{"history":[],"article":{"id":"06b23283-60f9-437d-a99a-af364d805922","title":"Oulton Abbey","slug":"oulton-abbey","content":":::summary\n![Oulton Abbey, Staffordshire](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Oulton///Abbey%2C///Staffordshire.jpg)\n**Name:** Oulton Abbey \n**Formation:** 1624, 1853-2019 \n**Founding Location:** [Ghent](https://bliptext.com/articles/ghent) Abbey \n**Type:** [Catholic religious order](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-religious-order) \n**Main Organ:** [Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) (CIB) \n**Parent Organization:** [Catholic Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-church) \n:::\n\n# \n**St Mary's Abbey, [Oulton](https://bliptext.com/articles/oulton-stone-rural)** is a former [Benedictine](https://bliptext.com/articles/benedictine) convent located in the village of [Oulton](https://bliptext.com/articles/oulton-stone-rural) near [Stone](https://bliptext.com/articles/stone-staffordshire) in [Staffordshire](https://bliptext.com/articles/staffordshire), [England](https://bliptext.com/articles/england).\nThe Abbey church is Grade II* listed, and other buildings are Grade II.\nThe Benedictine community was founded in 1624 in [Ghent](https://bliptext.com/articles/ghent), from a motherhouse established in [Brussels](https://bliptext.com/articles/brussels) in 1598 by [Lady Mary Percy](https://bliptext.com/articles/mary-percy-abbess).\nIn 1794 as a result of the [French Revolution](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-revolution) the nuns were forced to flee to England, settling initially in [Preston](https://bliptext.com/articles/preston-lancashire), moving in 1811 to [Caverswall Castle](https://bliptext.com/articles/caverswall-castle), [Stoke on Trent](https://bliptext.com/articles/stoke-on-trent).\n\n# History\nOulton House was built in 1720 by solicitor Thomas Dent, and gradually extended.\nIt was purchased by brewer John Joule in 1832.\nBy the 1850s it was in use as a private asylum.\n\n## Oulton community\nIn 1853 the sisters purchased Oulton House and grounds.\nThey commissioned [Edward Welby Pugin](https://bliptext.com/articles/edward-welby-pugin) to adapt the house and build a church.\nA chapter house, presbytery and sacristy were added in 1892.\nIn 1925 a chapel dedicated to St Benedict was built between the chapter house and the sanctuary, to the south.\n\n## 20th century\nThe sisters operated a small boarding school at the Abbey until 1969, after which the school building was converted into a retreat centre for up to twenty-four retreatants.\nThis continued until 1989 when the main building was converted again, for adult nursing care.\nThree Oulton nuns transferred to [Kylemore Abbey](https://bliptext.com/articles/kylemore-abbey) in Ireland in 1992.\nIn 2002 the Benedictine community from [Fernham](https://bliptext.com/articles/fernham) Priory, Oxfordshire, closed their house and many members moved into Oulton Abbey.\n\n## Community governance\nThe Abbey community was under the charge of an Abbess (superior) who was elected by the community members and held the position for life.\nSince 1624 there have been 22 Abbesses.\nRecent superiors are listed below:\n

Dame Juliana Forster (1837–1869) – Brought the community to Oulton and oversaw the building of the church

Dame Mary Catherine Beech (1869–1899) – Oversaw the extensions and remodelling of Oulton House

Dame Laurentia Ward (1900–1921) – The daughter of [William George Ward](https://bliptext.com/articles/william-george-ward)

Dame Gertrude Beech (1921–1944) – Extended the church with the new chapel

Dame Mary Agnes Spray (1944–1988) – Oversaw the closure of the school and the opening of the retreat house

Dame Mary Benedicta Scott (1988–2019) – Oversaw the opening of the nursing home and the closure of the Abbey

\n\n\n# The Abbey today\nA new building was erected as a nursing home in the Abbey grounds in 2017.\nA nursery school also operates within the grounds.\nBy 2019, with just three nuns remaining in the community, the decision was taken to close the monastic community at the Abbey, with the remaining nuns joining [Stanbrook Abbey](https://bliptext.com/articles/stanbrook-abbey) in North Yorkshire.\nOnly the last superior, Dame Benedicta Scott, remained at Oulton as a resident of the nursing home, until her passing in March 2024.\nA priest also remains in residence and the chapel continues as a public Mass Centre.\nThe property has subsequently undergone substantial refurbishment and is occupied by the Oulton Abbey Care Home.","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-26T12:59:30.555Z","updated_at":"2025-01-26T12:59:30.555Z","search_vector":"'abbey':2 'oulton':1","search_content":" \n \n**Name:** Oulton Abbey \n**Formation:** 1624, 1853-2019 \n**Founding Location:** [Ghent](https://bliptext.com/articles/ghent) Abbey \n**Type:** [Catholic religious order](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-religious-order) \n**Main Organ:** [Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) (CIB) \n**Parent Organization:** [Catholic Church](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-church) \n \n\n# \n**St Mary's Abbey, [Oulton](https://bliptext.com/articles/oulton-stone-rural)** is a former [Benedictine](https://bliptext.com/articles/benedictine) convent located in the village of [Oulton](https://bliptext.com/articles/oulton-stone-rural) near [Stone](https://bliptext.com/articles/stone-staffordshire) in [Staffordshire](https://bliptext.com/articles/staffordshire), [England](https://bliptext.com/articles/england).\nThe Abbey church is Grade II* listed, and other buildings are Grade II.\nThe Benedictine community was founded in 1624 in [Ghent](https://bliptext.com/articles/ghent), from a motherhouse established in [Brussels](https://bliptext.com/articles/brussels) in 1598 by [Lady Mary Percy](https://bliptext.com/articles/mary-percy-abbess).\nIn 1794 as a result of the [French Revolution](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-revolution) the nuns were forced to flee to England, settling initially in [Preston](https://bliptext.com/articles/preston-lancashire), moving in 1811 to [Caverswall Castle](https://bliptext.com/articles/caverswall-castle), [Stoke on Trent](https://bliptext.com/articles/stoke-on-trent).\n\n# History\nOulton House was built in 1720 by solicitor Thomas Dent, and gradually extended.\nIt was purchased by brewer John Joule in 1832.\nBy the 1850s it was in use as a private asylum.\n\n## Oulton community\nIn 1853 the sisters purchased Oulton House and grounds.\nThey commissioned [Edward Welby Pugin](https://bliptext.com/articles/edward-welby-pugin) to adapt the house and build a church.\nA chapter house, presbytery and sacristy were added in 1892.\nIn 1925 a chapel dedicated to St Benedict was built between the chapter house and the sanctuary, to the south.\n\n## 20th century\nThe sisters operated a small boarding school at the Abbey until 1969, after which the school building was converted into a retreat centre for up to twenty-four retreatants.\nThis continued until 1989 when the main building was converted again, for adult nursing care.\nThree Oulton nuns transferred to [Kylemore Abbey](https://bliptext.com/articles/kylemore-abbey) in Ireland in 1992.\nIn 2002 the Benedictine community from [Fernham](https://bliptext.com/articles/fernham) Priory, Oxfordshire, closed their house and many members moved into Oulton Abbey.\n\n## Community governance\nThe Abbey community was under the charge of an Abbess (superior) who was elected by the community members and held the position for life.\nSince 1624 there have been 22 Abbesses.\nRecent superiors are listed below:\n Dame Juliana Forster (1837–1869) – Brought the community to Oulton and oversaw the building of the church \n Dame Mary Catherine Beech (1869–1899) – Oversaw the extensions and remodelling of Oulton House \n Dame Laurentia Ward (1900–1921) – The daughter of [William George Ward](https://bliptext.com/articles/william-george-ward) \n Dame Gertrude Beech (1921–1944) – Extended the church with the new chapel \n Dame Mary Agnes Spray (1944–1988) – Oversaw the closure of the school and the opening of the retreat house \n Dame Mary Benedicta Scott (1988–2019) – Oversaw the opening of the nursing home and the closure of the Abbey \n \n\n# The Abbey today\nA new building was erected as a nursing home in the Abbey grounds in 2017.\nA nursery school also operates within the grounds.\nBy 2019, with just three nuns remaining in the community, the decision was taken to close the monastic community at the Abbey, with the remaining nuns joining [Stanbrook Abbey](https://bliptext.com/articles/stanbrook-abbey) in North Yorkshire.\nOnly the last superior, Dame Benedicta Scott, remained at Oulton as a resident of the nursing home, until her passing in March 2024.\nA priest also remains in residence and the chapel continues as a public Mass Centre.\nThe property has subsequently undergone substantial refurbishment and is occupied by the Oulton Abbey Care Home.","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}