It is sincerely hoped that funds raised over the next year can be reserved for a couple of larger projects – one a renovation, the other a restoration.

The windows and areas of roofing on the northern elevation of the house -  the Yacht Club end - are in need of a major overhaul, which is a project that will require extensive (and expensive!) scaffolding. 

The Board are also very keen to replace the chicken-wire fencing on the terraces to restore the façade of this iconic building to its former glory.  It is a large area and will likely be a costly undertaking but a particularly fitting project if it can be achieved in time for Cliff House Trust’s 100^th birthday in 2021

In the first few days of 2019 work was undertaken at the base of the tower to investigate a section of leaking roof which was causing significant problems in both the Yacht Club and the top floor flat.  Along with considerable quantities of moss and other growth, the area had a loose drain pipe and completely blocked guttering.  These were all dealt with and two significant cracks in the flashing were sealed.  It is hoped that this will, at the very least, alleviate the problem.

Investigations into the cause of flooding in the storage ‘dungeons’ at street level (a problem which has persisted for as long as anyone can remember!) may require some funding in the future.  Although a number of remedial measures were attempted in 2018 and early 2019 the problem persists.  We remain none-the-wiser as to the source of the water and the fitting of a sump pump is not an easy solution given the location of the problem and the lack of a nearby drain.

Sections of flooring in the corridor by the library required the services of a skilled carpenter at the beginning of 2019.  Later in the year, he was back to complete work on a sizeable area of flooring in the Assembly Hall, a spot that has been patched up many times in the past.  Thanks in large part to a legacy from former-Trustee Barbara Cutler, we were able to completely replace the floorboards at that end of the hall, thus providing a safe dancefloor for at least a couple more generations of party-goers!    Under the floorboards we found various publications from the 1960’s, including two copies of The Reader’s Digest, misplaced it would seem by Mrs Brown of 30 Fore Street.

A number of smaller projects were also undertaken in 2019 including the replacement and installation of LED light fittings, repairs to the garden fencing, Health and Safety upgrades and improvements to the toilet facilities.

The Board has prioritized two major projects for 2018:

1. Boiler – the purchase of a new 60kw boiler and its relocation from the basement at street-level to the prep room by the kitchen, with associated flue, fittings, pumps, valves pipework and gas supply.  The works will require additional alterations within the prep room. The boiler provides central heating for the main body of the house. This major project is scheduled for June 2018. 

This project is being funded in large part from the proceeds of our Elvis fundraiser in January, for which the Board are most grateful to organisers Ron and Maggie Taylor and sponsors The Winking Prawn and The Harbour Hotel.

2. Work to the roof over the Town Council offices.  Further to the discovery of significant damp on the outer wall, the Board have approved the erection of scaffolding to the far right of the building and across the roof to remove two ancient sky-lights and replace them with tiles.  Whilst the scaffolding is in place, the chimneys will be assessed, the forest growing in the roof valleys will be removed and the guttering will be cleared.  This work has been scheduled for October 2018.

Cliff House Trust have the good fortune to be receiving funding in 2018 from community schemes offered by both Co-op and Tesco’s.  These anticipated funds have been allocated to furniture and soft furnishings at Cliff House.  It is hoped that these donations will enable the Trust to replace the worn blinds in the Assembly Hall as well as providing some improved seating within the house and on the terrace.

Thanks to support and generous donations from members of the community, the Salcombe Town Council, South Hams District Council and Devon County Council, we undertook the following projects in 2017.

• Complete redecoration of the front façade
• Complete renovation and refurbishment of windows and exterior glass doors on the middle floor, including the Library
• Re-levelling of balcony paving on the middle floor
• Replacement of garden fence and gate
• Replacement of chimney liner in Yacht Club bar
• Replacement of downpipe by front door
• Patching a hole in the roof which resolved a long-standing leak in the library ceiling
• Completion of vital repairs to the lightning conductor (imagine the scaffolding bill!)
• Redecoration of the Assembly Hall
• Redecoration of the Library
• Clearance of the overgrown garden at the back of the house