The Forestry Commission Wales pavilion, which has stood at the entrance to the forestry section on the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells for the past 27 years, has been dismantled.
But that’s not where the story ends for the much-loved log building which was opened by the Queen on 21 July 1983.
For the building has been carefully taken down, log by log, and will be rebuilt just down the road in Newbridge-on-Wye by Smallwood Services Limited.
The pavilion, which was built using timber from local Welsh woodlands, will have a fitting retirement as a forestry training building for Mid Wales and Marches Assessment Centre (MWMAC), where foresters of the future will be able to learn their trade.
Ieuan Williams, Forestry Commission Wales Area Land Agent, said, “The pavilion has done well to last 27 years, but it’s now reached the end of its life at the showground. However, I’m delighted that this much-loved building will be repaired and given a new lease of life.”
The building became an eye-catching feature beside one of the main thoroughfares through the showground – but it was intended to last only about 10 years when it was built by Forestry Commission Wales staff.
Roger Nock helped to erect the pavilion all those years ago and gave Tegwyn Hughes, Managing Director of Smallwood Services, invaluable advice on how the building was constructed and how best to take it down.
Tegwyn said, “Although about a quarter of the timber is rotten, I’m hoping to repair or replace the offending timbers. When rebuilt, it will be used as a forestry training building and will replace some of the existing buildings.”
