Pics reveal 18th century manor left to rot in Death in Paradise town

Eerie pictures have revealed the shell of an 18th century manor house left to rot in a town famous for BBC drama Death in Paradise.

Polvellan Manor in Looe, Cornwall has been abandoned for more than 20 years and is a haven for vandals, squatters and drug dealers.

The grand property - dating back to the 1780s but last occupied in 1995 - was bought for £725k by a developer in 2022 but remains in a decrepit state overgrown with weeds, no roof and its windows missing.

Fed up locals want the building to be demolished and made into homes for families and the elderly.

Even a man illegally squatting in the manor - once an old people's home and Second World War hospital - has had enough.

Cornwall Council has sought to have the existing manor rebuilt but new proposals from the owner would see it demolished and replaced with five four-bed homes.

When MailOnline visited the property this week, windows of the mansion had been smashed and the large garden was overgrown and littered with rubbish while window covers meant to prevent trespassers had been ripped away and discarded.

Mark Emmson, 65, has been living ‘off grid’ in a caravan in the mansion’s grounds for the last three-and-a-half years but says he would support the redevelopment even though it would force him off the land.

He said: ‘I’m fortunate to live here but I’m flexible with what happens to it. I know this isn’t going to be forever but I am trying to get housed at the moment in anticipation of what is to come.

‘Cornwall is desperate for housing and if we all put our sensible heads on we could get this back together and tear this down or get it back into use.

‘Me living here is a bit of a grey area with the owners but I’m good for them and they’re good for me, there’s no money involved and as much as possible I’m looking after it.

‘I’ve got a year’s worth of crime reference numbers where I’ve phoned the police about kids coming onto the property.’

There have been several previous attempts to redevelop the site, including in 2021 where the owners applied to convert the building into six apartments alongside 19 new build apartments within the extended grounds. That application was withdrawn.

A proposal to restore the house and develop 17 new homes to make it financially viable was not supported by the council in pre-application advice last year.

Rob Johnston, 59, who has lived in Looe for 20 years said: ‘It’s always been empty ever since I’ve been here.

‘It’s just sitting there doing nothing, you get squatters in there. It’s a lovely piece of land, people could have a really nice life there, especially with the current housing climate.

‘I’ve been inside, it’s as rotten as a pear. About 12 years ago they re-did all the roof but because it was empty somebody came and stole all the lead.

‘About a year ago there were squatters in there supplying drugs.

‘It needs something doing with it, I would like to see them build bungalows for older local people there.

‘I’m surprised the council hasn’t tried to do that. The risk is it will go like everything else and become second homes.

‘It’s just impossible to find anywhere affordable to rent in Looe, there’s nowhere.’

Rachel Bee, 31, a cleaner at a local holiday park, said: ‘The housing situation in Looe is a nightmare, it took me eight months of constant searching to find my place.

‘If it was going to be turned into homes for local people then I would support demolishing it. The council say they are aware of how bad the problem is for us so if they don’t do something that’s going to allow more houses to be built there then they are making it worse for themselves.’

Neighbour Zoe Bass, 32, said: ‘Unless they can restore it to its former glory which is unlikely considering the state it is in then why not demolish it?

‘It would be nice if they could keep it and do something with it. I’ve heard there have been people living in there causing a disturbance but it hasn’t affected me.

‘I think it should be affordable houses for young people, we need more homes for the local community.’

The former fishing town of Looe on the south Cornwall coast is famous for its stunning scenery and quaint harbour. 

It has been a popular tourist destination for decades and is the main filming location for BBC television crime drama Beyond Paradise.

The land was last bought in 2022 for £725,000 and is owned by Midlands-based property developers Polvellan Looe Ltd.

In a letter to Cornwall Council, they said: ‘Polvellan Manor is considered important to the history of Looe, and is located in a Conservation Area. Whilst local history is important, the building is evidently derelict and vandalised, unattractive and has been an eyesore for decades.

‘Renovation and improvement of Polvellan Manor would be possible, but this would be at a cost that will not be viable commercially due to the evident scale and extent of works, and the constraints involved in making the existing building suitable for use.

‘Demolition and sensitive redevelopment of the site to serve local needs using current construction materials and techniques to a sustainable high-performance standard is a more rational and pragmatic approach, with due regard to the setting in a Conservation Area and woodland. 

'It is entirely foreseeable that if such an approach is not adopted, the property will simply remain in its current derelict condition to the continuing detriment and detraction of the environs.’

MailOnline has approached the developer for comment.