56-531: Kingsbridge is a market town in the South Hams district of Devon , England , with a population of 6,116 at the 2011 census . Two electoral wards bear the name of Kingsbridge (East & North). Their combined population at the above census was 4,381. It is situated at the northern end of the Kingsbridge Estuary , a ria that extends to the sea six miles (10 km) south of the town. It
112-412: A font , but was enlarged and reconsecrated around 1414 and was mostly rebuilt in the 19th century. The parish church of St. Thomas Becket displays a particularly well-preserved rood screen , restored in 1897. In 1798 the town mills were converted into a woollen manufactory, which produced large quantities of cloth, and serge manufacture was introduced early in the 19th century. During the 19th century
168-453: A coastal zoo owned by Paignton Zoo , was later built on the site of the complex. The stone arches of the public bath were incorporated into the shop at Living Coasts. Development of the site as a marine animal exhibit was first proposed in early 1999 in response to a call from Torbay 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
224-460: A corporate body officially called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Torquay", but generally known as the corporation or the town council. The borough was enlarged in 1900 to take in the neighbouring parish of St Marychurch and the Chelston area from the neighbouring parish of Cockington . The rest of Cockington was absorbed into the borough in 1928. In 1911 a new town hall
280-494: A notable feature of the area; the trees were introduced into the area from New Zealand in 1820, and since then have flourished. The main beaches of Torquay are Oddicombe Beach , Meadfoot Beach , Maidencombe, Watcombe, Babbacombe Beach, Anstey's Cove, Redgate, Torre Abbey Sands, Corbyn Sands and Institute Beach and Hollacombe Beach. The first two of these held European Blue Flag status in 2012. The Sticklepath fault line, which runs across Devon from Bideford Bay to Torquay,
336-404: A summary of the 2001 census results on religion , see below, Demographics Torquay has about 60 churches from a wide variety of Christian denominations. Central Church ( Methodist and United Reformed Church ) has a notable pierced screen wall facade. St Matthias's Church, Wellswood, was built as a chapel-of-ease to St Mark's, Torwood, in the 1850s and became a parish church in 1880. In the 1970s,
392-596: A £3 million funding project, resulting in its reopening on 3 October 2010, as part of the Royal Terrace Gardens festival. In 2013, the Torquay Pavilion was closed after a loss in funding and attempts to reopen it under new funding are ongoing. There is only one tier of local government covering Torquay, being the unitary authority of Torbay , which covers a larger area than just Torquay, also including Paignton and Brixham . Torbay Council
448-505: Is based in Torquay, having its headquarters at Torquay Town Hall . Historically, Torquay was in the ancient parish of Tormoham. Until 1835 the parish was controlled by the landowners and the vestry , in the same way as most rural areas. More urban forms of local government began in 1835 when improvement commissioners were appointed for the parish. The unelected commissioners were replaced in 1850 with an elected local board . One of
504-550: Is by the side of the harbour, is owned by Torbay Council and operated by ATG (Ambassador Theatre Group). With about 1,500 seats, it is Torquay's largest theatre and plays host to touring independent production companies. The Princess Theatre also holds weddings and other functions such as parties and large seminars. TOADS Theatre Company operates the Little Theatre in Meadfoot in the converted St Mark's Church, hosting both
560-491: Is in fact a combination of two towns, Kingsbridge and Dodbrooke . Dodbrooke was granted its own market in 1257 and had become a borough by 1319. While Dodbrooke was originally considered to be the dominant of the two, Kingsbridge later expanded to include it. The town consists of two ecclesiastical parishes : St. Edmund 's in the west and St. Thomas Becket at Dodbrooke in the east. St. Edmund's Church, in mainly Perpendicular style, retains some 13th-century features including
616-577: Is made up of a number of small settlements that amalgamated into the town of Torquay. The town's historic core consists of Tormohun (also historically known as Tormoham), Wellswood, The Warberries, Upton and Ellacombe and is based upon what was once the holdings of the Palk family. In 1900, Chelston and Livermead, part of the Cockington estate owned by the Mallocks, were annexed by the town and this
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#1732779713712672-558: Is one of many geological faults criss-crossing Torbay; the Babbacombe Cliff Railway takes advantage of one of these fault lines. On the coast of Wellswood is London Bridge , a limestone arch which can be seen from a viewpoint on the South West Coast Path . Torquay has two railway stations. Torquay railway station is situated near the sea, close to Torre Abbey Sands. Torre railway station
728-606: Is situated a little inland adjacent to the road leading to Newton Abbot . Not all trains stop at Torre. As of 2013, there were plans for station improvements at Torquay and Torre (and at Paignton) and to build a new station at Edginswell. 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
784-522: Is the third largest settlement in the South Hams and is 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Torquay and 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Plymouth . The town formed around a bridge which was built in or before the 10th century between the royal estates of Alvington , to the west, and Chillington , to the east, hence giving it the name of Kyngysbrygge ("King's bridge"). In 1219 the Abbot of Buckfast
840-556: The 1948 Summer Olympic Games were held in Torquay, and the Olympic flame brought from London to Torre Abbey Gardens. Although it did not host any Olympic events for the 2012 Summer Olympics , with the sailing taking place in Weymouth , Torbay looked to host teams as a preparation camp and the flame passed through once more on its route around the UK. After World War II several private high-rise blocks of flats were constructed above
896-680: The D-Day landings in June and, in the months leading up to D-Day, thousands of US Army personnel arrived with the 3204th Quartermaster Service Company billeted in Chelston and Cockington . During Operation Overlord more than 23,000 men of the American 4th Infantry Division departed Torquay for Utah Beach . The loading ramps used by the American army are still visible in front of the Regina Hotel on Vaughan Parade. The water sport events of
952-510: 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 Babbacombe and St Marychurch, and then north along the coast to Teignmouth . Work on constructing a new dual carriageway on the outskirts of Torquay near the Kingskerswell end
1008-557: The Princess Theatre . A large tethered balloon offering aerial views of the town operated for several years until it was destroyed by strong winds in January 2012. From 1875, a number of potteries operated in Torquay, making Torquay pottery for both the tourist trade and the high-end retail market. Torquay was the home of Suttons Seeds until it relocated to the neighbouring town of Paignton in 1998, and Beverage Brands ,
1064-558: The blind at America Lodge, which was owned by the RNIB for a number of decades. Like many RNIB properties, this was sold off in the 1990s and the building was subdivided into private apartments. In the late 1980s, Fleet Street was rebuilt as the Fleet Walk shopping centre which has street-level shops and an upper-level shopping deck. The long, curved building which follows the street is magnolia-coloured and in mock Victorian style. In
1120-587: The 19th century and are listed buildings, in Torquay are the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis Church . The former St Andrew's Presbyterian church (built in 1862) on Torwood Gardens Road closed in 1951, and after a time as a nightclub, was converted to private residences. There is also a Christadelphian meeting hall in the town. There is also an Islamic centre and mosque. A United Hebrew Congregation synagogue
1176-853: The Marina is the Victorian Pavilion (pictured). The adjacent "Friends Fountain" complements the Victorian architecture. Just to the side of the fountain in Princess Gardens, directly next to Princess Theatre, is the English Riviera Wheel; a 100 foot high wheel that offers a unique birds eye view of the English Riviera, overlooking Torquay Harbour from a rare perspective. Torquay Museum , the oldest in Devon,
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#17327797137121232-539: The Marine Spa was built on Beacon Hill near the harbour. Originally called the "Bath Saloons complex", it had an open air tide-filled swimming bath. The complex was opened in 1853 after Beacon Hill headland was dynamited to make space for it. Charles Dickens was said to have made readings there. During World War I , military hospitals were sited in Torquay – many survivors from the Battle of Gallipoli recuperated in
1288-490: The Rock Walk cliffs and harbour, giving the area a Monte Carlo feel. In 1971, after a tragedy, the Marine Spa was demolished to make way for the ill-fated Coral Island leisure complex. This was characterised by its concrete arches on its uppermost floor and sunbathing decks like those of a cruise liner. The site featured a hexagonal outdoor plunge pool surrounded by sunbathing terraces leading down to Beacon Cove beach. Inside
1344-498: The UK) attracted many visitors who considered the town a convalescence retreat where they could recover from illness away from the cold and cloudy winters of more northerly or easterly locations. The population of Torquay grew rapidly from 838 in 1801, to 24,767 in 1887. 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 rapid growth at
1400-579: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 218776477 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:41:53 GMT Torquay Torquay ( / t ɔːr ˈ k iː / tor- KEE ) is a seaside town in Devon , England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay . It lies 18 miles (29 km) south of
1456-508: The big screen version of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry , starring Jim Broadbent, Penelope Wilton, Monika Gossmann and Bethan Cullinane. The film was released in April 2023. The town centre retains many 18th and 19th century buildings. The Shambles, or market arcade, was rebuilt in 1796 but retains its 16th century granite piers. The former grammar school, now a museum, was founded and built by Thomas Crispin in 1670. Kingsbridge has been
1512-490: The building were several lounges, a restaurant and a nightclub within the arches of the ancient swimming bath. All levels were served by a hydraulic passenger lift. Coral Island opened in 1977, and closed in 1988. The complex was demolished in 1997, 20 years after its construction. The site remained derelict until 2002 when the Living Coasts coastal zoo was built there. Torquay also boasted rehabilitation facilities for
1568-465: The chemist William Cookworthy who was born in the town in 1705. There are two supermarkets in Kingsbridge: a Morrisons and a Tesco Store, which opened in 2010. It also has a large secondary school, Kingsbridge Community College , which has over 1,000 pupils and serves the surrounding area. Kingsbridge was home to "the only nightclub in the South Hams", Coast (which has since closed), with
1624-417: The churches of St Mark and Holy Trinity were closed and in 1979, the vicar of St Matthias's became rector of the parish of St Matthias, St Mark and Holy Trinity. St Saviour's Church and St Michael's Chapel are medieval church buildings, now Anglican. St Saviour's originally had no aisles but a north aisle was added in the 14th century. The tower is at the west end and early medieval in date. Over restoration
1680-415: 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. On the seafront between the Rock Walk and
1736-418: The county town of Exeter and 28 miles (45 km) east-north-east of Plymouth , on the north of Tor Bay , adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay and across from the fishing port of Brixham . The town's economy, like Brixham's, was initially based upon fishing and agriculture; however, in the early 19th century, it began to develop into a fashionable seaside resort . Later, as
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1792-442: The expense of nearby towns not on Isambard Kingdom Brunel 's railways. The more central Torquay railway station was opened on 2 August 1859 with views of the sea from the platforms. After the growth of the preceding decades, Torquay was granted borough status in 1892. Torquay Tramways operated electric street trams from 1907. They were initially powered by the unusual Dolter stud-contact electrification so as not to disfigure
1848-406: The late 1990s and early 2000s new pubs and night clubs opened around the harbour, leading to an increase in binge drinking; however, in recent years a better police presence and responsible drinks promotions have improved the situation. Areas around Torquay have also been affected by either refurbishments or closure. For instance, the Rock Walk located on the town's seafront was refurbished through
1904-450: The life of Agatha Christie, ancient Egypt , explorers and ecology. Another gallery displays replica historic farmhouse interiors. 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. Living Coasts ,
1960-562: The local board's first projects was to build a town hall on Union Street , which was completed in 1852. In May 1876 the Tormoham Local Board voted to change its name to the Torquay Local Board, acknowledging that Torquay was by then the more commonly-used name for the town; it was said that having a different official name had been causing confusion. In 1892, Torquay was made a municipal borough , governed by
2016-477: The main market town in the area for centuries. Being situated within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and with its proximity to the south Devon coast and sailing venues such as Salcombe , the town has developed into a popular tourist destination. Its attractions include several restaurants, pubs, a cinema housed in the old Kingsbridge Town Hall building, and a museum devoted to
2072-744: 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. It was announced in June 2020 that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was to close permanently. Other attractions are the Babbacombe Model Village , which opened in 1963, the Babbacombe Theatre which opened in 1939 and
2128-930: The next nearest club being in Torquay . The town is linked to Plymouth and Dartmouth by the A379 road , and to Salcombe and Totnes by the A381 . For seventy years it had a railway station until the branch line , via South Brent , was closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching cuts . An industrial estate now occupies the site of the former station yard, but a railway bridge and a short section of overgrown embankment can still be seen. Kingsbridge has its own Parish Council with an elected Town Mayor . A twinning arrangement with Isigny-sur-Mer in Normandy , France, ended in 2019 after 58 years. A song titled "Farewell to Kingsbridge"
2184-511: The owners of the popular and controversial alcoholic brand WKD , was based in the town until 2011. 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 Princess Theatre , which
2240-700: The period when Britain was a part of the Roman Empire , leaving offerings at a curious rock formation in Kents Cavern , known as "The Face". The first major building in Torquay was Torre Abbey , a Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1196. Torquay remained a minor settlement until the Napoleonic wars , when Torbay was used as a sheltered anchorage by the Channel Fleet , and relatives of officers often visited Torquay. The mild climate (for
2296-496: The town had an active coastal shipping trade, shipbuilding, a tannery, other industries and a large monthly cattle market. The chief exports were cider, corn, malt, and slate. Kingsbridge was used by Anthony Trollope as the setting for his novel Rachel Ray (1863) and by Rachel Joyce as the setting for her 2012 novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry . In October 2021 Embankment Films started filming in Kingsbridge for
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2352-485: The town with overhead wires, but in 1911, was converted to more conventional overhead-line supply. The line was extended into Paignton in 1911 but the network was closed in 1934. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution 's Torquay Lifeboat Station was at the Ladies Bathing Cove from 1876 until 1923. A second lifeboat was kept at the harbour from 1917 until 1928. Torquay was regarded as a "Spa Town" after
2408-595: The town – and it was used as a troop staging area. In September 1915, King George V and Queen Mary visited. 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
2464-493: The town's fame spread, it was popular with Victorian society. Renowned for its mild climate, the town earned the nickname the English Riviera . The writer Agatha Christie was born in the town and lived at Ashfield in Torquay during her early years. There is an "Agatha Christie Mile", a tour with plaques dedicated to her life and work. The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived in the town from 1837 to 1841. This
2520-454: Was built at Castle Circus. In 1968 the borough of Torquay, the urban districts of Paignton and Brixham, and the parish of Churston Ferrers were all abolished. A county borough called Torbay was created to cover the whole area (with some adjustments of the boundaries to neighbouring parishes at the same time). As a county borough, Torbay was administratively independent from Devon County Council . Six years later, in 1974, local government
2576-869: Was carried out both on the exterior and interior in 1849. The monuments include one in early Tudor style to Thomas Cary (d. 1567) and another to Thomas Ridgeway (d. 1604) which includes an alabaster effigy. The Chapel of St Michael is only 36 by 15 ft and its floor is the uneven surface of the rock on which it stands. The roof has a barrel vault and the windows are small. The 19th-century Anglican churches of Torquay include All Saints, Bamfylde Road (1884–90, architect John Loughborough Pearson ), St John's, Montpelier Terrace (1861–71, architect George Edmund Street ), St Luke's (1863, architect Sir Arthur Blomfield ), St Mark's, St Mark's Road (1856–57, architect Anthony Salvin ), St Mary Magdalene, Union Street (1846, architect Anthony Salvin), and St Michael, Pimlico (1877, architect Pritchard). Two Roman Catholic churches, both built in
2632-424: Was closed in 2000, and the congregation dissolved. Torquay has numerous tourist attractions, including Kents Cavern, Britain's most important Stone Age site, which was home to early humans for some 40,000 years. The floor is composed of several strata, with remains indicating the prehistoric coexistence there of humans and extinct animals. The Rev. J. McEnery explored the cave between 1825 and 1829, and put forth
2688-523: Was collected by Sabine Baring-Gould at Lydford, Devon. It belongs to the years 1778–80 when soldiers stationed here had to depart for North America. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Kingsbridge ". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 815. (Some text may have been edited). South Hams Too Many Requests If you report this error to
2744-552: Was completed in 2015 with a new junction between the A380 South Devon Highway and Torbay Ring Road. The main bus operator in Torquay is Stagecoach South West . Its service 12 passes through Torquay – between Newton Abbot and Brixham, – while many other routes operate within the town. From 1919 to 1996 Devon General ran buses in Torquay. From 23 May 1965, introduction of the one-way traffic scheme required buses from Paignton to divert via Abbey Road. For
2800-620: Was followed by the absorption of the former borough of St Marychurch . In this period St Marychurch covered Plainmoor, Watcombe, Babbacombe and Kingskerswell . Wellswood and the Lincombes were built up by wealthy Victorians who, influenced by their travels around the Mediterranean , built large villas with Italianate features and towers. There are many pine trees, Bay bushes and trees ( Laurus nobilis ), various palm tree species and Phormiums . Cabbage trees or "Torbay Palms" are
2856-571: Was founded in 1844, by The Torquay Natural History Society. The museum contains extensive geology, natural science, archaeology and ethnography collections of international importance, including the oldest fossil evidence of modern man in north-west Europe. The story of the English Riviera Geopark is told through exhibitions about geology, fossils and archaeology including artefacts from Kents Cavern and other local archaeology. The museum has galleries dedicated to diverse topics such as
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#17327797137122912-587: Was granted the right to hold a market there, and by 1238 the settlement had become a borough . The manor remained in possession of the abbot until the Dissolution of the Monasteries , when it was granted to Sir William Petre. Kingsbridge was never represented in Parliament or incorporated by charter, the local government being by a portreeve . It lay within the hundred of Stanborough. Kingsbridge
2968-501: Was in its own eponymous constituency . The constituency elects one Member of Parliament, since 2024 Steve Darling of the Liberal Democrats . Torquay is situated on the southwestern coast of England, forming one-third of Torbay, on the western side of the bay. It has a mild microclimate , with winters that tend to be mild and wet. A record high temperature of 31.5C was recorded on 14 July 2013, at 5:30 p.m. The town
3024-503: Was on the recommendation of her doctor in an attempt to cure her of a disease; the disease is thought likely to have been tuberculosis. Her former home now forms part of the Regina Hotel in Vaughan Parade. Torquay's name originates in its 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 Lymington Road. The original name
3080-520: Was reformed again, with Torbay becoming a non-metropolitan district and Devon County Council providing county-level services to the area again. Torbay regained its independence from the county council in 1998 when it was made a unitary authority. Torbay remains part of the ceremonial county of Devon for the purposes of lieutenancy . Torquay (along with part of Paignton) is in the Torbay parliamentary constituency , created in 1974; previous to that, it
3136-517: Was thus Torrequay, then Torkay, Torkey and Tor Quay, before the words were joined in Torquay. The area comprising modern Torquay has been inhabited since Paleolithic times. Hand axes found in Kents Cavern have been dated as 40,000 years old, and a maxilla fragment, known as Kents Cavern 4 , may be the oldest example of a modern human in Europe, dating back to 37,000–40,000 years ago. Roman soldiers are known to have visited Torquay during
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