Oldway Mansion

 Horse exercise house with pool!

 Maids quarters?

 Side view

 A little closer to side view

 Stunning stone work

 Love the columns

 Rear View  (not my photo)

Fabulous interior (not my photo)

Display of Singer sewing machines (Photo taken with glass in door)

After the nostalgic Brixham Harbour visit we started to make our way back home & had to go back into Paignton. For some years we had heard about a Mansion call Oldway Mansion Ros noticed a sign for it so it was a short detour & we were not disappointed.

The original house was commissioned in the 1870s by Isaac Merritt Singer, founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Paris Eugene Singer, Isaac Singer’s third son, who supervised alterations to Isaac’s original house between 1904 and 1907. The rebuilding work was inspired by the Palace of Versailles. Please look at the link to the web site my photos does not do the place justice it is wonderful. Sadly ended up as council offices until recently!!

As I had just parked up we met a couple who relocated to South Devon 10 years ago from the Midlands yes I could tell by their accent! anyway struck up a conversation with them like all good Midlanders we talk to anyone :-) they told us yes it was council offices until recently & last week was a open day to the public which they visited  missed it by a week :( but the good news was the whole building is being restored to it's former glory the gardens had been maintained regularly & most of the interior was still original apart from the office strip lights!

We all had a nice walk around the house & gardens & because it is 24/7 security I was only able to take a photo of the sewing machine display from a distance through a glass door. Like Ros said maybe once the restoration has been done it will be again open for viewing fingers crossed it is. 

We then had lunch & was the start of the drive back home via the coast route via Teighmouth to Exeter then home.