A Labour of Love…

So what has been going on behind the scaffolding for the last 6 weeks at Platform 1?

The iconic Platform 1 building has stood on the South Embankment for the past 160 years, surviving the worst of the weather thrown at it from the river and the stormy winds funnelling down the Dart valley.

The wood panelling and attractive decorative ironwork from its Victorian origins are part of the charm of this iconic building but the original timbers are now rotting and showing signs of serious decay. In the past, a lot of internal remodelling was undertaken to change the building from a station to a café and this has further weakened the structure. Without action, it was likely the building would not remain intact for much longer.

Following close collaboration with local carpentry and joinery professionals Wistman’s and under the watch of BBH Chartered Architects Ltd and Heritage Department of South Hams District Council, a plan was formed to restore the building to its former glory using existing wood and materials where possible and like for like elsewhere. This project was started in 2021 when the restaurant was closed for 2 months and has been continued this year. The extent of the decay has meant that Wistman’s have not got as far as they were hoping. To keep the building structurally sound the timbers have been replaced piece by piece which has taken longer than anticipated. The process will continue next year to restore the remainder of the building.

This has been an enormous investment for The Holland Group to continue restoring this historic grade 2 listed building and the Platform 1 team are all looking forward to the re-opening in March 2022.