£10m lottery bid to save historic Oldway Mansion in Paignton

The future of one of Paignton's best-known landmarks looks a bit brighter after an "overwhelming" local response and a £10 million lottery bid.

Oldway Mansion was the private residence of American business tycoon Isaac Singer. It was modelled in the style of the Palace of Versailles.

The building's since been neglected for years, however. The mansion was closed to the public in 2013, although the gardens have remained open.

However, since an appeal last month to help maintain the garden, more than 100 people have come forward to volunteer for the Oldway Gardens Group.

A bid for further funding has been submitted to the National Lottery Heritage Fund - ‘Heritage Horizons’ for nearly £10 million.

There are 146 organisations putting in bids to the fund with a total of £50m available.

The Lottery Fund is expected to respond to the bid by mid-November - residents and volunteers have their fingers crossed.