Name: Torre Abbey
Rating: 5.0

Torre Abbey

Torre Abbey, The King's Drive, Torquay TQ2 5JE, UK

1-99 Years

Paid

Description

Torre Abbey 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. This Torbay Council-owned museum and gardens is also 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.

Prices starts from £11.50 for adults, £4.00 for Children (5 - 18 years) and £16.00 for Family (1 adult plus children). If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

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.
Exterior Grounds and The Spanish Barn: The grounds surrounding Torre Abbey are popular with dog walkers, cyclists, families and anyone fancying some fresh air against a stunning backdrop. They are free to use throughout the year and make a lovely place for a stroll or somewhere to sit down when you are exploring the seafront area of Torquay.
Art and Culture: The local council acquired Torre Abbey in 1930 and adapted it for use as an art gallery and the Mayor’s Parlour. Today the abbey provides an ideal setting for Torbay’s collection of paintings and antiques, most of which have been donated by local people. Several times a year, Torre Abbey welcomes visiting art exhibitions from partners including the V&A, the Tate and the Arts Council Collection. We organise a programme of activities to complement these dynamic and varied exhibitions.

Gardens:

Glass Houses: The Palm House - Built in 1969, the Palm House contains a large collection of tropical and sub-tropical plants including some rare and endangered palms donated by Kew Gardens. Bananas and pineapples jostle for space with gloriously tropical flowers such as plumeria and passionflower. Specimen plants include the giant Bird of Paradise and a monstrous Swiss Cheese Plant. The Arid House - Home to a fascinating collection of cacti and succulents, the Arid House showcases the true survival experts of the plant world. Their flowers, though short lived, are extraordinarily colourful and fragrant and hopefully you can catch one or two on your visit. If not, the variety of shapes, spines and hairs are still an impressive sight. These plants make great subjects for photographing and sketching.
Medieval Garden: Based on a traditional medieval design and enclosed within a handmade wattle fence, this garden within a garden has been lovingly created to entice people of all ages into the fascinating world of medieval plants and their uses. Turf seats, willow tunnels and authentic planting offer children the opportunity to explore, touch, taste and look, while grown-ups take advantage of the same features to contemplate a simpler, less frenetic way of life.
Ruins: Within the garden are the remains of those parts of the original abbey that were destroyed during the time of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Visitors can explore the remains of the medieval church including its great tower, now collapsed, the monastic cloister and garth and a variety of important areas such as the Chapter House with its fine example of a Norman arch. Archaeological features abound, from graves, to medieval stairs, carvings and hand painted tiles.
Walled Garden: With a wealth of exotic and exciting plants, Torre Abbey’s Gardens nestle behind the main house, a tranquil haven of beauty and pleasure that both reflects and enhances the very special atmosphere of Torre Abbey.
Agatha Christie Potent Plants: With 66 novels to her name and numerous short stories and plays, the Queen of Crime remains the world’s biggest selling author of all time and Torquay's best known resident. Every September, there are Agatha Christie events to celebrate the esteemed author’s birthday and people travel from all over the world to make the occasion.

Facilities

Parking: The nearest car park is Torre Valley Torre Valley - Torbay Council. Drop-off point and limited parking within the grounds for disabled visitors.
Eating and drinking: Café closed until Easter.
Toilets: Torre Abbey also has accessible toilets, as does the café, which also features a wide door with push button entry and baby changing facilities.
Dogs: Assistance dogs are welcome at the museum. Non-assistance dogs cannot enter the house or gardens but are very welcome in our café. Our staff will be happy to provide drinking water for your dog.

Website

Contact

Video

Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Standard Ticket:

Adult: £11.50
Child (5–18 years): £4.00
Under 5s: Free
Family (1 Adult + Children): £16.00
Family (2 Adults + Children): £27.00

Annual Membership:

Adult (Unlimited access for 12 months): £25.00
Couples Membership: £40.00
Family Membership (2 Adults, including children): £45.00
Family Membership (1 Adult, including children): £30.00

Pricing URL: https://www.torre-abbey.org.uk/plan-your-visit/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Wednesday to Sunday: 10am till 5pm (last entry 4pm)
We are open on bank holiday mondays - except Christmas holidays.

Address: Torre Abbey, The King's Drive, Torquay TQ2 5JE, UK

Post Code: TQ2 5JE

Council: Torquay

County: Devon

By Rail: Direct trains from Exeter Central and Newton Abbot. Torquay Station is within 5 minutes walk of Torre Abbey.
By Bus: 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).
By Car: The nearest car park is Torre Valley Torre Valley - Torbay Council. Drop-off point and limited parking within the grounds for disabled visitors.
By Bike: We are on the cycle route with bike racks on site. Child friendly biking routes can be found from our grounds.
By Land Train: The Torquay Land Train is a fun way to get around Torquay for all ages! It takes in the picturesque seafront and provides convenient drop off points for many of Torquay's hotels and stops at Torre Abbey. The Train runs from 9:30am with the route taking 40 minutes.
By Boat: Leave the car behind and travel across the Bay on one of the ferry services. Seasonal ferries to Torquay operate daily from 1 April to 31 October from Brixham, Paignton and Dartmouth.
Parking: The nearest car park is Torre Valley Torre Valley - Torbay Council. Drop-off point and limited parking within the grounds for disabled visitors.