Torquay

Torquay, town in Devon, south-western England. Originally a small fishing village, it is now primarily a popular resort town with long promenades, terraces, and palm trees. Torquay is the largest of the three towns (the other two are Paignton and Brixham) that make up the borough of Torbay, which is known as the “English Riviera” due to its mild climate and semi-tropical vegetation.

Historical landmarks in the town include the 13th-century “Spanish Barn', where prisoners were reportedly held after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, Torre Abbey (a 17th- and 18th-century house built on the remains of a Premonstratensian abbey), the copper-domed Pavilion (originally a ballroom), and Kent’s Cavern (a stalactite cave where flint and bone implements have been discovered that date from over 40,000 years ago).

Torquay was founded in 1196 after Romans, Celts, Saxons, and Normans successively occupied the site. William of Orange landed at Torquay in 1688 before ascending the throne as William III. War with France laid the foundations of Torquay’s modern development—during hostilities in the early 19th century the navy used the village as a supply centre and a base for officers’ families. In the mid-19th century Torquay became a popular location for convalescents, such as the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. However, the town is probably most well known today as the setting for Fawlty Towers, a popular 1970s British television comedy. Torquay is the birthplace of Peter Cook, Agatha Christie, and the explorer Sir Richard Burton. Annual events in Torquay include a carnival, a regatta, a bowls tournament, and the Cowes-Torquay offshore powerboat race. Population 59,587 (1991).