Free admission to a wonderfully ornate house and gardens with an onsite café/restaurant – why haven’t you visited yet?
Oldway Mansion is a large house and gardens in Paignton, Devon, England. It was built as a private residence for Isaac Merritt Singer c1873, who was the founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. It was then rebuilt by his third son Paris Singer in the style of the Palace of Versailles and the eastern elevation of the building was inspired by the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
The interior of the building is noted for its grand staircase made from marble and balusters of bronze. The ceiling of the staircase is decorated with ornate paintings and above the grand staircase there is a reproduction of the first version of Jacques-Louis David's painting The Crowning of Josephine by Napoleon. The original was purchased by Paris Singer in the late 19th century. The painting was sold to the French government in 1946 and now hangs in the Palace of Versailles. The reproduction at the mansion, which is in the same place as the original, is a colour photocopy and was unveiled in 1995.
The gallery on the first floor is a reproduction of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, the gallery leads into the ballroom, which contains walls of gilt paneling and mirrors.
Oldway Mansion is set in 17 acres of gardens, which are laid out on an Italian theme by the French landscape gardener Achille Duchesne. The maze consists of dwarf box hedging and flower beds. To the south of the mansion there is the grotto garden where a waterfall passes over a rocky cave into a pool below. The grounds of the mansion contain many sub-tropical plants and shrubs.
Opposite the main entrance to the mansion is a large round building known as The Rotunda. This was built in 1873, and was used originally as a horse riding pavilion and exercise area. Isaac Merritt Singer gave this building the nickname of "The Wigwam".
Oldway Mansions has played an important role during the period of the First World War from 1914 to 1918 it was transformed into the American Women’s War Relief Hospital. The Rotunda was converted to house rows of beds for the wounded soldiers being brought back to England from the trenches of France and Belgium. Queen Mary visited the hospital in November 1914.
During the Second World War Oldway was used in the war effort by housing RAF cadets training to be aircrew. In 1943 Oldway was damaged in an air raid, along with many other buildings in Paignton. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the mansion in 1943.
Oldway Mansion has been used as a film location on several occasions. During 2004 it doubled as Buckingham Palace for the filming of Churchill: The Hollywood Years, starring Christian Slater and Neve Campbell. The 1968 film Isadora starring Vanessa Redgrave and telling the life story of the dancer Isadora Duncan also used Oldway Mansion as one of its locations.
Accessibility
· All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors
· Guide Dogs Permitted
· Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
· Ramp/Level Access
· Toilets for Disabled Visitors
Catering
· On-Site café/restaurant - All types of food available.
Oldway Mansion
Torquay Road
Paignton
TQ3 2TE
Torquay Road
Paignton
TQ3 2TE
Opening Times:
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Oldway Mansions is one of the many attractions within easy reach of Astoria Court holiday flats in Paignton
