Background to Torquay's Growth

Torquay began life as the Saxon village of Torre over 1000 years ago. A tor is an ancient name for a rocky crag and there were a number along the ancient Torquay skyline. During the Middle Ages and even later it was known as Tormohun after the Mohun family who had been the Lords of the Manor.

During the many years leading up to the reign of Victoria some of the villagers of Torre (Tormohun) earned their living from the sea as fishermen or boat-builders. For them it was easier to work down by the water's edge where they built a quay in a sheltered inlet. This became known as Torre Quay. At the head of the inlet was a sandy beach known in those days as a strand. At either end of the strand a river and stream entered the sea. The river, to the west end was called The Fleet. It was on the hills and deep valleys around this inlet that the new Victorian town of Torquay would grow.

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Just two families owned most of the land on which Victorian Torquay would be built. The family who had lived in the area the longest was the Carys of Torre Abbey where they had lived since 1662. Their fellow landowners were to be the Palks who bought the Manor of Tormohun in 1768. Their home in Tormohun was at Torwood Manor, very close to where Torquay Museum is today. One of the natural boundaries between the lands of these two families was the River Fleet on top of which Fleet Street is to be found today.

In 1789 two events took place that would help to see the new town of Torquay begin to grow on the hills around the harbour, where previously there were just fields and woodland. Britain's king at this time was George III. He often suffered from being mentally ill and in 1789 his doctors suggested he went for a swim in the sea at Weymouth. Amazingly it seemed the dip in the sea cured his illness and so many of the rich landowners and important people in the country followed his example for the good of their health and took to sea bathing - something that had not been popular before.

The same year the French Revolution began. This led to the execution of the French king and queen. As a result, France became a country where British royalty and wealthy people were not welcome, whereas before they had often gone on what was called 'the grand tour' - a kind of long holiday.

So now royalty and the wealthy had to find somewhere in England to stay, especially during the winter months. It seems that the little fishing village tucked in under the hills on the north side of Torbay answered their dreams. Compared to other parts of the country it was warm, especially during the winter. The sea was there for the good of their health and also it looked beautiful. In fact, on a sunny day the blue seas, blue grey limestone cliffs and wooded hills behind, even looked like parts of the South of France and Italy where these wealthy people were now unable to go.