The area comprising modern Torquay has been inhabited since
Paleolithic times.
Hand axes found in
Kents Cavern have been dated as 40,000 years old, and a
maxilla fragment, known as
Kents Cavern 4, may be the oldest example of a
modern human in Europe, dating back to 37,000–40,000 years ago.
Roman soldiers are known to have visited Torquay during the period when Britain was a part of the
Roman Empire, leaving offerings at a curious rock formation in
Kents Cavern, known as "The Face". The first major building in Torquay was
Torre Abbey, a
Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1196. The second phase in the expansion of Torquay began when
Torre railway station was opened on 18 December 1848. The improved transport connections resulted in rapid growth at the expense of nearby towns not on
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's railways. The more central
Torquay railway station was opened on 2 August 1859 with views of the sea from the platforms. After the growth of the preceding decades, Torquay was granted
borough status in 1892.
Torquay Tramways operated electric street trams from 1907. They were initially powered by the unusual
Dolter stud-contact electrification so as not to disfigure the town with overhead wires, but in 1911, was converted to more conventional overhead-line supply. The line was extended into Paignton in 1911 but the network was closed in 1934. The
Royal National Lifeboat Institution's
Torquay Lifeboat Station was at the Ladies Bathing Cove from 1876 until 1923. A second lifeboat was kept at the harbour from 1917 until 1928. Torquay was regarded as a "Spa Town" after the Marine Spa was built on Beacon Hill near the harbour. Originally called the "Bath Saloons complex", it had an open air tide-filled swimming bath. The complex was opened in 1853 after Beacon Hill headland was dynamited to make space for it.
Charles Dickens was said to have made readings there. During
World War I, military hospitals were sited in Torquay – many survivors from the
Battle of Gallipoli recuperated in the town – and it was used as a troop staging area. In September 1915,
King George V and
Queen Mary visited. During
World War II Torquay was regarded as safer than the towns of
South East England, and played host to
evacuees from the London area. The town did, however, suffer minor bomb damage during the war, mainly from planes dumping excess loads after participating in the
Plymouth Blitz. The last air raid on Torquay took place on 29 May 1944, shortly before the
D-Day landings in June and, in the months leading up to D-Day, thousands of
US Army personnel arrived with the 3204th Quartermaster Service Company
billeted in
Chelston and
Cockington. During
Operation Overlord more than 23,000 men of the American 4th Infantry Division departed Torquay for
Utah Beach. The loading ramps used by the American army are still visible in front of the Regina Hotel on Vaughan Parade. The
water sport events of the
1948 Summer Olympic Games were held in Torquay, and the
Olympic flame brought from London to Torre Abbey Gardens. Although it did not host any Olympic events for the
2012 Summer Olympics, with the sailing taking place in
Weymouth, Torbay looked to host teams as a preparation camp and the flame passed through once more on its route around the UK. After World War II several private high-rise blocks of flats were constructed above the Rock Walk cliffs and harbour, giving the area a
Monte Carlo feel. In 1971, after a tragedy, the Marine Spa was demolished to make way for the ill-fated Coral Island leisure complex. This was characterised by its concrete arches on its uppermost floor and sunbathing decks like those of a cruise liner. The site featured a hexagonal outdoor plunge pool surrounded by sunbathing terraces leading down to Beacon Cove beach. Inside the building were several lounges, a restaurant and a nightclub within the arches of the ancient swimming bath. All levels were served by a hydraulic passenger lift. Coral Island opened in 1977, and closed in 1988. The complex was demolished in 1997, 20 years after its construction. The site remained derelict until 2002 when the Living Coasts coastal zoo was built there. Torquay also boasted rehabilitation facilities for the
blind at America Lodge, which was owned by the
RNIB for a number of decades. Like many RNIB properties, this was sold off in the 1990s and the building was subdivided into private apartments. In the late 1980s, Fleet Street was rebuilt as the Fleet Walk shopping centre which has street-level shops and an upper-level shopping deck. The long, curved building which follows the street is magnolia-coloured and in mock Victorian style. In the late 1990s and early 2000s new pubs and night clubs opened around the harbour, leading to an increase in binge drinking; however, in recent years a better police presence and responsible drinks promotions have improved the situation. Areas around Torquay have also been affected by either refurbishments or closure. For instance, the Rock Walk located on the town's seafront was refurbished through a £3 million funding project, resulting in its reopening on 3 October 2010, as part of the Royal Terrace Gardens festival. In 2013, the Torquay Pavilion was closed after a loss in funding and attempts to reopen it under new funding are ongoing. ==Governance==