Located in the county of Devon, and around 20 miles south of Exeter, is the town of Torquay.

Geographically, Torquay is situated along Devon's south coast, and is part of the unitary authority area of Torbay alongside the neighbouring towns of Paignton and Brixham. Collectively, this area is known as the English Riviera.

In 1196 Torre Abbey was founded (Torre being the name of the initial settlement here, deriving from Old English for a type of hill). This was home to a small order of monks called Premonstratensians. The canons acquired the fishing rights to the area and built a quay here, hence the settlement eventually became known as 'Torquay'.

In 1539 Torre Abbey was closed as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. However, enough of it survived to become repurposed as a private residence. Additionally, in 1588, the tithe barn was used to house around 400 Spanish prisoners of war during the Spanish Armada.

From the late 18th century, Torquay had begun to grow as a seaside resort. From 1803 to 1807 a new harbour was built, replacing an older, dilapidated harbour. Its designer was John Rennie, who was also responsible for a series of canals and bridges across the UK. In 1833 Torquay was boosted by a royal visit by the future queen, Princess Victoria.

From 1801 (the year of the first census) to 1851, the population had grown from just 838 to over 11,000. Three years prior, in 1848, the railway arrived in Torquay courtesy of the South Devon Railway. In 1859 a second station opened, which is the Torquay station of today, whilst the original was renamed as Torre station - both of which still exist today as part of the Riviera Line which runs between Exeter and Paignton.

In 1890 Agatha Christie was born in Torquay. In 1916 she wrote her first detective novel, which featured Hercule Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the Great War, who had come to England to practise as a detective. The debut novel was The Mysterious Affair at Styles, although it wasn't until four years later, in 1920, when it was finally published. A second well known detective was debuted in 1927 with the introduction of Miss Marple, whose first appearance in a full length novel was The Murder at the Vicarage from 1930. In 1952 Christie's murder mystery The Mousetrap was debuted as a play in London's West End. This has since broken the record for longest run of any play in the world at over 70 years.

During the Second World War, Torquay became an evacuee destination as it was believed to have been out of bombing range. However, this was not the case as the Luftwaffe dropped bombs over the town whilst returning from the Plymouth Blitz. After the USA joined the war following the Pearl Harbor attack, American troops were based in various coastal towns around southwest England. Torquay was home to the American 4th Infantry Division during this period. In June 1944, around 23,000 troops departed Torquay via the D-Day Embarkation Slipways (seen after the 29-minute mark) and landed at Utah Beach, the most westerly of the five beaches of Normandy. They suffered 197 casualties on the beach itself, and many more as they pushed inland.

In 1975 the sitcom Fawlty Towers was debuted on British television. Set in a Torquay hotel, featuring John Cleese as owner Basil Fawlty, this was inspired by a real hotel in Torquay. Whilst visiting with the Monty Python team, Cleese stayed at the Gleneagles Hotel. Its owner was Donald Sinclair, an ex-naval commander with, allegedly, a short temper. On one occasion, Sinclair is said to have reprimanded Terry Gilliam (the American member of the Monty Python team) for holding a fork in his right hand while eating. On another occasion, Eric Idle had left a briefcase by the front door, forgotten about it and returned for it later. Sinclair explained that he'd hidden it behind a wall in the garden as a precautionary measure. When asked why, he explained that he thought it might be a bomb.

Torquay is represented in sport by Torquay United Football Club. Founded in 1899, they are nicknamed 'The Gulls' and play their home games at Plainmoor.

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Filmed: 26th March 2023

Link to the walk on Google Maps: [ Ссылка ]

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Torquay Town Hall
0:28 Castle Circus
0:55 Union Street
7:14 Fleet Street
10:52 Strand
11:43 Vaughan Parade
12:42 Torquay Marina
14:08 Princess Parade
17:55 Princess Pier
18:41 Princess Theatre
19:47 Torbay Road
21:27 Princess Gardens
22:14 Torbay Road
22:24 Torquay Pavilion (disused)
22:48 Vaughan Road
22:56 Cary Parade
23:45 Palk Street
23:56 Vaughan Parade
24:31 Strand
25:50 Victoria Parade
28:33 Beacon Quay
29:22 D-Day Embarkation Slipways
30:07 Beacon Quay

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