Doctor Who prop maker James Sutton has revealed that preservation efforts are under way for the fictional entrance to Torchwood HQ in Cardiff Bay following the removal of Ianto Jones’s shrine.
The tribute, which was built by fans of the Doctor Who spin-off to commemorate the fictional character after he was killed off in 2009 and had covered the location used as the entrance to Torchwood HQ, was taken down in April due to maintenance works.
Writing on Instagram on Thursday (7 May), Sutton revealed that, with the permission of Mermaid Quay and BBC Studios, he’d been to visit the location and had salvaged “a few smaller dressing pieces” with the hope of returning for “the larger pieces”, including the newspapers in the windows.
He wrote: “The idea came to me last week after spotting parts of the Hub entrance still visible behind the remains of Ianto’s Shrine. I was amazed some of the original details were still surviving nearly 20 years later, and with redevelopment plans underway, I realised there was a real chance they could simply be scrapped.
“Whilst it’s only a few smaller dressing pieces so far, it’s nice to be able to ensure some element of this set survives. Especially as it’s something many of us have actively been in person to over the last two decades.”
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He continued: “Sadly, the larger pieces couldn’t be removed this time, but hopefully we can return for them later. I was especially hoping to save the newspapers in the windows, but they’re now so fragile that the glass itself seems to be the only thing holding them together. Fingers crossed the windows can eventually be salvaged intact.”
Torchwood, which revolved around Captain Jack Harkness and a team of alien-hunters protecting the world, aired between 2006 and 2011 and became hugely popular among sci-fi fans.
Ianto, who was introduced in the very first episode of the show, went from having a supporting role to becoming romantically entangled with Captain Jack in a hugely popular storyline, which fans praised for its positive depiction of LGBTQ+ relationships.
Torchwood fans marked the end of the shrine last month as part of a new documentary film, with more than 70 enthusiasts of the show – including Ianto actor Gareth David-Lloyd – descending on the tribute to surprise and celebrate Carol-Anne Hillman, the person who has overseen the shrine over the last decade.
The footage will form part of a new documentary – provisionally titled The Man Who Never Lived – from Cardiff-based production company 17/11 Pictures, which organised the surprise for Hillman.
The Man Who Never Lived (working title) from 17/11 Pictures is set for release later this year.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
