The refurbished Pavilion was duly opened during the 2026 IHS Sports Day on
25 June, 2026, when this was posted on Facebook by IHS Headmaster Dan Browning:

"And with that we can officially announce the Pavilion open! What a proud moment for Ipswich High School as rugby league legend and Woolverstone Hall alumnus Martin Offiah MBE [Martin Offiah M.B.E Rugby Tryscoring G.O.A.T] returned to open our newly-refurbished cricket pavilion today on Senior Sports Day.

Built in 1894, the Woolverstone Hall Cricket Pavilion is believed to be England’s oldest thatched cricket pavilion and has welcomed generations of pupils, the England team, visiting teams and cricket players over the past 130 years. Its restoration comes as Ipswich High School prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary, making this a very special moment in the school’s history.

A huge thank you to @orwellsfurniture, Belmont Electrical, MDE Electrical, Woolverstone Hall Old Boys’ Association, the Ipswich High School Association, Adam Ramsay-Peaty OBE Race Clinics, parents, alumni, donors and our estates team for helping make this refurbishment possible."

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Louis Parperis (Orwell 63-70) posted this: "I had no idea until the headmaster’s speech that the wonderfully refurbished cricket pavilion is actually the oldest purpose-built cricket pavilion in the world, nor was I aware that the England cricket team had used it on a number of occasions for matches held at Woolverstone before World War I. The colours blazer on display in the pavilion had been discovered rolled up and in a filthy state in one of the tunnels under the main building. The pavilion is now home to an excellent café that will be used for general recreational purposes rather than only for sporting events."