Paignton Historic Quarter a Short Heritage Walk
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Owens Leah Photography: Paignton Historic Quarter A short heritage walk Paignton was already old when the Normans compiled the Domesday Book (“Osbernus the Bishop has a manor which is called Peintona [or Peintone in some transcriptions]...” begins the Domesday entry), although the recorded history of the town dates from the reign of Edward the Confessor, earlier in the 11th century. C.H. Patterson’s ‘History Of Paignton’ explains that the name was originally Paegingtun, ‘the farm of Paega’s people’. By 1720 the name had become Painton, and in the minutes of what had been the Paington Local Board in July 1867 the spelling changed to Paignton, although in the parish registers the spelling Paignton was first recorded in 1833. It is said that even when the railway station opened in 1859, it had ‘Paignton’ on one platform nameboard and Paington on the other. The Historic Quarter is centred on Church Street and Winner Street. Palace Avenue contains some fine examples of Victorian architecture. Begin your walk at the Station Lane side of the Paignton Library & Information Centre building. Walk up Station Lane, past the car park on the left, to the level crossing and Crossing Keeper’s Cottage, then turn right into Sands Road. At the traffic lights, cross over Dartmouth Road and walk up Elmsleigh Road, noting the handsome red‐brick interwar terraces of numbers 24 ‐ 42 on the left. At the end you will find yourself on Fisher Street. Look left to see the Torbay Inn on the opposite corner (thought to date from the early 1600’s) and the cottages in Sunbury Road, circa 1700’s. Go right along Fisher Street and note the Maris Convent ‐ now Tower House School and Beehive Nursery ‐ and the black and white coach house at the end of Mabel Place. Moving along Fisher Street you’ll see, on the right, a narrow lane of late 17th to early 18th century thatched cottages at Eaton Place. Further along, on the left, is the old cider press – now converted – and a late Georgian house at No.16 named Merricote. Further along still, on the right again, is Dawes Court, which was once a lemonade factory. At the end of Fisher Street on Totnes Road note the beautiful building on the left that is now the Torbay School of Dance, but which was once Hopkins Toffee Factory, which produced toffee and boiled sweets. Cross the road at the lights and turn right into historic Winner Street, the start of which is marked by a bronze sculpture of a mermaid. Winner Street is recorded in the Pembroke Survey of 1566 and was formerly known as Wynerde Street meaning ‘Vineyard Street’ as, during the Middle Ages, the Bishop’s vineyards lined the slopes on the left, above. It developed as a trading area after Henry VIII closed the Bishop’s Palace. After that, the vineyards were neglected. Also on the hillside were three court‐farms, farmed in strips. Now filled with residential housing, many of the old red sandstone boundary walls can still be seen on the slopes if you fancied exploring further. As you walk up Winner Street, note the number of wide, arched openings dotted along the street. These are the old ‘coaching inn’ archways that allowed horse‐drawn carriages to pass through and ‘park up’ around the back where there would have been stabling for the horses while the driver had a drink and a meal at the inn, or stayed overnight. Towards the beginning of your walk The Globe Inn along Winner Street, on the left, is the Baptist Church (1882) and then Pig Alley (unmarked; now an upward concrete slope leading to a car park). On your right is the Oldenburgh Hotel. There is evidence of an inn being on this spot since 1688. On the right‐hand corner, up ahead, is the Art Deco Co‐op store. Further up still, on the left, is the Globe Inn – thought to date from the 17th century or earlier. Continue straight ahead, until the pavement begins to run out, then cross over and note the old Culverhay Farmhouse (name on building), now residential accommodation. On the left, slightly further up, is the old Blacksmith’s Shop. Turn back and walk past the Culverhay Farmhouse. You are now in Church Street (previously ‘Fore Street’), another part of Paignton’s Historic Quarter. Once a thriving street full of shops and with a hotel on the right‐hand side of the road (now gone), traces of Church Street’s handsome past can still be seen in the architecture of some shop fronts and the above flats. Until the 1950s, this was still the heart of Old Paignton. On the right, on the corner of the carriage‐way arch, is what was once Cannings Butchers, and before that Fooks. Note the beautiful ironwork and the carved wooden overhang ‐ a feature of some other buildings along this old street. Carry on, crossing the road, until The Old Brewery you come to the old Starkey, Knight and Ford brewery on the left, built in the early to mid 19th century in the local red sandstone with a distinctive ventilating tower; it was converted into flats in the 1980s. Walk down the slope, and follow the building around until you see the footpath opposite the building, on the right. Walk along the footpath to the ancient clink (holding cell), believed to date from at least the 1550’s. Retrace your steps, turning left at end of the footpath opposite the brewery building. Ahead is a high sandstone wall. Walk towards that and you’ll see some footsteps on the right leading up onto Church Street. At the top of the steps, cross over to the Parish of St John The Clink the Baptist. The town’s stocks were formerly located by the church tower and, if you walk round the back and look closely, you will see the grooves in the walls of the North Chancel door where the medieval archers used to sharpen their arrows. Running parallel to the front of the church is Palace Place with its short row of handsome Georgian terraces. Palace Place was once the site of the market and fair, granted a charter in 1294 by King Edward I. Walk to the end of Palace Place and note the green sign ahead on the wall of the Vicarage garden, which tells you about the charter. Next to it is an information board. Turn around and on the iron railings you’ll see another information board about the Medieval Bishop’s Hall and the church’s Saxon foundations. Palace Place Walk down Church Path and turn right. At the end of the sandstone wall on your right is a red brick tower, built by Bishop Osbern in 1072 and later known as Coverdale Tower, after Bishop Miles Coverdale. Coverdale was Bishop of Exeter between 1551 and 1553, and reputedly published an English translation of The Bible in 1536; there is, however, no record of him ever visiting Paignton. Opposite Coverdale Tower, on your left, is Bishop’s Place – with a row of houses built by Brunel in 1857 for the Medical Officer, Architect and Chief Engineer overseeing the building of the South Devon Railway. Carry on past the tower and on the right‐hand corner is what was once a handsome purpose‐built bank premises at the corner of Palace Avenue and Coverdale Road. Turn right and walk past the 1890 Methodist church until you get to the19th century Palace Theatre at the top of Palace Avenue – the oldest working theatre in Torbay, constructed in 1890. Company Tourism Riviera English of courtesy Image The Coverdale Tower Walk across the road to the red‐brick houses with their beautiful stained glass windows. Stand with your back to them and look up above the shop fronts around the whole of Palace Avenue. Take time to admire the Victorian architecture. Walk down past the Victorian Palace Avenue Gardens until you get to Barclays Bank on your right. From 1889 to 1897 the mathematician Oliver Heaviside lived here. The building opposite is what was formerly Rossiters Department Store. Cross over at the traffic lights into pedestrianised Victoria Street (a fishmonger is on the corner). At the end of Victoria Street, cross at the next set of traffic lights and walk across the rail track to see the stunning old Paignton Picture House. Believed to be the oldest purpose‐built cinema in Europe, the Picture House was completed in 1913, declared a Grade II listed building in 1991 and closed in 1999. It is now owned by the Paignton Picture House Trust, whose ambition is to restore it to its former glory. Further research on local history Torre Abbey, TQ2 5JE 01803 293593 www.torre‐abbey.org.uk Since its foundation in 1196, Torre Abbey has witnessed, survived and even played a role in some epic moments of history. It hosts a permanent art collection, Learning Lab and interactive exhibits telling the entire history of the abbey. Brixham Heritage Museum, TQ5 8LZ 01803 856267 www.brixhamheritage.org.uk The Museum records, preserves and promotes the story of historic Brixham and its people with a host of exhibits, education programmes and archive resources. Torquay Museum, TQ1 1HG 01803 293975 www.torquaymuseum.org Find out about local wildlife, famous people and Torquay through the ages. The museum houses a variety of temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The Agatha Christie Memorial Room documents the history behind the famous crime writer. Investigating the history of your house? Tracing your family tree? Following the progress of a planned development? Torbay Libraries can help you.