Newsletter, April 2008

Stables refurbishment complete

Towards the end of March Launde Abbey welcomed the first guests back into the newly enlarged and refurbished Stable Block. The bedrooms have received much praise from guests with all rooms now en-suite. Three of the bedrooms are for disabled use with en-suite washrooms provided. They are linked by an alarm system to a carer’s bedroom which can also double up as a disabled bedroom if necessary. This has been a major achievement which has already seen some new groups coming to Launde. The Stables can now sleep 26 people in 19 bedrooms which is ideal for all types of groups — whether they be faith, not-for-profit or business groups.

The two photographs here are of the same bedroom which is fully equipped for disabled use with emergency alarm cord and a ‘vibrating’ fire alarm to go under the pillow.

Heritage Lottery fund small grant award given

Launde Abbey is to receive from the Heritage Lottery Fund a grant of just under £50,000. This is to enable the Ha-Ha to be restored and the Oxford and Cambridge building to be saved.

The Warden, Tim Blewett, in front of the Ha-Ha to be restored later this year.
The Oxford and Cambridge was used in the 1950’s to house two ordinands training for the priesthood — one had previously studied in Oxford and the other in Cambridge. This building had to be saved as part of the planning permission given for the larger project to the Main House which is to happen in 2010. It is to be moved from its present site on the car park to near the Walled Garden where it will become a completely self-contained hermitage with its own bedroom, lounge — kitchenette and bathroom. This exciting project will enable people to stay at Launde on a self-catering basis to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the Abbey.

Central ITV news comes to Launde

Bharat Patel, of Central ITV News, recently came to Launde to film for their main news programme. The piece which is to be four minutes in length involved interviewing some of the guests staying at Launde at the time. Bishop Tim Stevens was staying with an ecumenical gathering of Church Leaders from Leicestershire at Launde so Alison Tomlin, the Methodist District Chair of Northampton, on behalf of the group was asked why Launde was so special! She replied by talking about the intense sense of peace at Launde and the high level of hospitality given to all.

Visitors from ITV