Torquay Pavilion named among UK’s most endangered buildings

Torquay's Pavilion has been named among the UK’s most endangered Victorian and Edwardian buildings by the Victorian Society. The Grade II-listed structure, once a cultural hub of the town, has suffered significant deterioration over the years.

Griff Rhys Jones, president of the Victorian Society, described the Pavilion as “nothing short of a national treasure”. He said: “We will never see its like again – fantastical and charming, and the delightful heart of Torquay itself.

“It’s good news that the former owners have abandoned their inappropriate plans and it is back in the hands of the council. Now funding and general local support are essential.

“Twenty-five years ago, I helped raise £25m for the Hackney Empire – another people’s palace dating from that era. It can be done. Come on, Torquay. Get behind your jewel box of a venue.”

Constructed in 1912, the Pavilion was built at a time when Torquay was considered one of the richest towns in Britain. According to the Victorian Society – which claims to be the sole charity campaigning for Victorian and Edwardian built heritage – the Pavilion is unusual in that it was constructed on land reclaimed from the sea, rather than at the end of a pier as was traditional.

Above: Torquay Pavilion. Image: Morgan Ellis Leah

The society says is one of only seven buildings in the UK to be clad in Doulton Carrara marble tiles with a cream and green glazed finish and is believed to be the first building in the South West to be constructed with a steel frame. The entrance is flanked by turrets with pointed copper domes topped with statues of Mercury, and a crowning bronze statue of Britannia once sat atop the nave dome.

Over the decades, the Pavilion has served a variety of purposes, including as a concert hall, theatre, skating rink and shopping arcade. It hosted performances by renowned artists such as Anna Pavlova and Rachmaninoff and was regularly attended by Agatha Christie, who reportedly went to a Wagner concert there in 1914 on the day she received a marriage proposal from Archie Christie.

The Pavilion has faced increasing challenges despite this rich history. In 2013, plans were submitted to redevelop the site into a hotel-spa complex but were met with opposition and ultimately blocked after a legal challenge in 2018. Torbay Council regained full control of the building in October 2024 and has since begun investigative works to assess the extent of the repairs required.

A spokesperson for Torbay Council said: "The Pavilion was built at a time when construction methods were very different to what they are today. This means that any restoration works must comply with modern construction methods as well as being sensitive to the original design. We also have to take advice from heritage experts such as Historic England."

They also said that a budget to fund the full restoration is yet to be determined and will be dependent on the scope and scale of work that is required.

The steel girders that form the pavilion’s innovative framework have become heavily corroded from salt exposure. The building currently shows signs of water ingress, saturation, cracks, open joints and severe corrosion. Internally, there is damage to plasterwork, missing fabric and further evidence of decay.

James Hughes, director of the Victorian Society, said: "The Pavilion is a highly significant piece of British seaside heritage – bold, beautiful, and now precariously at risk. Torquay must seize this perhaps final chance to save its crown jewel."

The Victorian Society's annual top 10 endangered list aims to highlight the plight of at-risk Victorian and Edwardian structures across the UK, encouraging preservation efforts and raising public awareness.

The Victorian Society’s Top 10 Endangered Buildings 2025

Bosworth Park Water Tower, Market Bosworth, Leicestershire. Grade II, Architect: Thomas Garner, circa 1885

Torquay Pavilion, Torquay, Devon. Grade II, Architect: Edward Richards, 1911 & H.A. Garrett

Birley Spa, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield.  Grade II, architect unknown, 1842 -1843

33 – 39 St James Street, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Grade II, Architect: Augustus Frederic Scott, 1908

Former Marine Hotel, Penarth, Glamorgan. Grade II, perhaps Samuel Dobson, c.1865

Former Methodist Central Hall, Corporation St, Birmingham. Grade II*, Ewen & J. Alfred Harper, 1900-1903

Gibson Street Baths, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Grade II, F H Holford, 1906 –1907

Aldermaston Court, Aldermaston, Berkshire.  Grade II*, P C Hardwick, 1848-51, Brightwen & Binyon 1894

Edgerton Cemetery Chapel, Huddersfield. Grade II, James Pritchett, circa 1853 -1855

Gwalia, West Derby, Liverpool. Grade II, architect unknown, 1854