Torre Abbey

Torbay Council is proud to own and manage this historically important building, Torquay’s oldest, in the heart of Torquay.  On this site you will find information and documents relating to the Abbey.  

You can also find a wealth of information about events at Torre Abbey, opening times and admission prices at www.torre-abbey.org.uk

Take a short stroll from Torquay’s seafront, step through the ancient doors of Torre Abbey and uncover the rich and varied story of Torquay’s oldest building.  Explore the ancient undercrofts of the Abbey, built in 1196 for the “White Canons”, named for their distinctive white habits.

The brothers who lived there 800 years ago, when Torquay was just a tiny fishing hamlet, followed a strict regime of silence and prayer.  Their austere lives were in contrast to their great wealth, gained from taxes or ‘tithes’ of grain and other produce from the Abbey’s vast lands.  The Tithe Barn, built to store the grain, became known as the Spanish Barn after it served as a prison for 400 sailors captured from the Spanish Armada.

Browse through the later rooms of the Abbey, added by the Cary family who lived there for over 300 years.  In the private Chapel and the fine dining room you will be transported into the opulent lives of this prominent local family. Many of the Georgian rooms are now home to an impressive art collection, one of the largest in Devon.  The collection includes Cary family portraits, 19^th Century art, an impressive maritime gallery and the studio collection of Victorian Sculptor, Frederick Thrupp.  The Galleries also feature visiting exhibitions and contemporary works.

Create your own masterpiece to take home when you put wax to paper with the popular English hobby of brass-rubbing.  There are 50 brasses to choose from, each depicting period scenes and personalities. For many years this has been a way of recording the tremendous beauty of the original brasses that adorned our places of worship.

Throughout the ages Torre Abbey has welcomed many thousands of visitors: weary travellers enjoying the canons’ gracious hospitality, aristocrats and naval officers being entertained by the Carys and Olympic hopefuls preparing to go for gold in 1947 sailing events held in the bay.   An extensive 3-year restoration of Torre Abbey was completed in 2008, heralding a new era to its rich history. You are very welcome to be part of it.

Related Documents

All documents open in a new window. Need more help with documents? View the documents help page.