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Torre Abbey

Type:Abbey/Priory

The Kings Drive, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 5JE

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 860 reviews860 reviews
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Call direct on:

Tel+44 01803 293593

Torre Abbey
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Book Tickets Online

Opening Dates and Times

2024 Opening (28 Mar 2024 - 18 Dec 2024)
DayTimes
MondayClosed*
Tuesday - Sunday10:00 - 17:00*
Bank Holiday10:00 - 16:00*
Dates and times marked with a '*' are provisional and may be subject to change

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
Adult£10.50 per ticket
Children & teens (Up to 19 years)£4.00 per ticket
Family (2 adults, including children)£23.50 per ticket
Family (1 adult, including children)£14.50 per ticket

Adult Annual Membership (unlimited access for 12 months) £21.00
Family Membership (2 adults, including children) £33.00
Family Membership (1 adult, including children) £23.00

About

An English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark Key Site. 

Torre Abbey is Torbay's most historic building, an ancient scheduled monument dating back to 1196 set within 18 acres of garden and parkland.

The Abbey's story began with the arrival of an abbot and six canons at Torre, they had been sent from Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire following the gift of land from the Lord of the Manor of Torre, William Brewer. Rich fertile land, proximity to the sea and stone from a nearby headland provided the founding medieval Premonstratensian Monks with all the resources they needed to establish Torre Abbey. 

Today the Abbey is a real hive of activity where world class exhibitions are shown side-by-side with creative work from local emerging talents. You can learn about the early years and the Georgian Cary Family who resided in the Abbey for hundreds of years. The fascinating Cary Family invited Horatio Nelson for a dinner party, this is recreated in the Dining Room. 

With over 600 incredible works of art from the 18th century to the presen day, our 800 years of history gallery explores local history, heritage and stories through interactive displays, talking portraits and videos, which really makes the Abbey a truly unique place to visit. 

Our award winning garden is famed for exuberant plantings of herbaceous perennials, roses and dahlias. Rare shrubs and trees flourish in the English Riviera climate. Our Palm and Cactus Houses contain tropical and sub-tropical plants including endangered palms from Kew Gardens. 

All year round the gardens celebrate the achievements of Torquay's most famous resident 'Agatha Christie' through the Potent Plants Garden. You'll be surprised by the range of sinister but beautiful plants on show. Fans of the writer can also interpret the plants and clues in the four outside beds and solve the mystery of the missing story titles. 

We are a family-friendly museum, all year round we offering special house and garden trails and quizzes, learning activities, dressing up and a wide range of workshops. Torre Abbey is accessible for prams and children, with a lift running to each floor, buggy parking and baby-changing faciltities. We welcome picnicking in our gardens, and have plenty of spots to enjoy alfresco dining. 

Our gift shop is open during Abbey opening hours, selling everything from locally produced gin, preserves and sweets, to traditional toys, plants, gardening accessories, mugs and annual memberships. 

During August we hold our Outdoor Cinema Festival, showing a range of cult classics, blockbuster movies and family favourites under the stars in our romantic ruins. For each screening our licensed pop-up bar is open selling a range of refreshments and movie snacks. 

For full details on all of our exhibitions, events and workshops visit our website. 

A Visual Guide is now available for Torre Abbey,  The Guide is a site specific online tool to help people plan and consider their visit to a new place. The Visual Guide shows anything from functional information like entry prices, parking and facilities, but also highlights elements like sound levels, lighting types, spaces and bespoke features that may cause alarm or confusion.

Awards

  • Regional and MiscellaneousWTTC Safe Travels WTTC Safe Travels 2021

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      558
    • Very Good
      245
    • Average
      37
    • Poor
      11
    • Terrible
      9

    Recent Reviews:

    • tina n
      Paignton, United Kingdom
      Afternoon out to see Paddington Exhibition
      4 of 5 stars
      04/09/2023
      Although we have lived In Paignton for the past 6 years this was our first visit, the only damper on it was the Tea Room, which wasn't that good. We had visited the original Caffe some years ago when... Read full review
    • Sunshine746852
      Great day out. Something for everyone
      5 of 5 stars
      11/11/2023
      Torre Abbey is an amazing place. Huge and inspiring and tells its history through Henry VIII ‘s dissolution of the Monasteries up to the present day. We had a great time and the animated audio... Read full review
    • Keith P
      Excellent Place to visit
      5 of 5 stars
      12/02/2024
      I would really advise a visit. We stayed for over 2 hours and could have stayed longer. Most interesting House and the gardens were kept to a very high standard. The only problem we had was trying to... Read full review

    Related Events

    06/02/2024 - 14/07/2024

    Torre Abbey - CarysThe Carys: From Rebels to RichesCreated by the South West Heritage Trust and Torre Abbey the exhibition showcases items from the Cary Archive, giving a unique insight into the family. The Cary Family lived at Torre Abbey for more than 250 years, but they were more than just residents of Torquay, they helped to form it as a place…
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    06/09/2024 - 15/09/2024

    Heritage Open Days, Torquay, Paignton, Brixham, DevonHeritage Open DaysHeritage Open Days is England's largest community led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored, and…
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    07/09/2024 - 15/09/2024

    The Agatha Christie Festival 2024The Agatha Christie FestivalThe programme can be viewed by carrying out a diary search via www.englishriviera.co.uk/whats-on and on The Agatha Christie Festival website www.iacf-uk.org Agatha Christie is Torquay's most well-known resident and the best selling author of all time. Every year Torquay celebrates the life and…
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    08/09/2024 - 08/09/2024

    A garden party to die for, Torre Abbey, Part of the International Agatha Christie Festival, Torquay, DevonA Garden Party To Die ForJoin us for a spiffing summer garden party is the heavenly walled gardens at Torre Abbey. Meet the Head Gardener, learn about Agatha Christie’s potent and poisonous plants and her time as a pharmacist in Torquay and join us for afternoon tea – if you dare! Tea and cake will be served on the lawn,…
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    12/09/2024 - 12/09/2024

    Agatha Christie She Watched... around the World, Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonAgatha Christie She Watched... around the WorldTeresa Peschel is the author of Agatha Christie, She Watched: one woman’s plot to watch 201 Agatha Christie movies without murdering the director, screenwriter, cast or her husband. For this talk she will be discussing the various international film adaptations from around the world and comparing…
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    12/09/2024 - 12/09/2024

    All About Agatha Live!A panel discussion chaired by Kemper Donovan of the All About Agatha team, with Christie authorities, Dr John Curran and Dr Mark Aldridge, joined by Teresa Peschel (author of Agatha Christie, She Watched) and Christie fan and author of the Smart Women crime mysteries, Victoria Dowd. 


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    12/09/2024 - 12/09/2024

    Golfing Murder Mystery Pitch and Putt, Torre Abbey, Agatha Christie Golfing Murder Mystery Pitch and PuttLady Lettice Lovage is the world's leading romantic novelist, known for having a colourful private life of her own – she has had many secret affairs with top political and business dignitaries. The international blackmailer known only as The King of Hearts has committed larceny and absconded with…
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    13/09/2024 - 13/09/2024

    Agatha Christie and the Crime That Dare Not Speak Its NameCaroline Derry’s talk will explore how Agatha Christie represented lesbians in her post-war novels, and the insights they offer into the criminal justice system’s attitudes to lesbianism. Several Agatha Christie novels depict lesbian relationships. The best-known, A Murder is Announced (1950)…
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    13/09/2024 - 13/09/2024

    Agatha Christie: Forensic Detective, part of the Agatha Christie Festival, Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonAgatha Christie: Forensic DetectiveCarla Valentine is a qualified mortuary technician, curator of Barts Pathology Museum and author of Past Mortems and Murder Isn’t Easy. She’s also the host of a BBC Sounds podcast called Mortem, and has appeared in several documentaries about Agatha Christie. She is passionate about Agatha, the…
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    13/09/2024 - 13/09/2024

    Agatha TravelsThe idea of the book came to the author when he stayed overnight at a hotel in Aleppo, northern Syria, in the late 1990s – and realized that Agatha Christie had been a regular guest in the hotel, and that the opening scene of Murder on the Orient Express was set in the railway station at which he…
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    13/09/2024 - 13/09/2024

    Joan Hickson's Miss Marple The Definitive Expert on Wickedness?, Torre Abbey, part of the Agatha Christie Festival, Torquay, DevonJoan Hickson's Miss Marple The Definitive Expert on Wickedness?In this entertaining illustrated talk, 'Agathologist' Dr Mark Aldridge discusses the search for a definitive portrayal of Miss Marple on screen. Drawing on new research undertaken for his book Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert on Wickedness, he will offer new insights into several Miss Marple…
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    13/09/2024 - 13/09/2024

    Lost Lingo, part of the Agatha Christie Festival, Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonLost LingoDust off the pages of Agatha Christie’s Golden Age novels to uncover quips and references that have faded over the last one hundred years. Kate Gingold called on an amazing range of experts to throw light on obscure phrases from the 1920s novels for her glossary, Agatha Annotated, and will be…
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    14/09/2024 - 14/09/2024

    Agatha Christie’s Doctors, part of the Agatha Christie Festival, Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonAgatha Christie’s DoctorsJoin Raye Green, the author of Agatha Christie’s Doctors, as she investigates the many doctors, nurses and medics in Agatha Christie’s stories. There are around 184 doctors in her novels and they are variously depicted as healers, sleuths, victims, suspects or even murderers. After all, when there…
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    14/09/2024 - 14/09/2024

    Miss Marple and the Secret History of Female Sleuths, part of the Agatha Christie Festival - Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonMiss Marple and the Secret History of Female SleuthsEver since Miss Jane Marple first appeared in a novel in 1930, British female private eyes have been dubbed ‘Miss Marple’ – from Annette Kerner, owner of the Mayfair Detective Agency, to Zena Scott-Archer, president of the World Association of Detectives. Join Caitlin Davies, author of Private…
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    14/09/2024 - 14/09/2024

    The Jewellery Cases, Torre Abbey, part of the Agatha Christie FestivalThe Jewellery CasesWhat did jewels mean to Hercule Poirot? Did Miss Marple have a favourite brooch? Agatha Christie mentions jewels throughout her novels, but do they have any special historical significance? Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan will discuss the various mentions of rings and necklaces and precious stones found…
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    15/09/2024 - 15/09/2024

    Agatha Christie and the Rolling Stone!, part of the Agatha Christies Festival - Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonAgatha Christie and the Rolling Stone!In September 2023, Christie’s auction house sold the extraordinary library of modern first editions assembled by Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (1941-2021), including a near-complete collection of Agatha Christie first editions. Mark Wiltshire, specialist in rare books and head of the Charlie…
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    15/09/2024 - 15/09/2024

    Birthday Event: Hercule Poirot’s Favourite Case, Agatha Christie Festival, Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonBirthday Event: Hercule Poirot’s Favourite CaseJoin Brad Friedman, a theatre director and educator from the United States, and the author of the classic crime blog Ah Sweet Mystery, as he discusses Cards on the Table, one of Christie’s most ingenious novels set at an after-dinner bridge tournament. Following the talk, Alex Maddocks from…
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    15/09/2024 - 15/09/2024

    The Art & Artists of Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie Festival, Torre Abbey, Torquay, DevonThe Art & Artists of Agatha ChristieJoin David Morris, author and editor of Collecting Christie, as he shares fascinating insights into the iconic dust jacket artwork that adorned Agatha Christie’s British and American first editions. The talk will provide surprising information about the artists, how they helped to bring her books…
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    15/09/2024 - 15/09/2024

    Tommy and Tuppence and The Great Detectives, part of the Agatha Christie Festival, Torre Abbey, Torre Abbey Museum, TorquayTommy and Tuppence and The Great DetectivesDr John Curran investigates the Great Detective characters in whose style Tommy and Tuppence solve their cases in Partners in Crime. Were they all Great Detectives? How well did Agatha Christie capture their styles? And why have some survived and some vanished?
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    Facilities

    Establishment Features

    • Cater for groups

    Key Features

    • Groups

    Venue Facilities

    • Groups Accepted

    Facilities

    Accessibility

    • Accessible to Wheelchair Users

    Facilities

    Other

    • Accept Children over 7
    • Film - Historic Location
    • Gift Shop
    • Website

    Accessibility

    • Accessible to Wheelchair Users
    • Assistance Dogs
    • Facilities for Disabled Visitors
    • Guide Dogs Permitted
    • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
    • Toilets for Disabled Visitors

    Attraction Facilities

    • Plant Sales
    • Shop
    • Tea Rooms

    Catering

    • On-Site café/restaurant

    Establishment Features

    • Available for wedding receptions
    • Cater for groups
    • Coach drop-off point
    • Conference facilities
    • Event venue
    • Licenced for civil marriages
    • On-site Restaurant/Cafe
    • Open All Year
    • Shop
    • Tea / Coffee Shop
    • Toilets
    • Wedding Venue

    Key Features

    • Families
    • Groups
    • Indoor Attraction - You can visit the Abbey building and the gardens
    • Of historic, literary or architectural interest
    • Outdoor Attraction - You can visit the Gardens only for £4
    • Weddings

    Parking & Transport

    • On Bus Route
    • Parking (charge) - Public Pay and Display car park nearby.

    Payment Methods

    • All major credit cards accepted
    • Contactless payment accepted

    Proximity

    • Within 1 Mile of a Train Station

    Specialist Features

    • Family Fun
    • Marketed towards families
    • Marketed towards senior citizens
    • Themed Events

    Tours and Demonstrations

    • Educational Visits Accepted
    • Guided Tours Available for Groups
    • Guided Tours Available for Individuals

    Travel & Trade

    • Group discounts available
    • Groups Welcome
    • Packed lunches available

    Venue Facilities

    • Area for musician/band
    • Beach adajacent for photography
    • Catering available in house
    • Choice of marriage rooms
    • Dedicated wedding planner
    • Garden/grounds available for photography
    • Groups Accepted
    • Late licence for evening receptions
    • Lawn area for marquee
    • Licenced for civil marriages
    • Marriage / Reception Room decoration
    • Sea views available for photography
    • Special rates for small/midweek weddings

    View Less

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    Torre Abbey

    Also at

    Agatha Christie enjoying the sun in TorquayAgatha Christie Mile, TorquayDrift back into the style and opulence of the Jazz Age as you retrace the steps of the world’s best-selling author along Torquay’s seafront.

    Wedding, Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, Devon Torre Abbey, TorquaySet within 18 acres of parkland and gardens with spectacular views of the sea, Torre Abbey is the perfect romantic celebration to hold your wedding celebration.

    Hot chocolate, Torre Abbey Cafe, Torquay, DevonTorre Abbey Cafe, Torquay📢 Our Café is moving! 🥪 🍵 🧁 Due to our Restoration Project our Café will be relocated to our wonderful Spanish Barn for the summer months. 🗓️ From Tuesday 13th June you will be able to enjoy our usual drinks and light bites whilst experiencing the atmospheric barn. We know this move…

    Torre Abbey Meadows, TorquayAbbey Meadows and Gardens is situated on Torquay Seafront. The meadow is a large open space used by all for events and picnics. The park itself is host to a range of activities, such as tennis and crazy golf; it also houses the Italian Gardens with its attractive pond with fountain and water rock…

    Map & Directions

    Road Directions

    Torre Abbey is 10 minutes drive from most areas of Torquay, 20 minutes from Paignton and 50 minutes from Plymouth and Exeter. From Exeter and the east:From Exeter and the east, follow signs for Torquay A380, then Torquay Seafront A3022. You will arrive at a 5 roads junction with the gates to the Abbey ahead of you. There is no parking in the grounds but you can take 2nd exit, Chestnut Avenue for parking at the front of the Riviera International Centre OR sharp right, Walnut Road for Torre Valley car park. Both are just 2 minutes walk from the Abbey and are pay and display. From Babbacombe, Paignton and other areas of Torbay:Follow the seafront and turn into Rathmore Road, immediately next to the Grand Hotel. Follow this road with the station on you left and you will reach the five roads junction – sharp left for Walnut Road, Torre Valley car park and straight across for Chestnut Avenue, Riviera Centre car park.

    What's Nearby

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