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Bygones Torquay

Type:Museum

Fore Street, St Marychurch, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 4PR

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 1903 reviews1903 reviews
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Call direct on:

Tel+44 01803 326108

Bygones Torquay, Devon
  • Book Tickets
  • Reviews
  • Events
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  • Map & Directions

Book Tickets Online

Opening Dates and Times

Open Christmas
Open New Year
Bygones (1 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024)

* Jan/Feb/Mar 10am-4pm
Apr/May/Jun/Jul 10am-5pm
Aug 10am-6pm
Thursdays in Aug 10am-9pm
Sep/Oct 10am-5pm
Nov/Dec 10am-4pm
LAST ENTRY IS ALWAYS 1 HOUR BEFORE CLOSING.
Special children’s events Easter ,May half term, Summer holidays ,Halloween and Christmas

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
Adult£12.50 per ticket
Child (3 - 14 years)£8.50 per ticket
Concession: Senior Citizen/Student£10.50 per ticket
Disabled Vistors & Carers£10.50 per ticket
Family (2 Adults & 2 Children)£38.00 per ticket
Group - 15 people or more£7.50 per ticket

Coach parties/groups 15+ - telephone for details 01803 326108
Credit and debit cards accepted

About

Wander back in time, starting towards the end of Queen Victoria’s reign. Visit our authentic life-size Victorian Street filled with all original items. See the Blacksmith hard at work making horseshoes. He is a valuable master of his trade, the equivalent of a highly skilled mechanic today. Smell the treats of the Sweetshop that would have been made fresh every morning on site. Listen to the hustle and bustle of everyday living, immerse yourself in Victorian life.

See the lady having a new outfit tailor made in the Milliners with lace, silk and luxurious velvet all to choose from. In contrast, the 10 year old boy selling hot chestnuts from his portable brazier to earn money for his family to eat. He is wearing his only change of clothes that he has almost grown out of.

On the next level, imagine yourself in the nursery as the Nanny employed to look after 6 young children from an upper-middle class family. In the nursery, children would play with expensive toys, bathe and even start their education before being sent to private school.

Peer at the kitchen, in the servant quarters, it is filled with household appliances (some obscure, some you may remember your grandparents using!) Cook is exhausted from having carried the groceries back from the village for the week ahead.

If you were unlucky enough to have tooth ache, you might want to take a tot of Whisky before visiting the dentist with his foot-operated drill!

Upstairs, take a break in our Station Café for a range of cakes, refreshments, High Teas and more.

Marvel over our completely refurbished model railway. The display is designed to evoke thought and remembrance of the First and Second World Wars.

 

Take a thought-provoking walk through our recreated WWI trench, imagine your ancestors on the front line or taking cover in a WWII Anderson Shelter. Travel from the Peninsular War and Battle of Trafalgar through the Victorian campaigns and WWI & WWII to the Falklands in 1982. With a vast collection of medals, uniform, militaria, can you spot the Boer War Christmas tin issued by Queen Victoria to our troops in 1900 still with its original contents?

Don’t miss the 1950’s and 60’s shopping arcade filled with post-war packaging and household items.

Bygones is three floors of pure nostalgia for ALL the family.

We are dog-friendly throughout so please bring your four-legged friends with you! We run seasonal children’s activities (see our website for more detail) and our Victorian Christmas runs throughout December. We have a souvenir gift shop selling confectionary, traditional toys & games, retro items and even popular merchandise including Harry Potter and Game of Thrones! Please see our website for the online shop! 

 

One of the main questions we are asked is how it all began…

Back in the 1980s, an obsession with railwayana and the spontaneous purchase of a 27-ton railway tank engine sparked the need for a bigger venue. As good fortune would have it, the old cinema had become available in St. Marychurch and the Cuming family bravely took the plunge to turn their hobby into a business. They decided to combine their interests in railways and objects from the past, and invite the public to come and visit the collections. Bygones was born.

The next main question we are asked is how we managed to get the steam engine inside! You’ll have to come in to Bygones to find out!

A completely unique venue for a Birthday parties (child or adult!), corporate events and group and bespoke guided tours.   

Video

  • Bygones

Awards

  • Regional and MiscellaneousWTTC Safe Travels WTTC Safe Travels 2021

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      1261
    • Very Good
      464
    • Average
      121
    • Poor
      36
    • Terrible
      21

    Recent Reviews:

    • LizzieA1967
      Bradford, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Solo travel
      Sadly not my cup of tea
      2 of 5 stars
      30/12/2023
      I went to Bygones last week. The lady in the ticket box was very friendly and informative, but I was slightly offended when she asked me if I was over 65. I am 56 and spend a small fortune on age... Read full review
    • Caroline R
      Don't waste your money it's a complete rip off
      2 of 5 stars
      02/03/2024
      I used to visit every couple of years and loved the nostalgia, unfortunately on this occasion the rather miserable lady behind the desk overcharged us, we decided to continue and try to enjoy our... Read full review
    • PhilipLeic
      Leicester, United Kingdom
      So much to look at
      5 of 5 stars
      06/03/2024
      We really enjoyed all aspects of our visit. There were 'rooms' of a house to visit first, then the shops in the recreated street, then the railway and war areas. We also used the on site cafe and... Read full review

    Related Events

    14/09/2024 - 14/09/2024

    Past Perfect? Agatha Christie and Changing Times, Bygones, part of the Agatha Christie FestivalPast Perfect? Agatha Christie and Changing TimesAgatha Christie is often considered a nostalgic, comforting writer. While we can all enjoy her books and their adaptations for comfort and escapism, they spanned several decades from the 1910s to the 1970s, and rarely present the past as a better time. Looking at some Christie classics, Jamie…
    more info

    Facilities

    Venue Facilities

    • Groups Accepted - Essential to prebook.Groups by arrangement.

    Facilities

    Accessibility

    • Guide Dogs Permitted
    • Ramp/Level Access - Ground floor only

    Attraction Facilities

    • Shop
    • Tea Rooms

    Catering

    • On-Site café/restaurant - Tea room for 50 max, serving light refreshments. Limited hot snacks.

    Establishment Features

    • Toilets

    Key Features

    • Indoor Attraction
    • Max group size - 50
    • Min group size - 15
    • Of historic, literary or architectural interest

    Parking & Transport

    • Parking (charge) - Car Park close by with charges

    Payment Methods

    • Blue Badge Guides admitted free
    • TIC Staff Admitted Free

    Tours and Demonstrations

    • Educational Visits Accepted
    • Guided Tours Available for Groups

    Venue Facilities

    • Groups Accepted - Essential to prebook.Groups by arrangement.

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    Tel+44 01803 326108

    Bygones Torquay

    Map & Directions

    Road Directions

    From Torquay Harbourside, turn left at the clock tower and follow the Babbacombe Road to St Marychurch and Bygones is situated on your right hand side after the public car park.

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