Torre Abbey

The King's Drive, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 5JE

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Tel01803 293593

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Welcoming visitors for over 800 years…

Torre Abbey is Torbay's most historic building, an ancient scheduled monument dating back to 1196 and set within 18 acres of garden and parkland. It’s also a multi-award-winning visitor attraction housing an impressive art collection boasting over 600 incredible works of art from the 18th century to the present day. Meanwhile, our 800 Years Gallery uses state-of-the-art technology to tell the abbey’s fascinating story through videos, talking portraits and interactive displays.

Torre Abbey is a centre for creativity and culture, offering events and workshops as well as hosting world class exhibitions alongside creative work from the cream of local talent. We also pride ourselves on being family friendly with a range of activities available for youngsters, both inside the historic buildings and outside in our stunning gardens as well.  

Events

Torre Abbey offers an impressive year-round events programme that includes Open Air Theatre Productions in August, the International Agatha Christie Festival in September, Halloween Trail in October and our Winter Fest craft fair every Christmas. We also organise a unique programme of events and exhibitions throughout the year, working with the likes of the British Library, National Gallery and other great institutions.

Family Friendly Activities

We recognise that children are the museum visitors of tomorrow, so we want them to have the best experience possible. With this in mind, we have interactive displays, dressing up areas and an area called The Hidden House for youngsters to explore. We also have free activity sheets that you can pick up at the main desk. We also organise regular treasure hunts and other workshops and activities which tie-in with our visiting exhibitions.

History

Torre Abbey is an archaeological site of national importance. Founded in 1196, it became the wealthiest English monastery of the order of Premonstratensian canons. The extent of its survival makes Torre Abbey the best-preserved medieval abbey in Devon and Cornwall. After King Henry VIII closed the monastery in 1539, two of its former ranges were adapted for use as a private house. From 1662, this house became the home of the Cary family, who lived here for nearly 300 years.

The Gardens

Our award-winning gardens are the pride of Torbay and a real oasis of calm away from the busy seafront. With a wealth of exotic and exciting plants, the gardens are a tranquil haven of beauty and pleasure and the perfect setting in which to relax, stroll or picnic. Exuberant plantings of herbaceous perennials, roses and dahlias sit in the formal 19th century landscape around the abbey ruins.

 

 

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
Adults£10.50
Children (5 - 18 years)£4.00
Family: 1 adult plus children £14.50
Under 5'sFree

Annual Membership:
Adult Annual Membership (unlimited access for 12 months) £23.50
Couples Membership £33.00
Annual Family Membership (2 adults, including children) £35.00
Annual Family Membership (1 adult, including children) £25.00

Opening Times

Season (1 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2023)
DayTimes

* Tuesday to Sunday from 10am till 5pm (last entry 4pm)
We are open on bank holiday Mondays - except Christmas holidays

Facilities

Accessibility

  • Accessible to Wheelchair Users

Attraction Facilities

  • Shop

Catering

  • On-Site café/restaurant
  • Picnic Site

Establishment Features

  • Toilets

Group Travel

  • Out of Hours Visits

Key Features

  • No Smoking Attraction

Parking & Transport

  • Free Car Parking

Payment Methods

  • Accept Bank Transfers, Internet Payment or SWIFT/IBAN
  • All major credit cards accepted
  • Cash accepted
  • Contactless payment accepted

Tours and Demonstrations

  • Educational Visits Accepted

Travel & Trade

  • Group discounts available

Venue Facilities

  • Groups Accepted

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Map & Directions

Road Directions

The nearest car park is Torre Valley Torre Valley - Torbay Council (2 minutes away)

Drop-off point and limited parking within the grounds for disabled visitors.

 

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Public Transport Directions

12, 22, 60, 61, 62, Gold, X46 to Torre Abbey Meadows / Sands.

32, 62, to Torre Abbey bus-stop (Walnut Road). 26, 120 to Torquay Train Station bus-stop (Rathmore Road).

Direct trains from Exeter Central and Newton Abbot. Torquay Station is within 5 minutes walk of Torre Abbey.

 

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TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      559
    • Very Good
      245
    • Average
      37
    • Poor
      11
    • Terrible
      9

    Recent Reviews:

    • Sunshine746852
      Great day out. Something for everyone
      5 of 5 stars
      11th Nov 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
      12th Feb 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
    • TheAppleTreeBar
      Torquay, United Kingdom
      Cocktail Bar event | The Apple Tree
      5 of 5 stars
      25th Mar 2024
      Hosted an event at the Spanish Barn on Torre Abbey, Phil was a great help in getting everything arranged and we look forward to more in the future! Read full review

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