107-485: Torquay Tramways operated electric street trams in Torquay , Devon, England, from 1907. They were initially powered by the unusual Dolter stud-contact electrification , but in 1911 was converted to more conventional overhead-line supply. The line was extended into neighbouring Paignton in 1911 but the whole network was closed in 1934. Torquay developed as a seaside resort during the nineteenth century, spreading across
214-570: A cloth fair on 6 November. The markets continued to expand, and in 1826 a new market place was built. But over the next 50 years the buildings became dilapidated, and a new corn exchange (now the Alexandra Theatre) and market hall were completed in 1871. In medieval times Devon was an important sheep-rearing county. Many towns had their own wool and cloth industries and Newton Abbot had woollen mills, fullers , dyers, spinners, weavers and tailors. In particular, fellmongering (where wool
321-453: 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
428-460: 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
535-538: A document of the Bishop de Grandisson of Exeter . The main chapel was demolished in 1836 to ease traffic congestion. Adjacent to the tower is a plaque marking where the first declaration of the newly arrived William III, Prince of Orange was read in 1688: The first declaration of William III, Prince of Orange, the glorious defender of the Protestant religion and the liberties of England, was read on this pedestal by
642-451: A major upgrade of the building included the addition of a stage with dressing rooms below, further dressing rooms in extensions at the side of the main building and an orchestra pit. Many other alterations followed until it was converted into a two-screen cinema in 1996. The centre of the town features the ancient tower of St Leonard; it is all that remains of the medieval chapel of St Leonard, founded in 1220 and first referred to in 1350 in
749-655: A new larger one was built on the Newton Road. After the trams were withdrawn the depot was sold to Torquay Corporation, who used it for its refuse trucks and other vehicles until 1992. The opening of the Paignton extension saw the construction of a smaller tram depot at Preston. A depot for four buses was built in The Avenue, Newton Abbot in 1921 to house buses used on routes outside Torquay. The town council of Torquay did not want their seaside resort disfigured by
856-494: 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,
963-431: A passing tram attracted this crank which then moved to make contact between the conductor cable and stud; once the tram moved away the crank dropped away and the stud was no longer connected to the cable. A long skate was suspended beneath each tramcar which was magnetised by electro-magnets and so both operated the cranks and collected the current that both moved the tram car and powered the electro-magnets. A small battery
1070-575: A small number of motor or steam buses in the area. In July 1914 the Torquay Tramways Company ordered three single-deck buses but they were diverted away from Torquay by the government before delivery because of the impending war . After the war was over, a new order was placed in July 1919. The first three started to operate between Torre (where they connected with the trams) and Newton Abbot on 3 May 1920. More buses were delivered during
1177-458: A string of occupiers. The Courtenay family sold the house in 1936 to Stephen Simpson, who sold it two years later to Mrs M. Sellick. Teignbridge District Council bought the house in 1978 and remains the current owners. It has been refurbished for use as office and conference space, and for weddings and other social events. At the opposite end of Newton Abbot is a National Trust property, Bradley Manor . This 15th-century (c. 1420) manor house in
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#17327914207941284-463: A substantial works. Extensive sidings were also built making a large marshalling yard. The present station was rebuilt to its current form in 1927 to designs by Chief GWR Architect P. E. Culverhouse . The large clock was a gift from the people of the town. During the late 1980s, the number of passenger platforms was reduced from around nine down to five, and only three of these are still used for scheduled trains. The remaining platforms were shortened on
1391-404: 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,
1498-471: A timber yard, iron and brass foundries, and an engineering works. Newton Abbot power station was built adjacent to the line on the Moretonhampstead branch. The town's population increased from 1,623 in 1801 to 12,518 by 1901. Terraced streets were built to house the workers, and attractive villas sprang up around the town for the wealthier. Two Royal Navy personnel from Newton Abbot were among
1605-655: A total of 21 people. There was a severe flood on 27 December 1979, the latest in a long series, when the River Lemon burst its banks after prolonged rain. Tucked into a corner of the racecourse, Newton Abbot's stock-car track flourished for nearly 30 years and attracted fans and drivers from all over the South of England. A short 300-metre oval track, it featured races for the cars of the BriSCA organization, as well as saloons and "bangers". A new community hospital to replace
1712-596: 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
1819-533: Is a comprehensive school in Coombeshead Road. It is a trust school and a specialist media and arts college for some 1,442 pupils aged 11 to 18. Newton Abbot College , also a comprehensive school in Old Exeter Road. It came into being on 1 September 2008 as a renaming of Knowles Hill School. It is a specialist Technology College for around 1,200 pupils aged 11 to 18. South Devon UTC
1926-704: Is a university technical college in Kingsteignton Road, established on 1 September 2015 for pupils aged 14 to 19. Stover School - Private School. The local primary schools include St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary, Highweek Community Primary and Nursery school, Decoy Primary, which has been awarded the Becta ICT Mark , Eco and Healthy School awards, as well as Bearnes Primary, Canada Hill Primary, Wolborough C of E Primary, Bradley Barton Primary, Haytor View Primary and All Saints Marsh CofE Academy. The Newton Abbot civil parish has grown to include
2033-633: Is also used to represent a major crossroads in the town which converged on the clock tower. The arm of the cross represent the routes to Exeter and London , Bovey Tracey and the moors , Totnes and Plymouth , and Torquay and Brixham . In 2023, a survey by The Daily Telegraph named Newton Abbot as one of the ugliest towns in Britain. There are three tiers of local government covering Newton Abbot, at parish , district and county level: Newton Abbot Town Council, Teignbridge District Council and Devon County Council . The town council, which
2140-505: 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
2247-550: 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
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#17327914207942354-415: Is completely removed from the sheepskin) was well established in the town. In 1724 Daniel Defoe wrote that Newton Abbot had a thriving serge industry that sent goods to Holland via Exeter . The annual cloth fair was the town's busiest fair. Over the 19th century, Vicary's mills became an important employer in the town and by the 1920s was employing over 400 men. However, by 1972 business had declined and
2461-577: 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
2568-467: Is now highly mechanised and successful. Most of the clay is transported by road and transferred to ships at the nearby port of Teignmouth. The Stover Canal Society was formed after a public meeting in February 1999, with the aim of preserving and restoring the canal. Railtrack, which owned most of the canal, transferred ownership in 2005 for the sum of £1 to Teignbridge District Council for leisure use by
2675-558: 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
2782-606: 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
2889-556: 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
2996-680: 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
3103-684: The Domesday Book of 1086. It is first documented in the late 12th century in Latin as Nova Villa : "new farm". In 1201 it was recorded as Nieweton' abbatis : "New settlement belonging to the abbot". The land was granted to Torre Abbey by William de Briwere in 1196. Robert Bussell acquired the area in the Highweek parish and Teignbridge Hundred , which was then Newton Bushel. The twin towns worked together and their markets were eventually combined. Local noted antiquarian Cecil Torr states that
3210-510: 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
3317-603: The Milber area east of the Aller Brook , which had previously been in the parish of Haccombe with Combe . From 1901 to 1974 the Newton Abbot Urban District covered the three civil parishes of Wolborough, Highweek and Milber. As urban parishes the three parishes did not have their own parish councils, but were administered directly by Newton Abbot Urban District Council. Newton Abbot Urban District
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3424-557: 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 ,
3531-513: The Western National Omnibus Company objected and the necessary Act of Parliament was not passed. Instead the company decided to convert its routes to motor bus operation. Parliament gave permission on 18 July 1933. Trams to Paignton were replaced by buses on 14 January 1934 and the remaining services ceased on 31 January 1934. The location of the electricity generating station and depot was changed before construction
3638-558: 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
3745-408: The unitary authority area of Torbay . It lies 18 miles (29 km) south of 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
3852-587: 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
3959-572: The 80,000-acre (320 km ) Stover Estate near Newton Abbot in 1765. Granite from Hay Tor was used to build Stover House which was completed by 1792. George Templer , son of James Templer (the second) and brother of Rev. John Templer, rector of Teigngrace , built the Haytor Granite Tramway , which had rails cut from granite, connecting the granite quarries of Haytor to the canal. This was completed by 1820 and enabled large quantities of granite to be transported for major works like
4066-743: The Dolter power supply. Construction was started in by the National Electric Construction Company (NECC) 1905 and the electrical system was installed by the Dolter Electric Company during 1906. The first trials took place in December but official testing by the Board of Trade did not take place until 7 March 1907. The public opening was then able to take place on 5 April 1907, but the line to Babbacombe
4173-853: 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,
4280-539: 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
4387-735: The Rev. John Reynell, rector of this parish, 5th November, 1688. Although William arrived in Brixham on 5 November, he did not reach Newton Abbot until 6 November, when he stayed overnight at Forde House as he made his way to London to take the English throne. The tower can regularly be seen flying the Union Flag or the Flag of Newton Abbot (The Flag of Devon defaced by the silhouette of the tower). Forde House (now known as Old Forde House ) lies in
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4494-490: 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
4601-498: 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
4708-493: The ancient towns of Newton Abbot and Newton Bushell, which the railway has made into an important centre". Traces of Neolithic inhabitants have been found at Berry's Wood Hill Fort near Bradley Manor . This was a contour hill fort that enclosed about 11 acres (4.5 ha). Milber Down camp was built before the 1st century BC and later occupied briefly by the Romans , whose coins have been found there. Highweek Hill has
4815-529: The area as an English colony. The fisheries quickly developed. Between 1600 and 1850 there was a steady trade between Newton Abbot and the cod fisheries off Newfoundland. Every year men from the town would gather at the Dartmouth Inn or Newfoundland Inn in East Street in the hope of being hired for a season's work. In the autumn the dried cod was stored in depots and sometimes used as payment. There
4922-450: The areas of Highweek (to the north-west) and Wolborough (to the south). Other areas and suburbs include Abbotsbury, Aller Park , Broadlands, Buckland , Knowles Hill, Milber , Mile End and Newtake. The Alexandra Theatre was originally built in 1871 as a corn exchange at the end of the market building. Before it was finished, it was decided instead to use it as a meeting hall for the community. It remained as such until in 1883, when
5029-490: 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
5136-417: 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
5243-415: 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
5350-412: The community. Work then continued to restore it as an amenity. The South Devon railway reached Newton Abbot in 1846 and changed it from simply a market town with associated trades (leather and wool) into an industrial base. The South Devon Railway Company opened the station on 30 December 1846. A branch to Torquay was added on 18 December 1848, with one to Moretonhampstead on 26 June 1866, although
5457-540: 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. Newton Abbot Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish on the River Teign in the Teignbridge District of Devon , England. Its population was 24,029 in 2011, and
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#17327914207945564-473: The crank using an insulated mallet. During the Board of Trade inspection of the tramway four such studs were detected during about 8 miles (13 km) of tests. There were also frequent problems with trams being stopped when a stud failed to be made live when needed. On 27 January 1910 a snow storm stopped all the trams as they couldn't make contact with the studs. Electricity was supplied from Torquay town council's generating station on Beacon Quay. The track
5671-551: The early 19th century, it began to develop into a fashionable seaside resort . Later, as 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
5778-510: The eastern outcrop of the deposits at Kingsteignton , which can lay claim to being the centre of Britain's ball-clay industry. The Bovey Basin took millions of years to fill from rivers that flowed out of Dartmoor . The sediments included clay derived from the decomposed granite . The natural deposition has resulted in clay that is purer and more refined than many others. Clay is used in a wide range of products such as bricks , tyres , porcelain , medicines and toothpaste . Kingsteignton clay
5885-569: The estate passed to the Courtenay family through the marriage of Margaret (only daughter of Jane Reynell and Sir William Waller) to Sir William Courtenay, lord of nearby Powderham Castle . William of Orange stayed at the house in 1688 on the way to his coronation in London, having landed in Brixham. The house remained the main residence of a succession of Courtenays until 1762, when it was let to
5992-442: 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
6099-525: The first British casualties in World War I, being killed after their ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat . Over the course of the two world wars, more than 250 Newtonian men gave their lives for the British Empire. They are remembered on the town's war memorial. a further eleven Commonwealth soldiers are also buried in the town. The town was bombed from the air twice during World War II , killing
6206-557: The first council meeting in the building being held in June 2021. The building was formally opened on 1 April 2023. Teignbridge District Council also has its offices in the town, at Forde House . Newton Abbot was historically part of the parish of Wolborough . A local government district covering the parish was established in 1864, governed by the Wolborough Local Board. Such local boards were reconstituted as urban district councils in 1894. Ahead of that change,
6313-472: The hills above Tor Bay . The South Devon Railway opened a station at Torre on the hill above the town in 1848, and the line was extended to Paignton in 1859 when another station was provided near the Abbey Sands. Around the end of 1901 two different companies proposed to build electric tramways to link Torquay and Paignton. These schemes failed to get started, but in 1902 the Dolter Electric Company
6420-429: The house's larder), a deer park known locally as Buckland , which is now home to a housing estate, and the iBounce trampoline park. In 1625, King Charles I stayed at the house overnight on his way to inspect the fleet at Plymouth . He returned a few days later for a further two nights. Forde House gave shelter to Oliver Cromwell and Colonel Fairfax while on their way to besiege Royalist Dartmouth in 1646. In 1648
6527-406: 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
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#17327914207946634-615: The latter has since closed to passengers. Isambard Kingdom Brunel used the Teignmouth/Newton Abbot section to experiment with his atmospheric railway . The experiment failed, but the remains of Brunel's pumping house survive at Starcross and the old Dairy Crest milk processing factory in Totnes. In 1876, the Great Western Railway bought up the railways and developed the repair and maintenance sheds into
6741-450: 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 ,
6848-562: 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
6955-497: The month and on 20 May the route was extended from Torre down to The Strand, and new routes ran from The Strand to Shaldon and from Newton Abbot to Dawlish . In 1921 routes were added from Paignton to Brixham and from Torquay to Buckfastleigh via Newton Abbot and Ashburton . The Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company had started bus services between Exeter and Torquay in 1919 with three vehicles and soon expanded their fleet and area of operation. On 22 June 1922 Devon General
7062-744: 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
7169-545: The new London Bridge which opened in 1825. However, George Templer overspent his resources and was forced to sell Stover House, Stover Canal, the Haytor Granite Tramway and most of the rest of the family's considerable estates to Edward St Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset , in 1829. The canal was extended to cope with this, and the industry fared well until 1858 when they were out-competed by the more economic Cornish coastal quarries. The Stover canal reverted to shipping ball clay, but had ceased to do so by 1939. The ball-clay industry
7276-443: The one in East Street was built at the end of Jetty Marsh Road and opened on 12 January 2009. The Flag of Newton Abbot was adopted in 2009 by the town council. It depicts a stylised image of St Leonard's Tower in the centre of a modified flag of Devon . Henry Cole, of Newton Abbot Town Council, stated that the "green represents the moors, black for the granite and white for the clay" of the surrounding area. The cross of St Petroc
7383-412: The outgoing local board requested a change of name from Wolborough to Newton Abbot, recognising that Newton Abbot was the main settlement in the district, and so the Wolborough Local Board was replaced by Newton Abbot Urban District Council. The urban district was enlarged in 1901 to take in the parish of Highweek (which included the town's suburb of Newton Bushel on the north bank of the River Lemon) and
7490-441: The overhead wire. In 1920 the company started to operate buses to Newton Abbot and beyond but in 1922 they were transferred to Devon General when that business became a subsidiary of the NECC. In 1925, at the instigation of the Torquay Council, the Babbacombe Cliff Railway was operated by the Torquay Tramways Company. With the aim of extending further into Paignton, permission was sought in 1933 to convert to trolleybuses , but
7597-462: 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
7704-700: 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
7811-502: The poles and overhead wires of a conventional electric tramway and so invited the Dolter Electric Traction Company to construct a tramway using their stud-contact system . A conductor cable was laid in a trench between the rails. At 9-foot (2.7 m) intervals a box was fitted between the rails that contained a stud (which protruded about 1 inch (25 mm) above the road) and a bell crank . A magnet on
7918-468: The remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle, known as Castle Dyke. A village grew up around the castle, first called Teignwick, and later Highweek , implying a village on the high ground. Another settlement developed on the low ground around the River Lemon and would become part of Wolborough Manor. There has been a thriving market in Newton Abbot for over 750 years – the first market charter
8025-456: The river, on the Highweek side, another weekly market was created. This one was on Tuesdays; and because the Bushel family were the landowners this community became known as Newton Bushel. Over the next 200 years Newton Bushel ran more annual fairs, a number of mills were set up, and the leather and wool trades started. Newton Bushel was also a convenient place for travellers to stay. Torre Abbey
8132-440: The seafront line 2.31 miles (3.72 km) to Hyde Road, Paignton . The council in Paignton insisted that the tram's power supply in their town was to be by overhead trolley wire rather than the Dolter stud system. Work on erecting trolley wires above the existing tracks started late in 1910 and was completed on 6 March 1911. The new line to Paignton was opened on 17 July 1911. The Dolter tram cars were rebuilt to collect current from
8239-411: The south-east corner of the town in the parish of Wolborough . The present house was built in 1610 by Richard Reynell (who later became Sir Richard Reynell) and his wife Lucy. It was built with an E-shaped floor plan thought to be in honour of Queen Elizabeth I , who had recently died. The grounds were originally extensive, including all of what is called Decoy (as wildfowl were decoyed there to extend
8346-399: The southern side and the number of tracks reduced to make way for a new station car park. The South Devon Railway Engineering works was decommissioned and replaced by Brunel Industrial Estate. Of the two buildings that survived into the 21st century, only one remains intact, as the old sheds burned down on 21 October 2018. Many other industries were set up beside the railway station, including
8453-420: The town continued to be known simply as Newton or Newton Bushel to the majority of people prior to the arrival of the railway, which named the station Newton Abbot in order to distinguish it from other towns called Newton on the railway network. Even after the arrival of the railway, the mononym "Newton" remained in common use, with Richard Nicholls Worth noting in 1880 that "Newton is a modern development of
8560-491: The town from 1837 to 1841. This 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
8667-485: 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
8774-542: 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
8881-562: The town's Lymington Road. The original name 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
8988-571: The works closed down. Associated with the woollen industry was the leather business. Hides left after the fell-mongering process were made into leather. Tanners, boot and shoemakers, glovers and saddlers were all in business in Newton Abbot. As with the wool industry, business flourished over 600 years until after the Second World War. In 1583 Humphrey Gilbert , a local adventurer landed at St. John's in Newfoundland and claimed
9095-420: Was 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge. The steepest gradient was 1 in 11 (9%) for 440 yards (400 m). The sharpest curve was 31 feet (9.4 m) radius. Trams were painted maroon lined in gold or yellow with the window pillars, rocker and upper deck sheeting in cream. The initial network opened with a fleet of 18 tram cars. By 1925 this had expanded to 42 cars. A number of operators each ran
9202-522: Was a considerable economic spin-off from this trade. Fish hooks, knives, waterproof boots and rope were all made in the town. The Rope Walk in East Street just a few yards from the Cider Bar still exists, together with the names Newfoundland Way and St John's Street. Just 2 miles (3.2 km) north-west of Newton Abbot lie the large ball clay workings of the Bovey Basin . The main workings are on
9309-703: Was abolished in 1974 with the area becoming part of the new district of Teignbridge. A successor parish called Newton Abbot was established covering the whole of the former urban district, with its council taking the name Newton Abbot Town Council. Newton Abbot is the main town in the Newton Abbot parliamentary constituency . The constituency was created in 2010, when it was won by the Conservative Anne Marie Morris . Newton Abbot has two seats on Devon County Council , for Newton Abbot North and Newton Abbot South. Coombeshead Academy
9416-469: Was being used to make pipes around 1680. By 1700, it was being shipped from Teignmouth , and its utilisation by the famous potter Josiah Wedgwood bred success. The clay was extracted by simply digging out the lumps on courses; rather like peat cutting. The bulky clay was transported by packhorse to Hackney Quay at Kingsteignton, then loaded onto barges for shipment down the Teign Estuary, where it
9523-454: 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
9630-476: Was built in Westhill Avenue, St Marychurch (which was sometimes known as Plainmoor). A garage was built in 1921 to cater for the bus fleet. A petrol tank exploded on 3 June 1921, destroying the body of one bus and damaging two trams, five other motor vehicles and the sheds. After the bus fleet was transferred to Devon General that company bought the bus garage and this was their main depot in the area until
9737-869: 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
9844-413: Was carried to charge the electro-magnets should the power be interrupted. The negative return current passed through the rails. A horse was killed after it stepped on a live stud during construction of the tramway in Torquay. Each tram car was then fitted with a bell connected to a special contact arm to warn the driver if a stud remained live after it had passed. The conductor of the tram then had to reset
9951-424: 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
10058-552: 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
10165-483: Was dissolved in 1539 and ownership of Wolborough was granted to John Gaverock, who built himself a new house at Forde. The twin markets of Newton Abbot and Newton Bushel continued until they were merged in 1633 as a Wednesday weekly market under the control of Bradley Manor. By 1751 it had been joined by a smaller Saturday market and three annual fairs: a cattle fair on 24 June, a cheese and onion fair in September, and
10272-830: Was estimated at 26,655 in 2019. It grew rapidly in the Victorian era as the home of the South Devon Railway locomotive works. This later became a major steam engine shed , retained to service British Railways diesel locomotives until 1981. It now houses the Brunel industrial estate. The town has a race course nearby, the most westerly in England, and a country park , Decoy. It is twinned with Besigheim in Germany and Ay in France . Newton Abbot does not appear in
10379-620: 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
10486-571: 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
10593-453: Was granted in 1220. The New Town of the Abbots (of Torre Abbey ) was given the right some time between 1247 and 1251 to hold a weekly market on Wednesdays. By 1300 the two settlements were renamed as Newton Abbot (taking the low ground) and Newton Bushel (taking the high ground). On the strength of the market, it quickly became a thriving town and a good source of income for the Abbots. Over
10700-501: 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
10807-422: Was invited build a line instead that would use their stud-contact system of electrification. A poll was conducted of the ratepayers of Torquay; a small majority was in favour of a tramway being built but not for the council to either build or operate it. An Act of Parliament was passed on 15 August 1904, authorising a network of 8.92 miles (14.36 km) 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge tracks and
10914-555: Was not ready until the end of the year and that along the seafront was completed on 16 April 1908. The Dolter company had obtained the Act and ordered the trams but the NECC, who had been contracted by them to lay the tracks, registered a subsidiary company in December 1907 named the Torquay Tramways Company to take over the Dolter company's operations in Torquay. This company obtained a Torquay and Paignton Tramways Act on 16 August 1909 to extend
11021-471: Was previously based at the old town hall in Devon Square, is now based at Newton's Place at 43 Wolborough Street, which had been built in 1835 as St Leonard's Church (replacing the nearby medieval church of the same name which was demolished shortly afterwards apart from its tower). The former church at 43 Wolborough Street was converted to a museum, community space and town council headquarters, with
11128-549: Was purchased by the Torquay Tramway Company on behalf of the NECC. The tramway buses were transferred to Devon General. The buses were painted in the same maroon and cream livery as the trams. The fleet was a mixture of single-deck buses, open top double-deck buses, and open-sided charabancs . Torquay Torquay ( / t ɔːr ˈ k iː / tor- KEE ) is a seaside town in Devon , England, part of
11235-520: 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
11342-703: Was started, so some of the tracks authorised by the initial Act of Parliament were not built. The network in 1907 therefore consisted of just 6.79 miles (10.93 km). The extension to Paignton brought the network to 9.1 miles (14.6 km). The centre of the network was The Strand alongside the inner harbour at Torquay from where lines went north-east to Torre station and north-west to Babbacombe (which connected by two different connecting lines), and south to Paignton. The timetables identified five numbered routes: 1. Torquay to Paignton 2. Circular via Wellswood 3. Circular via Ellacombe 4. Torre station to Beacon Quay 5. St Marychurch to Torre station The company's depot
11449-524: Was transferred to small ships bound for Liverpool and other ports. Towards the end of the 18th century, the ball-clay industry was steadily expanding. A local landowner, James Templer , built the Stover Canal in 1792 to help ship clay along the canal and the Teign Estuary from the Bovey Basin to the port of Teignmouth . Coal, manure and agricultural produce were also shipped along the canal. James Templer's father, also called James Templer, purchased
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