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Paignton

2015-01-21

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{{distinguish|Paynton|Painton, Missouri}}

{{Infobox UK place

|country = England

|official_name= Paignton

|latitude= 50.434

|longitude= -3.557

|static_image=[[File:Preston sands.jpg|240px]]

|static_image_caption= View along Preston Sands beach

| population = 49,021

| population_ref = (2011)<ref name=CTP />

|unitary_england= [[Torbay]]

|lieutenancy_england= [[Devon]]

|region= South West England

|constituency_westminster= [[Torbay (UK Parliament constituency)|Torbay]]

|post_town= PAIGNTON

|postcode_district = TQ3<br />TQ4

|postcode_area= TQ

|dial_code= 01803

|os_grid_reference= SX8960

}}

'''Paignton''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|eɪ|n|t|ən}} is a seaside town on the coast of [[Tor Bay]] in [[Devon]], England. Together with [[Torquay]] and [[Brixham]] it forms the [[unitary authority]] of [[Torbay]] which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|United Kingdom Census of 2011]] was 49,021.<ref name=CTP>{{cite web|url=http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/yourcouncil/factsfigures/censusprofile.doc|title=Census 2011 - Torbay Profile|date=3 July 2013|publisher=Torbay Council|accessdate=13 February 2014}} (Word document)</ref> It has origins as a [[Celt]]ic settlement and was first mentioned in 1086. It grew as a small fishing village and a new harbour was built in 1847. A railway line was opened to passengers in 1859 creating links to Torquay and London. As its population increased, it merged with the villages of [[Goodrington]] and [[Preston, Devon|Preston]].

==History==

Paignton is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of [[AD]] 1086. Formerly written ''Peynton'' and ''Paington'', the name is derived from ''Paega's town'', the original Anglo-Saxon settlement. Paignton was given the status of a [[borough]] having a market and fair in 1294.<ref name="parnell">{{cite book

|last=Parnell

|first=Peggy

|title= A Paignton Scrapbook

|year=2007

|publisher=Sutton Publishing

|isbn = 978-0-7509-4739-8

}}</ref>

Paignton was a small fishing village until the 19th century, when in 1837 the Paington {{sic}} Harbour Act led to the construction of a new harbour and the modern spelling, ''Paignton'', first appeared. The historic part of Paignton is centred on Church Street, Winner Street and Palace Avenue which contain fine examples of [[Victorian architecture]]. [[Kirkham House]] is a late [[medieval]] stone house which is open to the public at certain times of year.<ref>[http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.273 Kirkham House : Devon : South West : View properties : Properties : Days Out & Events : English Heritage]</ref> The Coverdale Tower adjacent to Paignton Parish Church is named after Bishop [[Miles Coverdale]], who published an English translation of the Bible in 1536. Coverdale was Bishop of [[Exeter]] between 1551 and 1553 and is reputed to have lived in the tower although this is doubted by modern historians.<ref name="parnell"/>

[[File:Oldway.jpg|thumb|left|[[Oldway Mansion]] was built for [[Isaac Merritt Singer]]]]

The railway line to Paignton was built by the [[Dartmouth and Torbay Railway]], and opened to passengers on 2 August 1859, providing [[Torquay]] and Paignton with a link to London.

The Paignton Pudding, first made in the 13th century, is the origin of the nickname ''pudden eaters'' for the people of Paignton. The puddings were made infrequently and were of great size. When thousands turned up hoping to obtain a piece of a huge [[pudding]] that had been baked to celebrate the arrival of the railway<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14415|title=From John O'Groats to Land's End|author=Naylor, John, and Naylor, Robert|year=1916|publisher=[[Project Gutenberg]]|accessdate=28 September 2010}}</ref> chaos occurred and the event became notorious. A Paignton Pudding was baked in 1968 to celebrate the town's [[charter]], and another baked in 2006 to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the engineer, [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]]

[[Oldway Mansion]] is a large house and gardens constructed in the 1870s for [[Isaac Merritt Singer]], who had amassed a considerable fortune by dint of his improvements to the [[sewing machine]]. The building is occupied by Torbay Council.<ref>[http://www.torbay.gov.uk Torbay Council – Torbay Council Web Site]</ref> Other Singer legacies in Paignton include the Palace Hotel and the Inn on the Green, which were built as homes for Singer's sons Washington and Mortimer.

[[Torquay Tramways]] were extended into Paignton in 1911 but the network was closed in 1934.<ref>{{cite book |last= Crawley |first= Robert |title= Torquay Trams |year= 2007 |publisher= West Country Historic Omnibus and Transport Trust | location= Colaton Raleigh |pages= 1–3}}</ref>

There are five parishes within Paignton: Paignton: St John the Baptist, Paignton: Christ Church, Preston: St Paul, Collaton: St Mary the Virgin, Goodrington: St George.<ref>[http://www.achurchnearyou.com/parishfinder.php?paignton Parish finder Church of England] Retrieved 3 October 2014.</ref>

== Governance ==

As Paignton's population grew, it merged with the coastal villages of [[Goodrington]] and [[Preston, Devon|Preston]]. The town was governed by an [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] council until 1968, when the creation of Torbay Council led to a single body covering Torquay, Paignton and [[Brixham]]. The [[unitary authority]] formed in 1998 now handles all local government for [[Torbay]], which has a directly elected mayor and 36 councillors. They are elected every four years. The Mayor chooses nine councillors to form the Cabinet. The Chairman of Torbay Council wears the chain of office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/council.htm|title=Council & Democracy|publisher=Torbay Council|accessdate=24 December 2008}}</ref> The first elected mayor was Nick Bye, elected in 2005. In 2011 Gordon Oliver became the second.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/council/electedmayor/mayorandcabinet.htm|title=The Mayor and Cabinet|publisher=Torbay Council|accessdate=24 December 2008}}</ref> Most of Paignton is in the [[Torbay (UK Parliament constituency)|Torbay constituency]], with [[Adrian Sanders]] the incumbent [[Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]] MP. Some areas in the southern and western parts of the town are in the [[Totnes (UK Parliament constituency)|Totnes constituency]] represented by [[Sarah Wollaston]]. In the [[European Parliament election, 2009|2009 European elections]], the [[United Kingdom Independence Party]] topped the poll in Torbay with 34.4% of the vote.<ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2009/rp09-053.pdf 2009 European election results]</ref>

==Economy==



[[File:Paignton Pier stitch.jpg|thumb|400px|Paignton Pier (1879) and beach]]

Paignton's economy relies extensively on tourism and the town is marketed as a location for family holidays. The main seafront area is dominated by [[Paignton Pier]],<ref>[http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/piers/paignton%20pier.htm English Seaside Piers – Paignton Pier]</ref> a {{convert|780|ft|m|sing=on}} long structure opened in 1879. It was designed by George Soudon Bridgman, the local architect who also designed the original [[Oldway Mansion]]. The [[Festival Theatre, Paignton|Festival Theatre]], opened in 1967, was once a seafront theatre capable of staging large summer shows. In 1999 it was converted into a multiscreen [[movie theatre|cinema]]. [[Regatta]] Week during early August is the peak holiday season. During this period there is a [[funfair]] on Paignton Green, along with a large [[fireworks]] display. Later in August is Children's Week, which includes a wide range of events and competitions. Paignton has a variety of holiday accommodation, complemented by numerous [[public house|pub]]s, [[nightclub]]s and restaurants.

Tourist attractions include [[Paignton Zoo]] and the [[Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway]], which operates [[steam trains]] from Paignton to [[Kingswear]], from where a ferry can be taken across the [[River Dart]] to [[Dartmouth, Devon|Dartmouth]]. The line was closed by [[British Rail]] during the cutbacks of the [[Beeching Axe|Beeching]] era in the 1960s, and is operated today as a [[Heritage railway|heritage railway line]].

[[Suttons Seeds]], a supplier of [[seed]]s, [[bulb]]s and [[horticulture|horticultural products]], is based in Paignton.

==Places of interest==

[[File:Paignton parish church2.jpg|thumb|upright|St John the Baptist, Parish Church of Paignton St John the Baptist. The tower was built c. 1327 and 1438<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paigntonparishchurch.co.uk/the-church/short-history/| title=Paignton Parish Church – Short History |accessdate= 29 March 2011 }}</ref>]]

The [[Torbay Picture House]] (now closed) is believed to have been Europe's oldest purpose-built cinema and was built in 1907. Seat 2 Row 2 of the circle was the favourite seat of crime novelist [[Agatha Christie]], who lived in neighbouring [[Torquay]]. The cinemas and theatres in her books are all said to be based on the Torbay Picture House. It was also used as a location for the 1984 [[Donald Sutherland]] film ''[[Ordeal by Innocence]]'' and the 1981 film ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (which was filmed mainly at [[Lyme Regis]] in Dorset).<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087852/ Ordeal by Innocence (1984)]</ref><ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082416/ The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)]</ref>

The Royal Bijou Theatre is now demolished, but a [[blue plaque]] marking its former location can be found next to the [[Thomas Cook]] travel agency in Hyde Road. The theatre was the venue for the [[premiere]] of ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] on 30 December 1879. The performance was given at short notice to secure the British [[copyright]] on the work after problems had arisen with unauthorised performances of ''[[HMS Pinafore]]'' in the USA.<ref>[http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/hrgsp/old/productions/pir00/pir00hist.htm When I was but a nursery maid]</ref>

The [[department store]] Rossiters was a centrepiece of the town until, it closed in 2009. The store is said to have been the inspiration for the sitcom ''[[Are You Being Served?]]''.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1133485/Store-inspired-Are-You-Being-Served-forced-shut-shop-150-years.html Store that inspired Are You Being Served? forced to shut shop after 150 years]</ref>

From 1889 to 1897 the mathematician [[Oliver Heaviside]] lived in Palace Avenue, in the building now occupied by [[Barclays Bank]]. A commemorative blue plaque can be seen on the wall. Heaviside is buried in Paignton Cemetery.

==Beaches==

[[File:Saltern Cove Paignton.jpg|thumb|left|[[Saltern Cove]] is a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]]]]

[[Paignton beach]] and the nearby [[Preston, Devon|Preston]] Sands are used for [[Water sport (recreation)|water sport]]s including [[kite flying|kite]] surfing and [[dinghy]] sailing.

The [[reed bed]]s found at Broadsands beach are a haunt of the rare [[Cirl Bunting]].<ref>[http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cirlbunting/where.asp Where to watch Cirl Buntings]</ref> Hollicombe beach, situated at Paignton's northern boundary with Torquay, features a geological stratotype at its northern end, known as the "Corbyn's Head Member"<ref>[http://www.countryside-trust.org.uk/lbappdfs/pagegeorev.pdf A Review of the Geological Heritage of Torbay]</ref> Elberry Cove is used by [[jetski]] enthusiasts, while [[Saltern Cove]] is a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] due to its distinctive geology.

{{clear}}

==Transport==

[[Paignton railway station]] is situated close to the shops and a short walk from the beach along Torbay Road. Queen's Park Station for the [[Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway]] is adjacent to the main railway station on the beach side of the [[level crossing]]. The bus and coach station face the main entrance to the railway station.

The other railway station in Paignton is [[Goodrington Sands railway station|Goodrington Sands]] (opened 1928), now part of the [[Dartmouth Steam Railway]].

{{Panorama

|image = File:Paignton harbour.jpg

|caption = Paignton Harbour, with Torquay in the background

|height = 250

|alt = Paignton Harbour, with Torquay in the background

|}}

==See also==

* [[List of towns and cities in Devon by population]]

* [[Kirkham House]]

* [[Torbay Picture House]]

* [[Paignton Amateur Rowing Club]]

* [[Paignton Community and Sports Academy]]

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==

*{{cite book|last=Frith|first=Francis |author2=John Bainbridge|title=Francis Frith's Torbay|publisher=Frith Book Co|year=1999|isbn=1-85937-063-2}}

*{{cite book|last=Pearce|first=Frank|title=The Book of Torbay: A Century of Celebration|publisher=Halsgrove|year=1999|isbn=1-84114-029-5}}

==External links==



{{Commons category|Paignton}}

* {{dmoz|Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Devon/Paignton/}}

{{Devon}}

[[Category:Paignton| ]]

[[Category:Seaside resorts in England]]

[[Category:Torbay]]

[[Category:Towns in Devon]]

[[Category:Post towns in the TQ postcode area]]

{{usedwp|Paignton}}