With the permission of Mermaid Quay and BBC Studios, maker of Doctor Who prop replicas James Sutton is tasked with salvaging an original location and set dressing from the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.
Sutton spotted parts of the fictional entrance to the Torchwood Hub still visible after the remains of Ianto’s Shrine were removed and was amazed that some of the original details still survived at the Cardiff location nearly 20 years later.
In March 2026, it was announced that the shrine would be removed, reportedly due to health and safety concerns. With redevelopment plans for Mermaid Quay underway, the structure and the set dressing could be scrapped. So far, Sutton has only salvaged a few smaller pieces of the setting with the hope of returning for the larger and more fragile pieces later.
Ianto’s Shrine began as an impromptu memorial to fictional character Ianto Jones at the Mermaid Quay location. It was established after Ianto’s death in a 2009 episode of Torchwood. Torchwood actors Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto) and John Barrowman (Captain Jack) have visited the shrine.
Carol-Anne Hillman, the caretaker of Ianto’s Shrine, has removed and stored many of the tributes to Torchwood character Ianto Jones which fans placed on the site.
@Pancheers and @JohnBarrowman at Ianto's Shrine (separately) pic.twitter.com/DnLCB1X6Gr
— Carol-Anne Hillman ❤🦄❤ (@chinadO1173) October 19, 2024
Fans remain in expectant hope that the rest of the historic location used as a Torchwood set can be safely removed and preserved.