Linklater Pavilion Photo Gallery

The Friends of Lewes, our local Civic Society, was led for 45 years by Peter Linklater who represented the Friends at many successful planning enquiries - some of which would have changed Lewes out of all recognition. In 1987, Peter led the enquiry on the future of the former railway sidings that were to eventually become the Railway Land Local Nature Reserve. He was not only a good friend to the Railway Land Wildlife Trust but a champion of education and vision that probably helped mould the view that Lewes was, 'a town so splendid and so precious that ultimate responsibility for it should be a national concern.' So wrote the Council for British Archaeology in 1965 and this Pavilion will be named in Peter's honour and recognition of his supreme efforts over such a long period.

This is how we think the Pavilion will look from the Junior Management Board designed entrance to the nature reserve.

The building will be situated on the flat ground beyond this new area created by the Junior Management Board which will become the main entrance.

We have secured full planning permission and building regulations. The Pavilion will accommodate floods and will be as carbon neutral as possible. If we are successful in our fund-raising, we hope that the design and procurement of such a community building will be of use and interest to other communities by saving them time and money to build their own local rallying point of environmental change and action.

This is the proposed position of the Pavilion near to the white level-crossing gate with the red bulls eye, for those that know the area.

On 7th May, 2009, the Nature Corridors for All group photographed the drilling of a 120 metre core. This will inform the contractors which drilling rig to use when they drill the piles in September that will hold up the Pavilion.

The very start of the Pavilion footprint as preparations are made for the piling mat

The piling mat had to be very stable for the 28 metre high drilling rig and so re-cycled, crushed concrete was brought in from Croydon.

The Nature Corridors group watched and recorded the creation of the piling mat.

The view from Lewes golf course showing the Pavilion site in relation to the town and the entrance to the nature reserve.

54 piles, 18 metres deep were drilled.

Once the piles were in, sections of the piling mat were removed to expose the top of each concrete pile, ready to be enclosed within a steel trench.

The steel frame is in place. This shows the downstairs toilet block.

The concrete is poured from a lorry into a hopper.

The hopper is then used to carefully pour the concrete into the steel trenches that will form the foundation beam.

The concrete is injected with air to stir it up and help make it very strong.

We were surprised to see the lower block wall go up so quickly. 'It's great to think', said Bryan, 'that a whole other floor is going to go on top of this and that we, the Nature Corridors group, are going to have a room that looks over the river.'

'We are all very happy about that,' said Hannah and Katie, 'and it will be good to take photos of the new building and to have a base in the Railway Land.'

'It was great', said Alec, 'to see the actual size of the outside walls and also to get an idea of what the inside lower ground floor will look like.'