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Royal Opening of Tamar Valley Centre

The Princess Royal will visit the Tamar Valley on Monday 13th July, to officially open the new Tamar Valley Centre, at Drakewalls, near Gunnislake.

The new ‘multi-activity’ building received a wide range of support, including funding from the Rural Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Partnership (SW RDA Rural Renaissance) and Objective 1 ERDF, and was built as part of Cornwall Council’s £1.8 million ‘East Cornwall Regeneration Project’, designed to encourage more visitors to the area bringing benefits to the local economy.

It will be a gateway for visitors to the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and a resource for the community, with space for exhibitions, public events and meetings. It is also home to the Tamar Valley AONB team, Calstock Parish Archive Trust and Calstock Parish Council.

Lynda Harman, Chair of the Management Committee for the Calstock Parish Archives Trust, is really pleased a new home has been found for their precious documents and photographs. Lynda says, “The space is fantastic – we’ve been working out of a cupboard until now! It’s wonderful to have a safe, dry store for our archives, some of which date back to the 1500s. Access for the public is also much better here.”   The Archive Trust is open Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and Thursday and Friday mornings.

Neil Burden, Chair of the Tamar Valley AONB Partnership, said: "We are delighted that after years of planning, hard work and sheer determination, the much-needed Tamar Valley Centre is now here for the local community and visitors to the area to enjoy. It has been built to the strictest of environmental standards and contains a number of energy efficient features, to help keep the Tamar Valley special."

The Centre has been designed as a low energy, zero fossil emission building, with features including a biomass boiler, sedum roof, solar panels and an innovative ventilation system.

The Princess Royal will spend part of the afternoon at the Centre, where she will meet a number of people involved in the development of building, including architects Bill Dunster and Kevin Whyte from BDa ZEDfactory Ltd.  Following a tour of the building, a Tamar Valley fruit tree will be presented to Her Royal Highness, before she departs for nearby Cotehele House, to commemorate the bi-centenary of the Bramley apple.

John Roberts, Chair of Calstock Parish Council, says; “It is a real honour for the parish to welcome the Princess Royal, and to have such a prestigious opening of our much-awaited Centre.”

Mike East, Head of Environment for Cornwall Council, is in full support of the new Centre, that will offer a one-stop-shop for visitors, helping them make the most of their day out in such a special area. Mike says, “Cornwall Council recognises the importance of protected landscapes, such as the Tamar Valley AONB, and we are keen to help people enjoy the beauty of our landscapes while learning how best to look after them.”

While the official opening is strictly by invitation only, members of the public are invited to a special preview visit to the Centre on Sunday 12th July. 

Download the factsheet here.

At the Open Day you will have the opportunity to join a guided tour of the building and view presentations of how the Centre was built.

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