Local Attractions

Information about local attractions - in progress!

Bygones Museum in St.Mary Church

There’s a hundred years of history over three floors here.  There are 15 shops and 8 period rooms full of authentic items, a 27 ton Steam Train and a 28foot Model Railway, a Wartime Britain exhibition of both World Wars and large displays of militaria from the Battle of Waterloo to the Gulf War. Open every day from 10am to 4pm with a cafe in house, there’s a public car park a few yards over the road.

Local Shops

There are lots of shops and salons on the road down to the seafront and indeed all around the seafront!

There is a Co-Op mini supermarket just near the Clocktower so 5 minutes walk. It’s well stocked with most things you might need and it’s open until 10pm every day.
Torwood Street, The Strand and The Marina
You’ll find a wide selection of shops on these roads including Hair and Beauty Salons, Barbers, Galleries, Gift Shops, Confectionery ans Clothes.
Going the other way from us up the Babbacombe Road about 10 minutes walk is Ilsham Road. There’s a wide selection of shops here too including Hair and Beauty Salons, Barbers, Florist, Cafe, Bakery, Clothes and another well stocked Co-Op which stays open until 11pm.

Agatha Christie Exhibition

Agatha Christie, one of the world’s most famous and most prolific writers, was born right here in Torquay in 1890 and lived here until 1922. She spent WW1 firstly as a Volunteer Nurse and then as an Apothecary Dispenser at the Red Cross Hospital that had been set up in Torquay Town Hall -  invaluable experience which she drew on extensively for her novels.

Agatha wrote 75 novels and 14 short stories and has earned the title -  the Queen of Crime because 66 of those novels are detective fiction!

Her novel And Then There Were None is one of the top-selling books of all time, with approximately 100 million copies sold and her stage play The Mousetrap holds the world record for the longest initial run. So Agatha is a legend, no less and she is celebrated in many ways here in Torquay but the best event is the week long International Agatha Christie Festival which happens every September and includes high-profile speakers, performances of her plays and poetry as well as other engaging experiences for all ages. The week’s activities are held in several venues in and around Torbay but Torre Abbey is the hub. You will find all the up to date information on what’s happening during the week on the website which is updated throughout the year and also holds information for other Agatha related events in the area.
Find out more here iacf-uk.org
The Agatha Christie Mile in Torquay, begins at the Grand Hotel and takes you to Agatha’s favourite places including Beacon Cove where she often swam when in more genteel times, it was for ladies only. The Mile ends at the elegant Imperial Hotel which featured in several of Agatha’s novels and where she would have attended many events. 


Find out more here. www.englishriviera.co.uk

Her childhood home, Ashfield, is sadly no more but you can still visit Greenway near Brixham, which Agatha bought in 1938 to be her holiday home.  Greenway features in several of her novels and stories. Her grandson gifted the house and its contents to the National Trust in 2005 and it’s well worth a visit to see the house and gardens.  Just remember to book a parking space in advance if you’re visiting by car. 

Find out more here www.nationaltrust.org.uk


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