Work underway to save historic structure

Oldway East Tower update

Work is underway to try to save a crumbling part of Paignton’s historic Oldway site.

Specialist engineers moved onto the site in August to start the painstaking job of taking down the top level of the mansion’s East Tower brick by brick after fears the whole structure could collapse.

Now engineers are concentrating on how the rest of the tower can be saved.

The East Tower is part of the building alongside Oldway Road which joins Oldway’s famous Rotunda. It is connected to squash courts dating from the 1930s which have also been earmarked for demolition after falling into disrepair.

In August, Torbay Council said it was taking ‘extraordinary measures’ to keep the local community safe after the condition of the red brick tower reached a critical point.

Specialist contractors and conservation experts started to carefully remove the bricks, numbering them as they went for future rebuilding, but the work was stopped as parapet columns collapsed and bricks began fell to the ground.

The council said at the time: “It is recognised that these are delicate works, and every practicable measure is being taken to protect other buildings and residential properties in the area.”

Torbay MP Kevin Foster added: “This brings home the need to identify a long-term plan and sustainable funding streams for Oldway Mansion and its surrounding buildings.”

The future of the tower was discussed at a meeting of the council’s Oldway working party, where director of pride in place Alan Denby said: “We have had to make a tough decision to have a partial demolition.

“Historic England have visited the site, and they would prefer to see it rebuilt.”

Mr Denby said the council would investigate how that could be done.

“The next steps are removing the debris in the East Tower where some of the structure has fallen in. Security for the area has been increased to try to prevent any unauthorised access.

“Now we need to understand what we can do to preserve the remainder of the buildings.”