End of the line for the La Touche?

Aquamarina · 13-03-2011 1:29pm

If I had a spare few million I would buy it, knock down all the horrible modern extensions, restore its Victorian core, and re-open it as a boutique hotel, with restaurant and tea rooms and a lawn outside for tea and scones on a Sunday..

UrbexJunkie · 13-03-2011 1:46pm

Actually yes i remember seeing a photograph of what it used to look like and the gardens were beautiful.

Cookie_Monster · 13-03-2011 2:36pm

UrbexJunkie wrote: »

These pictures were taken about 2 months ago:

http://www.urbexjunkie.com/2011/03/la-touche-hotel/

It really is in a sorry state but a bloody shame if they knock it down to build some ugly apartment block.

Uj

what a disgraceful mess :mad:

I had my debs there, I still have the photo of the two of us at the bottom of the wrecked staircase...

The Guide · 13-03-2011 4:19pm

Aquamarina wrote: »

If I had a spare few million I would buy it, knock down all the horrible modern extensions, restore its Victorian core, and re-open it as a boutique hotel, with restaurant and tea rooms and a lawn outside for tea and scones on a Sunday..

and in the place of the modern extensions - tasteful self catering cottages blending in with the hotel as an extra service - would be a great for touristse - although I think you would need more than a few million - such a pity about the state of the hotel as it stands now!

UrbexJunkie · 14-03-2011 12:02am

pixbyjohn · 14-03-2011 1:31am

Thanks for those photos of the Grand Hotel, takes me back to when it was such an exclusive place, thank god things have moved on.

2.8trooper · 14-03-2011 6:17am

im not from greystones but went to school there have friends there etc etc,i was involved heaviley in the conservation and restoration sector before i emmigrated and its not a straight forward business to be in.many projects do not get off the ground due to lack of funding,and the ones that do usually have a commercial intrest to drive the project,therefore you need investors and they never like to be told what they can and cant do to there property when they are investing x amount of millions.no building can not be saved it takes time and money thats all.

get behind your local counciller as a community is there no heritage group in greystones who can drive it,grants can be availed off but only if there is an ongoing project already established.working with conservation architects and the opw is hard work very hard but impossible projects have been done and will continue to be done in ireland.greystones has to be the if not one one of the wealthiest districts in wicklow if not ireland get the community to put there money were there mouths are and start the funding,nobody will help if there seems no intrest in it,even killpeddar willow grove has an historical society.
i still have some contacts in the industry who can be contacted for advice and direction if needs be any one interested can pm me for more details.really what has to happen if the community wants it saved is the community has to save it.
if the wicklow coco own it now they need to be lobbied to do something to get the ball rolling although in my experience wicklow council have little or no intrest in thier built heritage and tend to focus more on nature trails,walks and wildlife all good in itself but it wont help the hundreds of derilict and decaying historical buildings in wicklow.
just my 2cents but it can be saved it just needs action not words......

toitle · 14-03-2011 3:35pm

Slightly off topic and on a smaller scale but...
The Delgany Inn is also a listed building,and is currently being allowed to fall into an awful state.
I wonder will they do the same with it?
I've heard that in England the National Trust operate a kind of use it or lose it scheme whereby owners of listed buildings who allow their properties to fall into a bad state have the properties bought off them and taken by the state.

LEIN · 14-03-2011 3:41pm

UrbexJunkie wrote: »

These pictures were taken about 2 months ago:

http://www.urbexjunkie.com/2011/03/la-touche-hotel/

It really is in a sorry state but a bloody shame if they knock it down to build some ugly apartment block.

Uj

The place has really fallen to the pits.

It must be very easy for anyone to gain access.

UrbexJunkie · 14-03-2011 3:53pm

toitle wrote: »

Slightly off topic and on a smaller scale but...
The Delgany Inn is also a listed building,and is currently being allowed to fall into an awful state.
I wonder will they do the same with it?
I've heard that in England the National Trust operate a kind of use it or lose it scheme whereby owners of listed buildings who allow their properties to fall into a bad state have the properties bought off them and taken by the state.

Where is the Delgany Inn?

The La Touche has various access points due to vandals and people robbing the copper.

LEIN · 14-03-2011 3:55pm

UrbexJunkie wrote: »

people robbing the copper.

That still goes on! :eek:

UrbexJunkie · 14-03-2011 4:19pm

Damo9090 wrote: »

That still goes on! :eek:

Yep sadly, no matter what derelict place i go to shoot there is evidence of stripped cables and pipes.

Lil' Smiler · 14-03-2011 5:17pm

UrbexJunkie wrote: »

These pictures were taken about 2 months ago:

http://www.urbexjunkie.com/2011/03/la-touche-hotel/

It really is in a sorry state but a bloody shame if they knock it down to build some ugly apartment block.

Uj

woah!!! Aw the Beach Club..the memories!

vinpaul · 14-03-2011 6:04pm

UrbexJunkie wrote: »

Where is the Delgany Inn?

The La Touche has various access points due to vandals and people robbing the copper.

Delgany Inn is boarded up Tavern/Inn on the way into Delgany Village, just before Churchyard as you approach from N11.
Another eyesore that is developing in Greystones is "Cullenmore", a large detached house adjacent to Tesco Supermarket. Due to be demolished and site incorporated into the proposed development. House broken into before Christmas, set on fire, now boarded up and becoming another blot on the landscape. Anybody got any news on the planned Tesco development. Seems to be dragging on now for some time!!

matt-dublin · 14-03-2011 8:30pm

Current site due to be knocked this year I believe

Effects · 15-03-2011 12:35am

Damo9090 wrote: »

That still goes on! :eek:

Copper is at the highest price it's been at for years. It came down the last few years but shot up again recently. I was sitting on a load of it for a while and sold it just before christmas, glad I held out.

matt-dublin · 15-03-2011 10:28am

that the stuff you pinched from the la touche?

schmel22 · 15-03-2011 2:28pm

do it - sounds amazing!!

doylerd · 22-03-2011 3:24am

Would be terrible if the site was knocked, for heritage/nostalgia reasons, but it's unlikely any developer would take on that project if they had to retain what is, let's face it, not exactly a handsome facade. Anyway how awful would that facade connected to a modern backing look? Probably quite.

There's no doubt that we would regret demolition hugely, probably as soon as the first walls come crashing down, but it's likely inevitable. It's clear that once the Council decides on something, it's a done deal (witness the harbour debacle, progressing despite overwhelming public opposition).

In any case, going by UrbexJunkie's photos (which I note are now missing - Johnny Law must be reaching into boards.ie with his incredibly irritating, impotent arm....GO SOLVE SOME CRIMES LADS!), the hotel is now structurally unsound and unsalvageable. Amazing how quickly these places, even the modern parts, degrade as soon as the heating is turned off and the damp gets in.

Just very sad really.

RosieJoe · 22-03-2011 10:57am

vinpaul wrote: »

Delgany Inn is boarded up Tavern/Inn on the way into Delgany Village, just before Churchyard as you approach from N11.
Another eyesore that is developing in Greystones is "Cullenmore", a large detached house adjacent to Tesco Supermarket. Due to be demolished and site incorporated into the proposed development. House broken into before Christmas, set on fire, now boarded up and becoming another blot on the landscape. Anybody got any news on the planned Tesco development. Seems to be dragging on now for some time!!

matt-dublin wrote: »

Current site due to be knocked this year I believe

doylerd wrote: »

Would be terrible if the site was knocked, for heritage/nostalgia reasons, but it's unlikely any developer would take on that project if they had to retain what is, let's face it, not exactly a handsome facade. Anyway how awful would that facade connected to a modern backing look? Probably quite.

There's no doubt that we would regret demolition hugely, probably as soon as the first walls come crashing down, but it's likely inevitable. It's clear that once the Council decides on something, it's a done deal (witness the harbour debacle, progressing despite overwhelming public opposition).

In any case, going by UrbexJunkie's photos (which I note are now missing - Johnny Law must be reaching into boards.ie with his incredibly irritating, impotent arm....GO SOLVE SOME CRIMES LADS!), the hotel is now structurally unsound and unsalvageable. Amazing how quickly these places, even the modern parts, degrade as soon as the heating is turned off and the damp gets in.

Just very sad really.

I think the comment from Matt about the site being demolished is with regard to the previous post about the Tesco development.

cavemeister · 22-03-2011 11:00am

Well if the La Touche is rebuilt as apartments, I would never live there... Its haunted! I used to work there during school and college holidays and it was common knowledge with staff that "Lady La Touche" like to go walkabouts during the night. She was seen by quite a few members of staff over the years, many schoolkids on holidays like myself and would be scared half to death!

I remember one story back in 1999 when the duty manager was using one of the bedrooms to have a shower and freshen up and was on the phone when she felt something playing with her hair and looked down to see clumps of it moving by itself! She ran out of the hotel screaming haha

Anyway...

UrbexJunkie · 22-03-2011 3:59pm

Sorry i was re-vamping my website i should have them back up this week.

Tiradon · 22-03-2011 5:06pm

Having lived in Greystones most of my life, I would like nothing more than to see the La Touche restored to its former glory and operate as a hotel once again. I believe the efforts that have been made by many to keep the building and try and move this thing along have been admirable and worth considerable credit. However, I believe we now stand at an impasse. 3 things can happen here – 1) the situation is left as is and the building goes to further ruin which will, in my opinion, only lead to significant problems such as structural issues and vandalism which will more than likely lead to the place eventually being burned to the ground. 2) someone, somewhere will invest in the place for sentimental reasons, renovate it and open it again. Extremely unlikely. 3) the place is allowed to be redeveloped into apartments/retail/leisure space and we can have one less eyesore in the town. My preferred option is 2, I think the only feasible option is 3 but I fear the most likely option is 1.

UrbexJunkie · 22-03-2011 5:49pm

cavemeister wrote: »

Well if the La Touche is rebuilt as apartments, I would never live there... Its haunted! I used to work there during school and college holidays and it was common knowledge with staff that "Lady La Touche" like to go walkabouts during the night. She was seen by quite a few members of staff over the years, many schoolkids on holidays like myself and would be scared half to death!

I remember one story back in 1999 when the duty manager was using one of the bedrooms to have a shower and freshen up and was on the phone when she felt something playing with her hair and looked down to see clumps of it moving by itself! She ran out of the hotel screaming haha

Anyway...

It is very odd inside but when i explore places i tend to leave the spooky stuff out of my head until i finish haha. I have been there a few times and every single time i always keep looking over my shoulder.

Tiradon · 22-03-2011 6:41pm

UrbexJunkie, I left my jacket in the Nightclub a few years back - any chance you came across it?

Did you get into the Bennigans Bar part of the place beside the nightclub?

UrbexJunkie · 22-03-2011 6:49pm

Tiradon wrote: »

UrbexJunkie, I left my jacket in the Nightclub a few years back - any chance you came across it?

Did you get into the Bennigans Bar part of the place beside the nightclub?

Yeah i was in it all mate, I am just sorting through my photo's now and i will have some up here tonight! The nightclub was trashed beyond belief as you will see later.

UrbexJunkie · 22-03-2011 9:18pm

I have updated the photo's guys you can find them here:

http://www.urbexjunkie.com/2011/03/la-touche-hotel/

Uj

matt-dublin · 22-03-2011 9:20pm

UrbexJunkie wrote: »

Yeah i was in it all mate, I am just sorting through my photo's now and i will have some up here tonight! The nightclub was trashed beyond belief as you will see later.

Pm me next time ur going up there! Would love to see it!!!

Is it classified as trespassing by entering?

UrbexJunkie · 22-03-2011 9:24pm

No, there are no signs saying tresspassers will be prosecuted nor any signs in fact to say the building is dangerous,.

Even if their was the law states you need to be vandalising the place or doing something really bad for the owners to presecute otherwise you can only be told to leave. That was a few years back when i looked into it, the law could of changed for all i know.

Huntthe · 23-03-2011 10:49am

Had a look at the site, never felt it was haunted, never heard it was haunted either and I know all the nephews, there's a quite a few of them.

Shame to see it like this, can't believe they can just flatten it. Like it or not it symbolises the roots of Greystones and it's unusal beginnings.

The Hotel can be seen on most approaches to the Town.

We started the Celtic Tiger era with a Hotel and a Harbour, now we have neither.

End of the line for the La Touche?

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