Paignton: Guide

Paignton (International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA: ) is a coastal town on the English Riviera, located immediately to the south of Torquay in the county of Devon in the United Kingdom. Together with Brixham they form the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census 2001|United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 47,398.

History

Paignton (previously spelt 'Peynton', but based on the older Paiga's or Paega's town after the Celt|Celtic founder) appears in records dating back to the eleventh century. Until the nineteenth century, it was a small fishing village but in 1837 a new harbour was constructed. The historic part of Paignton is centred around Church Street, Winner Street and Palace Avenue and contains fine examples of Victorian architecture|Victorian architecture. Kirkham House is a late medieval stone house restored in the 1960s which is open to the public at certain times of year. The Coverdale Tower is named after Bishop Miles Coverdale, who published an English translation of the Bible in 1536 and was the last Bishop to occupy the tower as a residence.

The railway link to Paignton was built by the Torbay and Dartmouth Railway and was opened to passengers on 2 August 1859. This connected Torbay with London and the region became a popular tourist destination for rich Londoners.

The rise of tourism has fuelled an even greater expansion which led to Paignton effectively merging with the adjacent coastal villages of Goodrington and Preston, Devon|Preston. Oldway Mansion, formerly the home of the Isaac Singer|Singer family (of sewing machine fame) lies between Preston and Paignton, and now acts as the local council offices and the meeting place of Torbay Council . Other Singer legacies in Paignton include the Palace Hotel and the Inn On The Green, both of which were homes for Isaac Singer's sons, and Paignton Green itself, which was used as a runway for their private aircraft.

Paignton Green is also where the young Torquay-born novelist Dame Agatha Christie helped tend the wounds of allied Belgium|Belgian and Japan|Japanese soldiers during the Great War of 1914 to 1918. It is believed that the inspiration for her literary creation Hercule Poirot came from a Belgian captain that she met during this period.

Tourism

Paignton's economy relies heavily on tourism and the town is marketed as a location for family holidays. During the summer, the long red sandy beach is packed with tourists eating ice cream and fish and chips. Paignton beach and the nearby Preston, Devon|Preston Sands are used for Water sport (recreation)|water sports such as wind and kite flying|kite surfing, as well as dinghy sailing.

Paignton Pier and the multiscreen Apollo Cinema are attractions on the sea front area adjacent to Paignton Green, where Anderton and Rowland's funfair visits every summer during Paignton Regatta week. During the summer period there are special events including firework displays and often an appearance from the Red Arrows RAF display team. The seafront and harbour area contains pubs and night clubs, and there is a wide range of restaurants in the town. The town also has hotels, and bed and breakfast accommodation.

Paignton Zoo, one of the largest zoos in Britain, is situated on the outskirts of the town.

The Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway is a popular attraction, operating 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.

Additional information