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Historic house
Torre Abbey
Monastery founded in 1196 for Premonstratensian canons, now a historic house and art gallery with formal gardens.
A mini guide to
Torquay, Paignton & Brixham
Torbay's three resorts: Torquay's cave and abbey, Paignton's pier and zoo, Brixham's fishing harbour
Photos
1 / 3Welcome to the area
Torbay's three resorts: Torquay's cave and abbey, Paignton's pier and zoo, Brixham's fishing harbour
Torquay, Paignton and Brixham were joined as the borough of Torbay in 1968 and are promoted as the English Riviera. Torquay, built on fishing and farming, became a fashionable seaside resort in the early 19th century. Kents Cavern, a cave system known for its archaeology and geology, and Torre Abbey, founded in 1196 and now a historic house and art gallery, are its main sights.
Paignton has a pleasure pier, an 80-acre zoo and the station where the Dartmouth Steam Railway sets off for Kingswear. Brixham is built around a natural harbour that holds one of England's largest remaining commercial fishing fleets, with a full-size replica of Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind moored on the quay. Berry Head, a national nature reserve, marks the southern end of Tor Bay.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Show cave
Kents Cavern
Cave system in Devonian limestone known for its archaeology; a scheduled monument and Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Museum
Torquay Museum
Museum of the natural, social and cultural heritage of Torquay and South Devon in a Grade II listed building.
Garden
Princess Gardens
Seafront gardens beside Torquay harbour.
Village
Cockington
Village of old cottages about two miles from the centre of Torquay.
Attraction
Babbacombe Model Village
Miniature village in gardens at Babbacombe, opened in 1963.
Directions Website Report a problem with Babbacombe Model Village
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Torquay, Paignton & Brixham and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Take the cliff railway
Babbacombe Cliff Railway links Babbacombe Downs with Oddicombe Beach and closes in winter for maintenance.
2
Book Kents Cavern
The cave system is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a scheduled monument; visits are run by Kents Cavern itself.
3
Golden Hind in season
The replica ship in Brixham closes in winter and reopens at February half term, according to its website.
4
Walk to Berry Head
The headland east of Brixham is a national nature reserve with a café in the old Guardhouse.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
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Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Torquay, Paignton & Brixham (area photo): Kolforn, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Torre Abbey: Tom Jolliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kents Cavern: Jcg2006, Public domain, source
- Torquay Museum: Secretlondon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cockington: Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Babbacombe Model Village: SolomanMcKenzie / SolomanMcKenzie at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Golden Hind: Kolforn, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Brixham Heritage Museum: Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Berry Head: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dartmouth, Totnes & the Dart: Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dartmoor: Addshore, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Exmoor & Lynmouth: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Exeter: Rüdiger Wölk, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Plymouth: Herbythyme, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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