Devonshire

The Vinery, Torquay

Torquay, appreciated for its beautiful bay, pleasant climate and sandy beaches, its fine harbour and marina, to-day is the capital of the English Riviera. The town started to grow after the Napoleonic wars, Tor Bay providing excellent docking facilities for a large naval base – and the families and workers that came with it. With the advent of the railway the town became a fashionable seaside resort for well to do Victorians, whose influence on its architecture is still clearly visible. As well as offering excellent shops and a wide range of cultural opportunities Torquay, the birth place of Agatha Christie, is surrounded by nearby places of interest, including Brixham, Dartmouth, Plymouth and a wealth of ancient history and unspoiled country on the moors at Dartmoor, to the north west. Torquay is easily accessible by road M5/A38/A380 and with direct rail services to London (2 ½ hours with fast trains from nearby Newton Abbott)