Pitch and putt closes over damage to listed barn

A seafront pitch and putt that has been in place for 60 years has closed after wayward golf balls caused "regular damage" to an adjacent Grade I listed barn.

Torbay Council said following careful consideration the tenancy of Torre Abbey Pitch and Putt in Torquay, Devon, had ended and the land was "given back to management" on 1 November.

The council announced its intention to close the site in September, after the Grade I listed Spanish Barn suffered damage to its roof from being hit with golf balls.

Nearly 1,500 people signed an online petition against the closure.

The council said it was looking at how the land could be repurposed and returned to community use and how the entire site could be better managed.

The golf course is located in front of the Spanish Barn, a rare medieval tithe barn, as well as Torre Abbey which is a scheduled monument.

Work started on the third phase of a restoration programme for Torre Abbey in the summer of 2023.

The authority said it would look at how restoration projects could move forward in line with legal obligations and funding requirements, and how income generation opportunities could be "maximised".

It added during the restoration work "exciting artefacts and archaeological remains have been uncovered, including the original cobblestone path".

"The next phase of Torre Abbey's restoration programme - which has already received early interest from The National Lottery Heritage Fund - will look at returning the land from the Abbey to the seafront, back to community use," it said.

"The community will have the opportunity to engage with the project team to help shape how the space can be used to continue to tell Torre Abbey's story, as well as potentially offering space for sustainable planting, green sports infrastructure, play and events in the future."

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