Paignton History Group researches unknown Paignton History
The Spitfire memorial garden is located on Roundham Head overlooking Goodrington beach. This well maintained garden has a variety of small flowering plants in the shape of a WWII Spitfire, a wooden bench with memorial plaque and an information plaque on a post all within a neatly kept fenced lawn. The garden is in memory... Continue Reading →
The Dawes soft drinks factory, officially known as the Herbert Dawe Mineral Water Factory, was located on Fisher Street with the vehicle entry in Curledge Street next to the primary school. The factory produced a variety of soft drinks, including their renowned lemonade. The business was started by Herbert’s father, James Dawe, who was in... Continue Reading →
The site of what was known as the Emporium, or 'Bailey's Emporium', appears on the 1841 tithe maps as a collection of barns, storage buildings at the south end of Winner Street diagonally oppostie Weston House on the junction of Totnes Road, Fisher Street and Winner Street. The directories regard this block as 1-7 Winner... Continue Reading →
The old Torbay House that had been on Paignton seafront for hundreds of years was demolished in 1873. See our other post about that house. Sometime in the early 1880's another large house named Torbay House was built near the seafront. A while ago I was sent a photograph in a mount showing a group... Continue Reading →
For the earlier history see the post PARKFIELD part one. The first 20th century residents of Parkfield were Thomas Moore and his family who probably moved there in the late 1890's after the death of the previous resident Robert Parry. The 1901 census for Parkfield shows the household consisted of Thomas Moore a 44 year... Continue Reading →
From 1615 until 1776 over 50,000 convicts were transported to the colonies in America, and in that time 10% of migrants were convicts from Britain. Many of the ships carrying these convicts visited Torbay on the outward journey. The Transportation Act of 1717 allowed courts to sentence felons to a spell in the Americas, resulting... Continue Reading →
The earliest public transport in and out of Paignton would have been the Stage Coach which would probably have started here in the 17th century. It was so called because it travelled in 'stages' of 10 to 15 miles, usually stopping at coaching inns where the travellers could have a drink or stay overnight while... Continue Reading →
Parkfield is a large house that was built about 1820 (as indicated in a report by Historic England) in four acres of walled grounds near Paignton seafront at the junction of Esplanade Road and Lower Polsham Road. It has had many interesting residents and owners whos personal and often sad stories I will be looking... Continue Reading →
1904 - St. Michael's was a separate hamlet of mostly Edwardian terraces, though numerous villas appear to be encroaching from Paignton. Notable is 'Elmsleigh', the house of the engineer and naval architect William Froude, bordering Fisher Street. Opposite is the Torbay Inn and the two properties to the left down the dog-leg, now Sunbury Road,... Continue Reading →
Jasmyn House is a Community House For The Able Bodied and Disabled. It is a detached Edwardian property in Midvale Road, Paignton.The building itself is unremarkable, but the history of its current occupants is perhaps far more interesting.It is named after Jasmyn Turton, one of the founder members of CHAD (see below). Jasmyn was a... Continue Reading →
Paignton History 