We’ve now been open for one month, and we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone for your continued support. It’s been fantastic to welcome so many of you through our doors, and we’re incredibly grateful for the positive response from the community. In business, we often refer to the first month as a trial month a time to learn, adapt, and understand what works best. We’ve listened carefully to all of your feedback, and we’re excited to share some of the improvements we’ve been working on: • New opening hours – From Monday 3rd August, we’ll be opening at 9:00am instead of 8:00am, Monday to Friday. • Extended kitchen hours – We’ll be keeping the kitchen open until 19:00 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This will begin as soon as we have an additional chef in place to cover the extended hours. • Upcoming Events – On 29th August, we'll be hosting our Family Fun Beer & Cider Festival, featuring a barbecue, inflatable nightclub, family entertainment, and much more! • 30th August – We'll be hosting a Local Business Market, showcasing a fantastic range of local businesses and independent traders. If you're interested in having a stall, we'd love to hear from you please get in touch for more information. • New on draft – We’ll soon be adding Black Sheep Ale to our draft line-up. • More outdoor comfort – We’ve added parasols to several of our outdoor tables to make seating outside even more enjoyable. • Dog-friendly improvements – We’ve increased the number of dog bowls available both inside and outside, so your four-legged friends are always looked after. Your feedback has been invaluable, and we’re committed to continuing to improve and create a space that everyone can enjoy. Thank you once again for all of your support. We can't wait to welcome you back soon. The Lounge Team
Background Note. Castlethorpe Community Space(CCS), is the Community Interest Company which leases the building from the Parish Council. CCS is responsible for appointing the tenant and is the ‘landlord’. Residents over 18 can apply to be Members of CCS. At the Annual Meeting in February, the Members, who own CCS, 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. If you would like to become a member, please email Gordon Fleming, the Company Secretary at castlethorpecommunityspace@gmail.com with your name, address, phone (optional) and whether you would like to be on the members mailing list for any upcoming events.
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.
