'Torquay' (
IPA: ) is a town in
Devon,
England.
It lies 26
kilometres (16
miles) south of
Exeter along the A380 on the north of
Torbay, and adjoins the neighbouring town of
Paignton on the west of the bay. In the 19th century, it became a fashionable
seaside resort. Renowned for its healthy climate, it earned the nickname of the
English Riviera.
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.
[2]
History
Main articles: History of Torquay
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.
[3][4]
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.
Torquay, 1811
The first major building in what was to become Torquay was
Torre Abbey, a
Premonstratensian monastery founded in
1196.
[5][6] 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.
Torquay, 1842
The second phase in the expansion of Torquay began when
Torre railway station was opened on
18th 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
2nd 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.
The Strand, 1900
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. Torquay did still suffer bomb damage during the war, mainly from planes dumping excess loads after participating in the Plymouth Blitz. In the months leading up to
D-Day thousands of
US Army personnel arrived in Torquay, and the 3204th Quartermaster Service Company were
billeted in
Chelston and
Cockington. The last air raid on Torquay took place on
29th May 1944.
Olympic Parade in 1948
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.
[7]. Although it will not 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.
Part of the Torquay seafront at high tide
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.
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, and
cabbage trees (often erroneously dubbed "Torbay Palms") are a notable feature of the area. They were introduced into the area in 1820 from
New Zealand and since then have flourished. There are currently thousands throughout the town.
Torquay is also set along a coastline renowned for its beaches, having no fewer than 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 nine main beaches of Torquay, a string of nine beautiful beaches and coves stretched out along the palm lined coast, are as follows:
★ Maidencombe Beach
★ Watcombe Beach
★
Oddicombe Beach
★
Babbacombe Beach
★ Anstey's Cove
★
Meadfoot Beach
★ Torre Abbey Sands
★ Corbyn Sands
Transport
Transport in Torquay - the railway (black, with Torre and Torquay stations marked), A380 (green), A3022 and A379 (red), and B3199 (yellow)
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.
[8]
Economy
Unemployment in Torquay is high at 6.8% - this compares with 3.9% for Devon, and 5.0% for England as a whole.
[9]
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 Pavilion, with St John's Church in the background.
Numerous tourist attractions vie for a share of the resort's visitors including Britain's most important Stone Age site,
Kents Cavern which was home to early man for some 700,000 years and where tourists can visit this subterranean wonderland. 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 (1825 – 29) the cave 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,
[10] Beatrix Potter,
King George V of the
United Kingdom and
Haile Selassie who was so impressed with his visit that he gave his guide, Leslie Powe a
gold sovereign.
Living Coasts
Living Coasts, another popular Torquay 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 beautiful stone arches of this public bath can still be seen today and have been cleverly 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.It was 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 old favourite of tourists is the Babbacombe Model Village, opened in 1963. It has attracted children and adults of all ages for generations and 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.
[11] 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''.
[12][13]
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.
The Torquay Natural History Society was founded in
1844, and in
1845 opened Torquay Museum, the oldest museum in Devon.
[14][15] 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.
[16]
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.
[17] 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.
[18][19] Babbacombe Theatre is located on Babbacombe Downs and describes itself as the
South West's only
unsubsidised professional theatre.
[20]
Media
Gemini FM Torbay, part of
GCap Media's network of local radio stations, is based in Torquay's Victoria Parade.
[21] 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
£450,000 since
1995.
[22]
Torquay is also served by
Palm 105.5FM, which is owned by the
London Media Company and launched in Torbay and the surrounding area in
2006, the station has had a rocky start in the region 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.
Sport
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.
[7]
Torquay is represented in the English
Conference National Football League by
Torquay United F.C.. The team plays their home matches at
Plainmoor and has spent its entire history in the bottom two leagues of English football. In the 2004/05 season, the team was relegated from
League One to
League Two, a reverse of their fortunes in the previous season. In 2005/06, they escaped
relegation from
The Football League only on the last day of the season and after two changes of manager in as many months. Unfortunately, the 2006/07 season was worse again: they were relegated from
Football League Two after a disasterous campaign.
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 town's Palace Hotel also hosted the
World Snooker Championship Qualifiers.
Recently the resort has become popular amongst the
Powerboat community: Torquay has held various national championships 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'' (1975-79), a popular
sitcom.
[31] 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 have ever met", although Mr. Sinclair's widow has since said her husband was totally misrepresented in the comedy.
[32] 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 is film footage of Basil in a shopping area where shopfronts show Torquay addresses and phone numbers.
As of 2007, Torbay Council are considering plans to erect a statue of characters from the show by the harbour.
[33][34]
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.
[35]
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'' reported to have been written while 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. 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.
The following statistics are for the whole of
Torbay, including
Paignton and
Brixham.
| Marital status | Number of people |
|---|
| Single (never married) | 26,880 |
| Married or re-married | 53,327 |
| Separated or divorced | 14,273 |
| Widowed | 11,905 |
| Religion | Number of people |
|---|
| Christian | 98,820 |
| Buddhist | 196 |
| Hindu | 66 |
| Jewish | 159 |
| Muslim | 341 |
| Sikh | 50 |
| Other | 476 |
| No religion | 19,345 |
| Religion not stated | 10,253 |
Social issues
Politics
Torquay, as one of the three main towns of Torbay, is run by
Torbay Council which has its town hall at the top of the Torquay high street. Currently the
Conservative Party is the party in power, with the
Liberal Democrats in a distant second place and Independent candidates, a very distant third.
[36]
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 Studley 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, they will have to leave Torquay. Should they wish to continue living in Torquay they have 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
Torquay has two twin towns, due to its relationship as part of
Torbay. The year each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below.
References
1. Office for National Statistics (2001), ''United Kingdom Census 2001''
2. Percy Russell, A History Of Torquay (Torquay: Devonshire Press Limited, 1960), 7-8
3. John R. Pike, ''Torquay'' (Torquay: Torbay Borough Council Printing Services, 1994), 5-6
4. Paul Rincon, "Jawbone hints at earliest Britons", BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4482679.stm (accessed 2006-11-07)
5. Russell, 19
6. Pike, 6
7. Russell, 199
8. Stagecoach Devon, "Devon - Timetables", Stagecoach Group, http://www.stagecoachbus.com/devon/timetables.php (accessed 2006-11-01)
9. Office for National Statistics, "Table CAS021: Economic activity by sex and limiting long-term illness" in ''United Kingdom Census 2001'' (London: Office for National Statistics, 2001)
10. Agatha Christie (1977), ''Autobiography''
11. torbay.gov.uk, "Torbay Arts Base", Torbay Council, http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/leisure/artsculture/arts/artsbase.htm (accessed 2006-11-03)
12. torbay.gov.uk, "Torbay Arts Database", Torbay Council, http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/leisure/artsculture/arts/artsdatabase.htm (accessed 2006-11-03)
13. torbay.gov.uk, "Torbay Arts Directory", Torbay Council, http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/leisure/artsculture/arts/artsdirectory.htm (accessed 2006-11-03)
14. torquaymuseum.org, "Our History", Torquay Natural History Society, http://www.torquaymuseum.org/aboutUs/ourHistory.html (accessed 2006-11-03)
15. torquaymuseum.org, "General Description", Torquay Natural History Society, http://www.torquaymuseum.org/aboutUs/generalDescription.html (accessed 2006-11-03)
16. torquaymuseum.org, "Galleries Map", Torquay Natural History Society, http://www.torquaymuseum.org/seeTheMuseum/galleries.html (accessed 2006-11-03)
17. livenation.co.uk, "Princess Theatre - Above The Venue", Live Nation, http://www.livenation.co.uk/venues/venue_content.aspx?vrid=1108&wid=141 (accessed 2006-11-03)
18. toadstheatre.co.uk, "Theatre History", TOADS Theatre Company, http://www.toadstheatre.co.uk/theatrehistory.htm (accessed 2006-11-03)
19. toadstheatre.co.uk, "Company History", TOADS Theatre Company, http://www.toadstheatre.co.uk/companyhistory.htm (accessed 2006-11-03)
20. babbacome-theatre.com, "Babbacombe Theatre", Babbacombe Theatre, http://www.babbacombe-theatre.com/home.htm (accessed 2006-11-03)
21. Gemini FM - Torbay & South Devon, "About Us - Contact", GCap Media, http://www.geminitorbay.co.uk/contact (accessed 2006-11-02)
22. Gemini FM - Torbay & South Devon, "About Us - Charities", GCap Media, http://www.geminitorbay.co.uk/charitableactivity/article/042f0133-3b6f-4528-8e08-059eac110d38 (accessed 2006-11-02)
23. Russell, 199
24. bbc.co.uk, "Captain Sir Richard Burton", BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/discovering/famous/sir_richard_burton.shtml (accessed 2006-10-09)
25. biography.com, "Percy (Harrison) Fawcett Biography", The Biography Channel, http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9292425 (accessed 2006-10-09)
26. IMDb, "Peter Cook (I)", Internet Movie Database Incorporated, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177228/ (accessed 2006-10-09)
27. Wishbone Ash, "Wishbone Ash - The Band - Past Members", Wishbone Ash, http://www.wishboneash.com/band_pastmembers.asp (accessed 2006-10-08)
28. IMDb, "Roger Deakins", Internet Movie Database Incorporated, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005683/ (accessed 2006-10-09)
29. IMDb, "Miranda Hart", Internet Movie Database Incorporated, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1635000/ (accessed 2006-10-09)
30. IMDb, "Layla Jade", Internet Movie Database Incorporated, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0415290/ (accessed 2006-10-09)
31. BBC Guide to Comedy by Mark Lewisohn (accessed on 2006-10-29)
32. Richard Savill, "My husband was not like Basil", Telegraph Media Group, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/05/11/nfawlt11.xml (accessed 2007-01-21)
33. Weekender, "Just add Basil for Bay tourist appeal", ''Weekender'', 2006-09-21, Torbay Edition
34. Basil in bronze
35. IMDb, "Blackball (2003)", Internet Movie Database Incorporated, http://imdb.com/title/tt0337879/ (accessed 2007-01-21)
36. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2007/councils/html/hh.stm
See also
★
Babbacombe Cliff Railway
★
Kents Cavern
External links
★
'''Tourism'''
★
Torbay Council
★
English Riviera Tourist Board
'''History'''
★
History of Torquay
★
Torquay Museum
★
John Lee, the man they couldn't hang
★
The Geology of Torquay and Torbay
★
Torbytes "Bytes Of Torbay's Past"
'''Arts'''
★
Torquay Pottery
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