp with a very uneven doorway at the top. I could not get in or out of several buildings without significant assistance from others. Yes, some of the buildings are heritage listed, and therefore can't be changed much, but it wasn't just those buildings that had accessibility issues. Some pathways around the grounds led only to grass, which many mobility devices struggle with, especially since the ground is so boggy from the last few years' weather. What accessibility features the venue has were clearly not assessed by someone who actually uses a wheelchair. If you have any mobility issues, I would highly recommend scoping out the centrein advance, so you know what you're dealing with.

I attended a three day conference here recently and enjoyed every second. The rural location suited this country girl down to the ground. I awoke to a horse neighing happily in the paddock next to my room. The grounds are spacious and immaculately kept, and the roses! I was astounded and delighted by the variety, size, and heavenly scent of the gardens. The heritage buildings are maintained to perfection, and the amenities are second to none. The rooms are clean, comfortable and well appointed. The staff were professional, friendly, and couldn’t have been more helpful. The caterer did a decent job of looking after us too. In all, my stay here was a delight. I cannot recommend this centre highly enough for your next function/conference/retreat.

An amazing venue and a lovely day spent at winbourne