Torbay Council announce progress on Phase 1 of Oldway Mansion restoration project

Torbay Council have assembled an expert project team that will be delivering Phase 1 of the restoration of Oldway Mansion in Paignton.

Before any physical work starts, an expert team has been working behind the scenes to gather as much information as possible on the building.

Phase 1 of the Oldway Mansion restoration project is being funded by £1million committed by us, and £8million of government funding.

Work that has been carried out so far includes specialist survey and risk assessment work, including the completion of a dry rot survey, appointing a Conservation Architect who is preparing a listed building application, building up a programme of urgent repair work, carrying out emergency roof repairs and undertaking 3D survey work.

The 3D survey work is an important part of the project, as the information gathered will build a 3D model of the building, giving us a permanent record of the building as it stands today. The 3D model will serve as a crucial tool in the restoration process, providing detailed information that allows the design team, to provide the necessary specifications and drawn information, to allow the relevant applications to be made, and the physical works to follow on. It will also enable architects to visualise and respond to the buildings needs more accurately.

A safe expert was also bought in to ‘crack open a safe’ which had no means of being opened. The safe unfortunately did not contain the crown jewels to be able to fund the entire restoration project, but an interesting and unexpected element of the restoration project, nonetheless.

Between September and the end of the year, further preparation work is planned, with scaffolding being set outside the ball room to enable a roof repair and around the West Tower of the Banqueting Hall so detailed investigation works can take place, to fully assess the building.

Regular visitors to the grounds may also notice an Ecologist undertaking an ecology survey. Work started this week, with a further visit planned for next month.

It is anticipated that in early 2025, scaffolding will start to be erected to areas of the main Mansion in preparation for roof repair work to begin. Scaffolding will be in place, to the external walls of the building, and will be put in place over a few months. There are approximately 13 different types of roofs to the main Mansion, meaning that one section at a time will be carefully repaired. Roof repair work is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. 

Cllr Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth, said; “This work is a major first step in restoring Oldway Mansion. Fully understanding and stabilising the building is necessary to prevent any further deterioration. This work will allow the project team to ensure that our restoration efforts are both effective and respectful of Oldway’s heritage.

“There is still a long way to go before the public will once again be able to fully enjoy the building, but we hope this milestone gives confidence to the community that the restoration project is moving forward.”

The grounds of Oldway remain open for visitors.