Everything about Torquay totally explained
Torquay is a town in the
unitary authority of
Torbay and ceremonial county of
Devon,
England.
It lies 16
miles (26
kilometres) south of
Exeter along the A380 on the north of
Torbay, 38
miles (61 km) north-east of
Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of
Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 62,963 during the
2001 UK Census made it the third largest settlement in
Devon. If the
Torbay area, of which Torquay forms a third, were to be recognised as a city as incumbent Torbay Mayor
Nicholas Bye has proposed, it would rank as the 45th
largest city in the
United Kingdom with a population only slightly less than that of
Brighton, which was granted city status in
2000. During the peak summer season the resort's population swells to around 200,000
The town's economy was initially based upon fishing and agriculture as in the case of
Brixham across Torbay, but in the early
19th century the town began to develop into a fashionable
seaside resort, initially frequented by members of the Royal Navy during the
Napoleonic Wars while the
Royal Navy anchored in the bay and later by the crème de la crème of
Victorian society as the town's fame spread. Renowned for its healthful climate, the town earned the nickname of the
English Riviera and favourable comparisons to
Montpellier.
Torquay's name originates in it being the
quay of the ancient village of Torre. In turn, Torre takes its name from the
tor, the extensively quarried remains of which can be seen by the town's Tor Hill Road.
History
The area comprising modern Torquay has been inhabited since
paleolithic times.
Hand axes found in
Kents Cavern date to 450,000 years ago, and a
maxilla fragment known as
Kents Cavern 4 may be the oldest example of a
modern human in Europe.
Roman soldiers are known to have visited Torquay at some point during the period when Britain was a part of the
Roman Empire, leaving offerings at a strange rock formation in
Kent's Cavern, known as 'The Face'. No evidence has been found of Roman settlement in the area; however, evidence of Roman settlement has been found in nearby
Totnes and given the proximity of
Exeter, it's possible there may have been some small scale Roman settlement in the area.
The first major building in what was to become Torquay was
Torre Abbey, a
Premonstratensian monastery founded in
1196. Torquay remained a minor settlement until the
Napoleonic wars, when Torbay was frequently used as a sheltered anchorage by the
Channel Fleet, and relatives of officers often visited Torquay. The mild climate of Torquay attracted many visitors who considered the town a convalescence retreat where they could recover from illness away from the cold winters of more Northerly or Easterly locations. The population of Torquay grew rapidly from 838 in
1801, to 11,474 in
1851.
The second phase in the expansion of Torquay began when
Torre railway station was opened on
18 December 1848. The improved transport connections resulted in the rapid growth of Torquay at the expense of nearby towns not on
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's
railways.
The more central
Torquay railway station was open on
2 August 1859. After the growth of the preceding decades, Torquay was granted
borough status in
1872. Previously regarded as a convalescence retreat, Torquay began to encourage healthy visitors, and
1902 saw the first advertising campaign to market Torquay to summer tourists.
During
World War I, military hospitals were sited in Torquay - many survivors from the
Battle of Gallipoli recuperated in the town - and it was also used as a troop staging area. In September
1915 King George V and
Queen Mary visited. After the war had ended,
Great Western Railway launched an advertising campaign to attract tourists to Torquay, and this helped the town grow to a major South coast resort.
During
World War II Torquay was regarded as safer than the towns of
South East England, and played host to
evacuees from the
London area, the town did however suffer minor bomb damage during the war, mainly from planes dumping excess loads after participating in the
Plymouth Blitz. The last air raid on Torquay took place on
29 May 1944 shortly before the D-Day landings in June and in the months leading up to
D-Day thousands of
US Army personnel arrived in Torquay with the 3204th Quartermaster Service Company being
billeted in
Chelston and
Cockington. During
Operation Overlord more than 23,000 men of the American 4th Infantry Division would depart Torquay for
Utah Beach.
The
water sport events of the
1948 Summer Olympics were held in Torquay, with the
Olympic flame being brought from
London to Torre Abbey Gardens.. Although it won't host any Olympic events for the
2012 Summer Olympics, with the sailing taking place in
Weymouth, Torbay is looking to host teams as a preparation camp.
Since World War II, the nature of tourism in the United Kingdom has changed significantly. Increasing wealth has meant that holidays abroad are now commonplace, and coastal towns are now more popular for short stays as part of a touring holiday. Recently Torquay has seen an increase in foreign visitors, and is now a major destination for foreign exchange students.
Governance
Torquay is part of
Torbay, an administrative area, created in 1968 as a Borough, from the amalgamation of the Boroughs of Torquay,
Paignton and
Brixham. Historically part of the county of
Devon, Torbay was made a
unitary authority on
April 1 1998 making it responsible for its own affairs. For local elections the district is divided into 11 wards, 7 of them in Torquay.
Torbay Council is headed by the first directly elected mayor in the South West region, Conservative candidate
Nicholas Bye becoming the first mayor elected under this system in October 2005, under an electoral system which was later described as "a total failure", Bye receiving votes from fewer than 7% of the electorate. He beat
Liberal Democrat Nicholas Pannell in the second round of counting with a total of 7,096 votes to Pannell's 5,197. After the election, Bye noted the general apathy towards the concept displayed during the election, stating: "it is quite clear from canvassing that a lot of people didn't want an elected mayor."
Torquay, Paignton and Brixham are in the
Torbay parliamentary constituency, created in 1974. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament; currently
Adrian Sanders (
Liberal Democrat). Torquay, the rest of South West England, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.
Geography
Torquay is situated on the South West coast of England, forming one third of Torbay, and is primarily on the western side of the bay. It has a mild
microclimate, often receiving amongst the highest hours of sunlight per day in the
United Kingdom, winters in the town tend to be mild and wet with above average temperatures.
Cabbage trees, also nicknamed 'Torbay Palms' are a notable feature of the area, the trees were introduced into the area in 1820 from
New Zealand and since then have flourished, There are currently thousands throughout the town and they contribute significantly to the more Mediterranean than English feel the town has.
The town is made up of a number of regions that over the years amalgamated into the town of Torquay. The town's historic core consists of the regions of Tormohun, Wellswood, The Warberries, Upton and Ellacombe and is based upon what was once the holdings of the Palk family. In
1900 the regions of Chelston and Livermead, previously part of the Cockington estate owned by the Mallocks were annexed by the town and this was swiftly followed by the absorption of the former borough of Saint Marychuch into the town. In this period Saint Marychurch consisted of more than just present day Saint Marychurch but also the regions of Plainmoor, Watcombe and Babbacombe. Finally in
1928 the Mallocks' last holdings in Cockington were integrated within the town borders. Torquay continued to expand throughout the century leading to the development of Shiphay, Hele Village, Barton and most recently from the 1990s until present day, The Willows giving the town its current layout.
Torquay is also set along a coastline renowned for its beaches, having nine popular beaches. The high standards of water quality and beach facilities mean that many carry coveted awards, including no fewer than three
European Blue Flags - more than any other resort in the UK. The main beaches of Torquay are as follows:
The town is also noticeable for being the terminus of the Sticklepath Fault line, which runs through the rocks of
Devon from
Barnstaple Bay to Torquay resulting in infrequent mild earthquakes, the last of which were felt in the 1990s. The fault line emerges in the cliff face which forms part of Rock Walk before going out into the bay itself. On the Rock Walk side is Devonian
Limestone on which Warren Road and Fleet Street stand. The other side of the fault line which runs down Belgrave Road is the red
sandstone on which
Torre Abbey stands, the fault can reach widths up to 500 metres in places.
Transport
Torquay has two railway stations.
Torquay railway station is situated near the sea, close to Torre Abbey Sands.
Torre railway station is situated a little inland adjacent to the road leading to
Newton Abbot. Not all trains stop at Torre.
Torquay is connected to the UK
motorway network by the A380, which traces the outskirts of the town as
Hellevoetsluis Way and
Hamelin Way, leading to the
A38 and then on to the
M5 at
Exeter. The A3022 branches from the A380, leading into Torquay as
Riviera Way, to the seafront as
Newton Road and then Avenue Road, and then on to
Paignton as Torbay Road. The A379 runs past the harbour to the Babbacombe and
St Marychurch areas of Torquay, and then north along the coast to
Teignmouth. Two bus routes operated by
Stagecoach Devon pass through Torquay - the 'Bayline' number 12 service between Newton Abbot and
Brixham, and the X46 service between Exeter and Paignton - while other routes operate within the town.
Economy
Unemployment in Torquay is high at 6.8% - this compares with 3.9% for Devon, and 5.0% for England as a whole.
Many locals were employed in the
Pontins holiday centre before it was sold off.
Torquay is also the home of Beverage Brands, the owners of the popular and controversial alcoholic brand,
WKD, and was the home of
Suttons Seeds until it relocated to the neighbouring town of
Paignton in 1998.
Tourism
Torquay has numerous tourist attractions, including Britain's most important
Stone Age site:
Kents Cavern which was home to early man for some 700,000 years. The floor is composed of several strata, with remains indicating the prehistoric coexistence there of humans and now-extinct animals.
The Rev. J. McEnery explored the cave between 1825 and 1829 and put forth the coexistence theory. The cave was extensively explored from 1865 to 1880 by
William Pengelly, who found evidence to support McEnery's hypothesis. The caves have attracted many famous people, among them
Agatha Christie,
Beatrix Potter,
King George V and
Haile Selassie who was so impressed with his visit that he gave his guide, Leslie Powe a gold sovereign.
Living Coasts, another popular attraction, is built on Beacon Quay which has existed since 1680. In 1857 the Bath's Saloons complex was built on the promontory overlooking Beacon Cove. This included a ballroom, concert hall and sunlit conservatory and private bathing facilities with, underneath, a large public swimming bath open to the sea. The stone arches of this public bath can still be seen today and have been incorporated into the shop at Living Coasts. Development of the site as a marine animal exhibit was first proposed in the early part of 1999 in response to a call from
Torbay Borough Council for submissions from interested parties. The project, developed by Kay Elliott architects, included an exhibit to house marine birds, rather than fish, due to the need to avoid duplicating the exhibits at the
National Marine Aquarium in
Plymouth. The project was subsequently taken on by
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park and named Living Coasts.
Another attraction is the
Babbacombe Model Village which opened in 1963. It is considered one of the best examples of a model village in England.
The
Princess Theatre is a popular venue in the town.
Culture
Arts
Torbay Council operates Torbay Arts Base, a forum for the discussion of the arts. Local artists and residents interested in the arts can join the group by registering on the Torbay Arts Database, which also provides access to arts publications
The Lighthouse and
Torbay Arts Directory. In the early years of British cinema, Torquay was home to two production companies,
Cairns Torquay Films and
Torquay And Paignton Photoplay Productions, who in
1920 produced a total of three films between them.
Recently,
Devon Films, based in Torquay, has established itself as the Bay's latest film production company. The company financed and produced
Stepdad in 2007, starring
Ricky Tomlinson and
Chris Bisson amongst others; it was entered into the
Cannes Film Festival. A new film
Snappers set in Torquay itself and shot on location, starring
Caroline Quentin,
Bruce Jones and other prominent British television actors, is in pre-production and is due to be released in March 2009.
The Torquay Natural History Society was founded in
1844, and in
1845 opened Torquay Museum, the oldest museum in Devon. In addition to artifacts from
Kents Cavern, other local
archaeology, information about
Agatha Christie, and a replica old farmhouse interior, the museum has galleries dedicated to such diverse topics as
ancient Egypt and world
jewellery.
The Princess Theatre, which is by the side of the harbour, is owned by Torbay Council and operated by
Live Nation. It is Torquay's largest theatre with approximately 1,500 seats and plays host to touring independent production companies. TOADS Theatre Company operates the Little Theatre in
Meadfoot in the converted St Mark's Church, hosting both the company's own productions and those of visiting societies. Babbacombe Theatre is located on Babbacombe Downs and describes itself as having the longest running summer season in the country, which lasts nine months.
Media
Torquay as the center of local government in the Torbay region, is served by two radio stations both with their offices in the town, the oldest is
Gemini FM Torbay, part of
GCap Media's network of local radio stations, which transmits from the harbourside of the town. The station operates the Gemini Radio Charitable Trust, a
registered charity that awards grants to
community organisations in the station's broadcast area - a total of more than £529,000 since 1995. Torquay is also served by
Palm 105.5FM, owned by the
London Media Company and launched in Torbay and the surrounding area in 2006, the station had a difficult start with multiple on air personality changes, but is a well known name in the region now due to widespread promotion ranging from billboards at
Torquay United to sponsoring the town's Christmas Lights in 2006.
The town's local newspaper is called the
Herald Express and has been published since 1927. Its catchment area includes towns outside the Bay itself including
Newton Abbot and
Dartmouth, and there's also a weekly free newspaper known as
The Weekend which is delivered to most residences every Thursday.
Sport
Torquay has a long history of holding sailing events and regattas due to the favourable easterly facing nature of the bay and its popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries; this tradition reached its height in 1948 when the
water sport events of the
1948 Summer Olympics were held in Torquay, with the
Olympic flame being transferred from
London to Torre Abbey Gardens to reside throughout the event.
Outside of naval events, Torquay is represented in the English
Conference National Football League by
Torquay United F.C.. The team plays their home matches at
Plainmoor and have never progressed beyond the third tier of the
English leagues. In
2007 they were relegated from the
Football League after 80 years of membership and currently play in the
Conference National; this downfall came just three years after their most recent promotion from the
league's basement division and ultimately led to a change in ownership of the club to a consortium of local businessmen and fans. Notable former managers of the club include
Frank O'Farrell who'd later go on to manage
Leicester City and
Manchester United,
David Webb,
Cyril Knowles,
Neil Warnock and
Roy McFarland. Notable former players include
Lee Sharpe,
Neville Southall,
Garry Nelson and
Eddie Kelly.
The town also houses three major football teams from the local
non-league scene, including Hele Rovers, Kingskerswell & Chelston and Upton Athletic, all of whom compete in the
South Devon League.
Torquay is represented in the sport of rugby by
Torquay Athletic Rugby Football Club, who compete in the South West Division Two rugby league, which is five leagues below the
Guinness Premiership.
Torquay also hosted the
World Snooker European Open 2003 at the Palace Hotel, which was won by
Ronnie O'Sullivan, In the same year, the Palace Hotel also hosted the
World Snooker Championship Qualifiers. Recently the resort has become popular amongst the
Powerboat community and has held various national championships in various classes over the past few years.
Torquay in English culture
A number of sketches for the
Monty Python's Flying Circus television show (1969-73) were filmed on location in and around both Torquay and neighbouring
Paignton. It was while staying in Torquay at the Gleneagles Hotel with the Python team in 1971, that
John Cleese found inspiration for
Fawlty Towers (1975,1979), a popular
sitcom. Incidents during the Pythons' stay are said to include the owner,
Donald Sinclair, having thrown
Eric Idle's suitcase out of the window thinking it was a bomb. Cleese later described the eccentric owner as, "the most wonderfully rude man I've ever met", although Mr. Sinclair's widow has since said her husband was totally misrepresented in the comedy. Although the exterior of the hotel itself was the
Wooburn Grange Country Club in
Buckinghamshire, some location filming for
Fawlty Towers was actually done in
Cambridge,
Berkshire and
Bedfordshire. In the episode "
Gourmet Night" there's film footage of Basil in a shopping area where shopfronts show Torquay addresses and phone numbers.
As of 2007, Torbay Council were considering plans to erect a statue of characters from the show by the harbour.
In 1979 the town was again the site of filming, when the
Ray Winstone,
BAFTA nominated drama
That Summer was both set in and filmed around the town.
In addition to its association with the Pythons, Torquay is also the setting for the 2003 movie
Blackball staring
Paul Kaye and
Vince Vaughn. The movie is about Cliff Starkey who is the Bad Boy of Lawn Bowls.
Torquay has a strong literary tradition with two classic pieces of English literature
Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance and
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles reputed to have been written while their authors were staying in Torquay.
The town also has an unusual history of providing models for the Glamour and Erotic industries with Glamour Model
Lauren Pope, Popular Lad's mag pin up
Natasha Mealey who has appeared in publications such as
FHM and
Zoo, and erotic actress
Layla Jade all having being born in the town and lived in it for varying degrees of time.
Torquay is also the home of the co-presenter of popular
Sky Sports One program
Soccer AM Helen Chamberlain.
Los Angeles radio personality
Richard Blade is originally from Torquay as is Musician and
Paul McCartney Impersonator
Dominic Williams. International catwalk model
Lily Cole was born in Torquay but grew up in the British capital city of
London..
Demographics
The
2001 census confirmed Torquay's reputation as a retirement town, with 26% of the population of 62,963 over sixty years old, compared to a figure of 21% for
England as a whole. Those under twenty years old accounted for 23% of the population, compared to a figure of 25% for the whole of England.
From the 1920s until 1997
Torbay constituency was a safe
Tory seat until
Adrian Sanders overturned spy novel writer
Rupert Allason's majority by just 12 votes, widened to 6,708 in 2001.
During the
2005 general election, Conservative leader
Michael Howard visited the town. However, Sanders retained the seat with 40.8% of the votes (19,317, down from 23,012 in 2001). A swing of 9.7% away from the Liberal Democrats was split between the Conservatives (with a 4.9% swing), Labour - who gained a substantial increase in their vote as support for Lib Dems in 1997 and 2001 moved back and the
United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), whose candidate
Graham Booth improved on his deposit-losing 2001 performance with a 4.7% increase in his vote.
In 2005, a
referendum was held to appoint Torbay's first
Elected Mayor. In the ensuing election in October 2005, the winning candidate was a former Liberal Parliamentary Candidate,
Nicholas Bye, who won the election as a Conservative.
Education
There are five main secondary schools in the town. One is Torquay Community College, previously known as Audley Park. This school has had its troubles in the past and has in the past two years come out of governmental special measures. Its 2004 exam results are available
Here
The other mainstream secondary school in Torquay is Westlands Secondary School and Technology College. This is a combined secondary college and 6th form that takes students of all variations and has recently moved to a brand new modern building. Its 2004 exam results are available
Here
Torquay's other three state secondary schools are more selective. They are St Cuthbert Mayne School, a secondary school exclusively open to followers of the Roman Catholic and Church of England faiths, and
Torquay Boys' Grammar School and Torquay Grammar School for Girls' which are available only to those that pass the 11+ intelligence test and the schools' own standardised test. The 2004 results for St Cuthbert Mayne school are available
here, the Boys' Grammar School results
here and finally the Girls' Grammar School
here. There are also a number of private schools in the area including Stoodley Knowle School and the Abbey School.
For further education, students can either go to one of the sixth forms at the previous mentioned Westlands, St Cuthbert's Mayne or Grammar schools, or they can go to South Devon College which is based in Long Road in Paignton on a new campus that fully opened in January 2006.
Should students pass through school or college and wish to continue in their education at university, that'll have to leave Torquay. Should they wish to continue living in Torquay they've the option of applying to either
Exeter or
Plymouth universities, each roughly an hour train journey from Torquay train station.
Crime
| Offences |
Total |
Rate per 1,000 population |
Average rate per 1,000 population in England & Wales |
| Violence Against The Person |
1,408 |
11.2 |
10.9 |
| Sexual Offences |
104 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
| Robbery Offences |
72 |
0.6 |
1.5 |
| Burglary Dwelling Offences |
1,014 |
8.0 |
6.5 |
| Theft Of Motor Vehicle |
293 |
2.3 |
5.0 |
| Theft From Vehicle |
1,352 |
10.7 |
10.9 |
Information taken from 2001/2002 crime figures in Torbay, available
Here
Healthcare
Torquay's healthcare needs are seen to by
NHS-run Torbay hospital which is situated on the main road out of Torquay and the private, non-emergency Mount Stuart on St Vincents Road.
Twin towns
Because it's part of
Torbay, Torquay has two twin towns. The year each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Torquay'.
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