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LIMESTONE HOUSE and THE RESOURCE POINT Tel: 01909 724061 These two buildings house the Village Company. Limestone House was developed in 2003-4 from three burned-out buildings in the centre of Creswell, with the help of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and many others. It is the principal location of ECVC.
Before (March 2004) After (July 24th 2004) Limestone House is open to all between 9.00am and 5.00pm on weekdays and between 9.00pm and 12.00pm on Saturdays. The centre is managed by ECVC staff and a large number of volunteers. More volunteers will be welcomed and interested people are invited to visit Limestone House to see what a pleasant, bright and cheerful place it is to work in. The Resource point was the original home of the ECVC, and this has recently been modernised with assistance from the Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and is used as a specialist Multimedia Centre. In these buildings, ECVC functions as an Education and Heritage Centre and also provides a range of other community functions. The training programme concentrates on IT and Multimedia training, but also teaches a range of other topics. Details are set out on the Courses page. The underlying motive for the training programme is to increase the skill level of the local population, so that employment prospects are improved both for and for those employed people who who wish to enhance their prospects. The company has special interest in providing opportunities for younger people. The community provisions include: a coffee shop, a charity and recycling shop, a second-hand bookshop, an advice centre and a heritage orientation point and display. The three shops, in addition to their value to the community, generate income which covers overheads and some staff costs. The Heritage Centre The centre describes the unique magnesian limestone region in which Creswell is centrally placed. This narrow strip of underlying rock, so useful as a building material and for other industrial purposes, has given rise to fascinating features in the region, from the world-famous Creswell Crags, through Roman and Medieval times, to the abbeys and parklands (Roche Abbey, Hardwick Hall, Bolsover Castle...) and so up to the wool and recent mining industries. It is possible to "walk through history" from the remote Ice Ages to present times, all within a few miles of Creswell. This story has been brilliantly displayed by the designers and provides a relaxing place to absorb the history of the region, while enjoying coffee and light refreshments. Aspects of the Heritage Centre and the cafe
The architect of the building was Alick Mason Associates, Sheffield. The builders were Walker and Kitching Ltd., Doncaster. The designers of the Heritage area were rfa designers, Bradford. THE RESOURCE POINT The purchase of this building and its establishment as a Resource Point was the first major activity of the Village Company. It was opened in 2001 and served as a recycling centre and as a venue for IT classes until July 2004. Subsequently it has been reconfigured (using a much welcomed grant from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund) to serve as a second multimedia studio. Its function is to serve the needs of the company and its trainees for high-level multimedia facilities, so that film, photographic and recording work can be undertaken. Part of the building is also serving as a base for the ECVC genealogy group, which meets for a whole day on Thursdays on the ground floor. |
