Paignton and its setting
Paignton is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon. Together with Torquay and Brixham, it forms the borough of Torbay. Its built-up area had about 67,500 residents at the 2021 census.
The town appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Peintone. In 1294 the bishops of Exeter gained a charter for a weekly market and an annual fair. However, the market declined after the Reformation, and Paignton stayed a small fishing and farming village.
That changed, however, in the 19th century. A new harbour followed the Paignton Harbour Act of 1837, and the railway opened to passengers in 1859. As the population grew, the town merged with the villages of Goodrington and Preston.
Older buildings and the seafront
Specifically, the historic part of Paignton centres on Church Street, Winner Street and Palace Avenue. These streets hold fine examples of Victorian architecture. Kirkham House, a late medieval stone house, and the Coverdale Tower beside the parish church are much older.
Oldway Mansion dates from the 1870s. Isaac Singer, whose sewing machine improvements made him a fortune, commissioned it. The 780-foot pier opened in 1879, and the local architect George Soudon Bridgman designed both.
Additionally, Paignton forms part of a UNESCO Global Geopark. Its beaches are sandy and gently shelving, so they suit swimmers and families. Many regard the Paignton Picture House, built in 1907 and now closed, as Europe’s oldest purpose-built cinema.
How Torbay is run
In 1968 a new county borough called Torbay replaced the old councils of Paignton, Torquay and Brixham. Torbay then became a unitary authority in 1998. Even so, it remains part of the ceremonial county of Devon.
As a result, a single tier of local government covers the town today. Torbay Council, based at Torquay Town Hall, runs its services for Paignton alongside Torquay and Brixham.
What an installation here tends to involve
A home close to the seafront faces more salt-laden air than one further inland. Where the layout allows it, an installer will favour a spot away from direct salt spray. If your home is old or listed, check with Torbay Council before fixing anything to a visible wall. A wall-fixed unit may need consent too, and our planning permission guide covers when.
Older walls may be solid rather than cavity-built. As a result, pipework and wall fixings need more planning. On a more modern home, the job is usually much closer to a standard installation. Our installation page explains how that typically runs.
Coverage from Exeter
Paignton is about 24 miles by road from Exeter, around 35 minutes’ drive. In a straight line, it lies about 20 miles south of the city. Trains on the Riviera Line also run to Exeter roughly every half hour.
Torquay, Paignton’s neighbour on the bay, has a page on home cooling installs around Torquay. Brixham, Torbay’s third main town, has its own page for home cooling installs around Brixham too. Our Totnes installation page covers a nearby town, and Exeter installation covers the city.
Getting matched in Paignton
Send one enquiry and we match your address with one pre-qualified installer who works here. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Get in touch via the contact form. You can also read through the installation process first if you want more detail. See the cost guide for a new system for typical figures.