Enjoying The Sun And Sand At Paignton
December 19th, 2009 by Trevor Johnson, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
A lovely little resort town along the coast of Devon is the town of Paignton. Paignton belongs to the section of coastline that is known as the English Riviera though it was first a fishing village. The town did not change or have the population grow until the 1800s when a new harbor was built and the town could be accessed by railway. Many people enjoy the fine Victorian architecture that can be viewed in the historic section of town.
The top tourist spot is the Paignton pier which is described as a pleasure pier. Towards the seaward end there is a grand pavilion which holds dancing, several music halls, singing and recitals. This pavilion was the first place to perform the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta HMS Pinafore. This pier did not always contain arcades and such as it was once purchased and converted to a dock used by the Pier and Steamship Company. However the entire pier was renovated and restored in 1980.
A great spot to visit is the Torbay Picture House as this is a cinema that was a favorite of Agatha Christie. It is the oldest purpose built cinema in Europe. The cinema closed in 1999 but it is a listed Grade II building and is currently being renovated into its former glory.
A historic spot to visit is the Torbay Picture House which stopped functioning as a cinema in 1999 but has not been changed due to its listing as a grade II building. Agatha Christie liked to come to the pictures here and it is the oldest purpose built cinema in Europe.
Kirkham House is a medieval stone house that was most likely built in the 14th or 15th century. It might have been linked to the church as it was known as “The Priest’s House”. The house has been greatly renovated and you can still view a lot of the original carvings and oak beams. There are also reproductions of tapestries and furniture from the medieval style.
There is an old medieval house made completely of stone called Kirkham House. This stone house was probably built in the 14th or 15th century and was once called “the Priest’s House” so it most likely has ties to the church. The entire house has been renovated but you can still view some of the original carvings as well as the support oak beams. All the furnishings and tapestries are faithful reproductions.
A quite famous and fantastic historic home to visit is Oldway Mansion. This house was built by the maker of the Singer Sewing Machine, Isaac Merritt Singer. His third son eventually completely rebuilt the mansion to resemble Versailles. There are many bronze balusters and marble interior stairways. There is even a replica of the hall of mirrors. There are also several famous paintings and reproductions.
For accommodation in Paignton check this list of Paignton hotels.
