Devon Cricket Board - Wraps of new £500,000 pavilion at Heathcoat

Wraps of new £500,000 pavilion at Heathcoat

A computer-generated image of the proposed new pavilion at Knigtshayes
WORK is due to start later this month on a new half-million pound pavilion at Heathcoat’s ground on the Knightshayes estate near Tiverton.
The present wood-clad pavilion was erected in 1924 by the Amory family who lived at Knightshayes Court for the pursuit of country house cricket. It cost £410-19s-6d!
Ninety years on the building has come to the end of its useful life and on September 17 work will start on knocking it down.
By March 2013 the new pavilion – complete with rubber roofing slates - will be complete and open for business.
John Smith, the Heathcoat chairman and a building trade expert, said almost everything is in place now to get cracking after a previous false start.
‘Our first design was too contemporary and the plans were not acceptable to the National Trust, who are our landlords,’ said Smith.
‘We went away, found an architect in Surrey who designs traditional cricket pavilions and his plans are fine.
‘We we be building around a timber framed skeleton and using wood cut down on the estate as part of the build.
“It is our plan to have an open day with bench saws on the ground so anyone interested can come along and see the cut-down trees being turned in the planks that will clad the building.
‘In appearance it will look similar to what we have now, only larger and with up-to-date facilities.
‘The old pavilion has every kind of rot imaginable and fails to comply with any modern building regulation or disabled access legislation.
‘I am sure the old building has many stories to tell of cricket matches played over the past 90 years, but it is time to move on.’
New dressing rooms and showers will be at either end of the building. In between the plans show a kitchen, bar area, lounge, office and storage room, which is planned to be a club shop and coaching clinic.
The umpires will get their own dressing room and showers in a room that will double up as a physiotherapy suite.
Outside toilets for spectators are part of the blueprint, as is a new parking area and sewage plant. The current cess pit is close to packing up.
Money to pay for the project has come from a variety of sources. The majority has come from recycling and waste disposal company Viridor through their landfill tax credit fund.
The England & Wales Cricket Board has chipped in with £125,000 - £50,000 of it a loan – and £80,000 worth of services have been donated by tradesman in skills and services.
Smith said the National Trust had been highly supportive of the project, which they proved by their wood donation.
One of the last glitches to be resolved was over the roofing slates, which will be made of recycled car tyres by a Plymouth-based company.
‘The problem with conventional slates is if a ball hits one it is likely to crack and fall off,’ said Smith.
‘Dynaslate in Plymouth make these marvellous rubber roofing slates, which from 10 feet away look like the real thing.
‘If a ball hits one, it just bounces harmlessly away.’

DCB Ltd, University of Exeter Sports Hall, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QN Company Registration Number: 7024773