Conway Court Hotel

A couple of photos from the former Conway Court Hoter. Gilpin have been down there since last night working hard to make the sea front safe from falling bits of hotel. At a guess the road below should open some time tomorrow. Torbay council officials will evaluate the situation at 15:00 today. Meanwhile Torquay roads have ground to an almost complete stop. Still no inclincing of who or what started the fire. 12/12A bus service badly disrupted.

 

Don't forget, Longest night tonight. 

More photos from the Sea Front

This is the wall that has to be demolished before any one can drive along the sea front between the Pavillion and Belgrave Rd. (Also pictured sans traffic). If it did fall down it would land on the old toilets, also disued and slightly delerict; killing two birds with one stone. Well quite a lot of stone really.

 

Demolition is expected to start Wednesday and rebuilding in 2019, providing planning permission can be obtained. This is Torquay after all.

More photos of the hotel (day time)

These photos were taken at midday on Tuesday. Warren Rd is still blocked but you can drive along as far as Cary Rd which takes you on to St Lukes and so on to Shedden Hill. The Sea Front between the Pavillion and Belgrave Rd is closed due to concerns that the rear wall of the hotel might fall down Rock Walk and onto the main road. All that is left are the walls and chimney stacks. Several parked cars are presently trapped by the hotel and one car owner I spoke to said he didn't know what state his car was in or when he would be able to drive it away. I don't expect, from what I have been told, that the roads will be open any time today

An other delerict hotel goes up in flames

These photos were taken at 00:30 on Tuesday morning as an other of Torquay's long abandoned and delerict hotels burns down. The hotel was situated on Warren Rd where it overlooks Torbay so I would imagine it would have been visable from both Paignton and Brixham.The fire started at about 10:30 (22:30). A police officer I spoke to said he wasn't aware of any casualties though the hotel is surrounded by appartment blocks on both sides. I would imagine the road will be closed for traffic all night and a good portion of Tuesday day time. More photos some time around midday if the police let me get close enought.

 

PS Thanks Terry for letting me know.

Preston Sands in Winter

In the summer Preston Sands is a busy place. Beach huts by the hundred adorn the place and holiday makers by the thousand turn up here. But in the winter it's only the dog walkers and the odd photogrpher that turns up.