Gareth David-Lloyd, who played Ianto Jones in Torchwood and Doctor Who, has confirmed that the Torchwood/Ianto shrine that was formerly in Cardiff Bay has been saved.

What’s more, it’s being remodelled into a piece of art that will be displayed to celebrate 20 years of the Doctor Who spin-off!

The shrine was created by fans to mourn the fictional character, Ianto, and evolved into a wall of messages dedicated to Torchwood itself. Yes, it’s a little bizarre when you think about it, but there’s something sweet and charming about that too. (Personally, I think a Sarah Jane Adventures shrine is more of a necessity, seeing as that’s the best Who spin-off!) But due to redevelopment of the bay area, the shrine was dismantled. Fortunately, David-Lloyd says it really has been saved:

“Nathan Wyburn, the brilliant artist from Cardiff — he’s taken all the bits and pieces from the shrine and he’s making a piece of art that will last forever. I think they’re displaying it at the Red Dragon Centre to fall in line with the 20th anniversary; it might be a bit later now, I think it might be the beginning of next year. I know it’s going to be there up until the Red Dragon Centre closes, and then hopefully it’ll find a new home.”

The Red Dragon Centre is situated very nearby, and was previously the site of a comparatively large Doctor Who exhibition (until the Doctor Who Experience opened; now that that’s shut too, Who doesn’t really have a public home in Cardiff anymore, sadly).

The Centre is due to be knocked down and redeveloped in the near future, though it does still have various tenants including the Odeon cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Travelodge, and Capital South Wales radio.

So sometime soon — hopefully next year — fans will at least be able to see the Torchwood shrine again in some form!