Contact Details

holiday@torbay.gov.uk
Tel: 01803 211 211

The Fawlty Towers Connection

Even though the comedy series Fawlty Towers was based in Torquay none of the show was ever filmed on the English Riviera. The one strong connection with the show that still exists today, however, is Hotel Gleneagles. This is where John Cleese and the Monty Python team first encountered hotel proprietor, David Sinclair, who would become the inspiration for one of comedy's most famous characters.

A Brief History of Fawlty Towers

On the 12th May 1971, the Monty Python's Flying Circus team checked into Hotel Gleneagles and commenced filming in a number of locations around Torbay. During their stay at the hotel the Monty Python team experienced first hand the eccentricities of Donald Sinclair. Most notably Sinclair berated Terry Gilliam for using his knife and fork incorrectly and threw Eric Idle's bag over a wall believing it contained a bomb. In his book, "A Liar's Autobiography", Graham Chapman described Sinclair as ".... completely round the twist, off his chump, out of his tree."

While many of the Monty Python team decamped to the Imperial Hotel, John Cleese decided to stay on and take notes. He even invited his wife, Connie Booth (who later played Polly in the series) to come down and join him at Hotel Gleneagles. This was the beginning of one of the most famous and popular comedies of all time.
The first series (six episodes) of Fawlty Towers was broadcast on BBC 2 in 1975 and the second (six episodes) in 1979. To date, Fawlty Towers has been televised in over 60 countries.

Locations

Though Donald Sinclair passed away in 1981 his hotel lives on. Hotel Gleneagles has changed hands a few times in more recent times however in 2006 it was taken over by two experienced hoteliers who invested £1 million into the property and upgraded it into a stylish boutique hotel. The hotel can be found off Babbacombe Road, near Kents Cavern, on Asheldon Road (Torquay TQ1 2QS). www.hotel-gleneagles.com
One popular myth is that the hotel shown in the opening shots of Fawlty Towers was based in Torquay. This particular building was the Wooburn Grange Country Club at Bourne End, Buckinghamshire. Unfortunately in 1991 the building was badly damaged by fire and subsequently demolished. Eight new homes were later built on the grounds.