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Report - - Palace Hotel Grounds, Torquay, Autumn 2018 | Leisure Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Palace Hotel Grounds, Torquay, Autumn 2018

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Cortinalights

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Grounds only I'm afraid because there was no access to the hotel itself for me but there's plenty of interesting stuff to see. I went to have a look because there's been a story in the local newspaper about how someone's been inside and taken creepy photos of things like a toy monkey hanging from a fireplace but when I went there the whole building was locked tight so it was just a quick look around the 19 acre grounds before being asked to leave by security. The hotel looks untouced so not sure how mystery monkey man did it. I have included one photo taken through the window to show what it looks like inside.

The pale green Palace Hotel now seems set for demolition which does seem a shame for such a vast building with so much history. It was built in 1841 as Bishopstowe, home to Bishop of Exeter Henry Phillpotts (yeah I don't know what he thought he was doing living in Torquay) before being extended into the 141 roomed Palace Hotel by George Hands in 1921. It became a wartime convelescence home in 1939, but that was ended with tragic consequences by a 1942 bombing raid which almost saw the hotel being demolished. Undoubtedly one of Torquay's big name hotels and it even hosted the Tory party conference in 1987. After being aquired by an investment company the hotel suddenly closed in July 2017 with an auction of every bed, plate and teaspoon taking place in November of that year.

I went there once about five years ago when I was in Torquay and had a drink in one of the vast lounges that ovelook the garden. I liked it there so feel quite sad to see it fading away like this.


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Cortinalights

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Some good shots there bud, surprised that you didn't pop up that lovely fountain though. Hope you don't mind me adding it in.

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Haha not at all, thanks for filling the gaps, was going to go and have a look at the lower garden but there was someone walking around down there near that wooden bear so after doing the swimming pool we snuck of round the other side unnoticed, but your photo looks like it was taken around the same time as ours, maybe it was you we saw?! :cool::oops:
 

Adzitude

Lost_Property_Devon
28DL Full Member
Nice explore mate. I hear different things as to access into the Palace. But the grounds look nice enough as they are. You didn't see/hear the infamous security dogs? :)
 

Cortinalights

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Nice explore mate. I hear different things as to access into the Palace. But the grounds look nice enough as they are. You didn't see/hear the infamous security dogs? :)
Security dogs?! Nah saw nothing but as there's not really any fence around it guess they would have to be on long leads or they'd just run away, or maybe they live inside the hotel :p
 

Adzitude

Lost_Property_Devon
28DL Full Member
Security dogs?! Nah saw nothing but as there's not really any fence around it guess they would have to be on long leads or they'd just run away, or maybe they live inside the hotel :p
Yeah apparently the guards had them, but they'd have a damn boring life if they just roamed the hotel!
 

Giymo85

Amateur and proud
28DL Full Member
One to keep attempting I would suggest.

From what I understand, planning is already filed to replace the tennis court and cottage (where security tend to spend their time) with apartments.
 

Splorex

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I was there on Sunday! Got knobbled by secca the moment I stepped through the fence, he was really sound though and we had a good chat for about half hour, shame a permission visit was a no no! I found this on YouTube, at around 6:00 mins you'll see some familiar faces playing golf at the Palace, enjoy!
 

Adzitude

Lost_Property_Devon
28DL Full Member
I was there on Sunday! Got knobbled by secca the moment I stepped through the fence, he was really sound though and we had a good chat for about half hour, shame a permission visit was a no no! I found this on YouTube, at around 6:00 mins you'll see some familiar faces playing golf at the Palace, enjoy!
How do you mean permission visit is a no? That was the way I was thinking, somehow bribing security, you don't think you'd be up for it atall?
 

mookster

grumpy sod
Regular User
How do you mean permission visit is a no? That was the way I was thinking, somehow bribing security, you don't think you'd be up for it atall?

Good luck with that. It may happen on a very rare occasion but it's not worth them losing their job over if anything untoward happens whilst inside. The way to do it is contact the buildings owner or developer and see where that gets you.
 

Cortinalights

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I was there on Sunday! Got knobbled by secca the moment I stepped through the fence, he was really sound though and we had a good chat for about half hour, shame a permission visit was a no no! I found this on YouTube, at around 6:00 mins you'll see some familiar faces playing golf at the Palace, enjoy!
Excellent! I've walked through the same garden as Sid James, looked lovely back then, can't really believe they're going to demolish it
 

Cortinalights

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I was there on Sunday! Got knobbled by secca the moment I stepped through the fence, he was really sound though and we had a good chat for about half hour, shame a permission visit was a no no! I found this on YouTube, at around 6:00 mins you'll see some familiar faces playing golf at the Palace, enjoy!
Oh yeah looks like I was lucky(ish) then because we were there for quite a while before we were seen and got to see everything we wanted bar the hotel itself which would obvs have been the aim, but my first visit also only lasted minutes
 

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