Torbay has a rich and diverse heritage spanning many thousands of years. Kent's Cavern in Torquay and Windmill Hill Cavern in Brixham boast some of the earliest traces of man discovered in the country. Archaeological finds from these early dwellings can be viewed at Torquay Museum and Brixham Heritage Museum.

Torquay developed around the Saxon hamlet of Torre (from ‘tor’ meaning hill or craggy peak). Water from the Flete or Fleete (meaning stream) flowed from Barton to the sea and was used to grind corn at Fleet Mill (standing near what is now the main shopping centre at the junction of Union Street and Fleet Walk) until it was demolished in 1835. The monks of Torre Abbey are credited with building the first fishing quay - hence ‘Torquay’ evolved through various spellings: Torrequay, Torkay and Tor Quay by 1765.

Paignton appeared in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Peinton. The earliest settlement is believed to have taken place around 700 AD – the name means ‘the farm of Paega's people‘. Thirty spelling variations include Paington, Paynton, Payington and Paington by the time Queen Victoria became monarch in 1837. Up to this point the town was known chiefly for growing cabbages and the inhabitants nicknamed ‘Flat-polls’ after a popular local variety.

Brixham evolved from the Saxon ‘Brioc‘s Ham’ which was known as Briseham in 1086 and Brikkesham by 1285. Higher Brixham was originally a rural settlement while in Lower Brixham, fishing has been a major industry for at least 900 years. By 1850 the town had the largest fishery in England (270 vessels at sea with 1,600 seamen employed).  However, the First World War took its toll on both vessels and men and the industry faded so rapidly that by 1939 there were less than half a dozen fishing vessels remaining. The industry recovered after the Second World War and the modern fish market opened in 1970 and was expanded in 1986.

Torbay became a popular holiday destination early in the Nineteenth Century. During the Napoleonic Wars the Channel Fleet was based in Tor Bay and businesses flourished to meet the needs of naval personnel. Soon, fashionable visitors, unable to travel to continental resorts during the conflict, discovered the delights of the ‘English Riviera’. The Victorian Age brought about a remarkable transformation in the fortunes of Torbay. The 1801 Census recorded that Brixham was the largest town in Torbay with a population of 3,500, while Paignton had 1,575 people and Torquay a mere 838. By 1901 Brixham had grown considerably but was now the smallest town in the Bay with 5,000, followed by Paignton with 6,000, while the population of Torquay (which had united with the districts of Cockington, Babbacombe and St Marychurch in 1900) had mushroomed to 35,000.

For more detailed histories of Torbay's towns and notable events see our related pages.