As residents will know, The Pavilion has been closed since the beginning of the year and was repossessed at the end of January by Castlethorpe Community Space(CCS), the Community Interest Company which leases it from the Parish Council. In February, the Members, who own CCS, had a General Meeting and elected a new Board of Directors: Catherine McDermott (Chair), Steve Bradbury (Vice Chair), Gordon Fleming (Company Secretary), Phil Ayles (Treasurer), Geordie Barrie, Debbie LLoyd, Matt Malloy and Luke Stacey. When CCS took possession of the premises, it was in poor condition with the water disconnected which took six weeks to get reconnected. The Board had to clear the previous tenant’s unwanted property and rubbish, then have the premises professionally cleaned (thanks to Sarah of SCP Cleaning who did a great job) and damaged paintwork repaired (thanks to Sinead Bradley, also a great job) to get The Pavilion into a condition suitable to be viewed by prospective new tenants. The opportunity has been widely advertised and a good number of enquiries have been received. Some of the applicants are now proceeding to a second stage and the Board hopes to hold interviews and, assuming it can find a good and viable prospective tenant, sign a new Tenancy Agreement. The tenant will then have to organise staff, suppliers, finance and licences before they can open for business, hopefully this summer.
The Pavilion Cafe & Bar was officially opened on 22 March 2025 by our MP Chris Curtis, who said: "Thank you to the Parish Council and all the villagers involved in this project for having me to share in this moment for you. I hope this will be a much-loved space for residents for years to come." Councillor Phil Ayles, Chair of the Parish Council, said: "The Pavilion is an amazing achievement by residents working with the Parish Council to create a cafe and bar in a village with no other hospitality venue or place where people could 'drop in'. "It is a tribute to the generosity of the village supported not only by the Parish Council and residents but also MK Community Fund and a number of local businesses and organisations. We thank them all most sincerely."
Our village has been without a pub since the Carrington Arms closed in 2008 and no longer had a café or a casual space for people to meet.
The Pavilion is an extension and remodelling internally of the previous cricket pavilion. The building work was funded by a mix of "planning gain" funds, council reserves and a generous grant from the MK Community Foundation.
Construction began at the end of 2023 and was finished by mid-2024. The Parish Council then leased the building to Castlethorpe Community Space (CCS), a newly formed Community Interest Company which is owned by its members. Any resident over 18, or non-residents with strong ties to the village, can apply to become a member. CCS has its own website at https://castlethorpecs.org.uk/index.html.
Castlethorpe Community Space raised further funds from "planning gain" funds, a significant grant from the National Lottery Community Fund and generous donations from local residents to fit out the seating area, kitchen and serving area.
Unfortunately, The Pavilion is temporarily closed but CCS hope a new tenant will re-open it in summer 2026.
