Achievements
What the Society has achieved
Our members have funded, campaigned for and helped deliver work in every corner of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.
This is the record of that work.
- Year recorded
- No date recorded
Plaques and memorials
Marking the buildings, sites and people that shaped the bay, and the events that should not be forgotten.
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1986
The Blue Plaque Heritage Scheme
Launched in 1986 under the chairmanship of Arthur Ebdon. The first plaques honoured Beverley Nichols in Torquay, the Rev Henry Francis Lyte in Brixham, St Marychurch Town Hall and the Paignton Clink. Twenty four were in place by the end of 1988. The scheme paused in 1998, was revived in 2001, and now stands at 113 plaques.
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2002
Oliver Heaviside headstone
The Society assisted with the presentation of a new headstone for the physicist in May 2002, funded by students at the University of Newcastle.
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2006
The Maritime Sundial, Preston
Designed and made by the sculptor Spencer Field Larcombe of Harbertonford and unveiled on 6 October 2006, honouring both Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee of 2002 and the Society's own thirtieth anniversary.
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2009
National Memorial to the Home Guard
The Society helped bring the memorial to Corbyn Head in Torquay, working with Turning Point Heritage Trust and the Co-operative Society.
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2010
Parachute Regiment Memorial
The Society identified the site and negotiated the land from Torbay Council for the memorial on Paignton seafront.
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2011/12
Eden Phillpotts plaque, Magnolia Square
Working with Barratt Homes at the Torre Marine development, the Society helped name Magnolia Square and saw a section of the Eden Phillpotts garden wall rebuilt to carry his blue plaque.
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2012
Torquay Pavilion centenary plaque
Unveiled at a major public event inside the Pavilion on 23 November 2012 to mark one hundred years of the building.
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2014
Torre Abbey redevelopment plaque
The Society provided the stainless steel plaque unveiled by the Duke of Gloucester to mark the completion of Phase Two at Torre Abbey and the opening of the Crypt.
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2015/16
Vanishing Point memorial stone
Established at Torquay harbourside in partnership with the Torbay Harbourmaster and the council, with a steel plate setting out the history behind it.
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2016
Percy Fawcett plaque, Torquay Museum
A stainless steel plaque unveiled by Mrs Rolene Monet-Guerin, a descendant of the explorer.
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2019
Agatha Christie plaque, Barton Road
The original plaque had been vandalised and the stone that carried it was too small to do the subject justice. With Section 106 funding from Torbay Council, a four foot piece of granite was bought and carved by DJC Stonemasons of Kingskerswell to take its place.
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2020
Hollicombe scented garden plaque
The stone left redundant at Barton Road was moved to Hollicombe and fitted with a full size plaque for the scented garden, replacing the steel plate Ena Hocking had put there in 1981. Covid distancing rules meant the unveiling was attended by the stonemason, the chairman and one member.
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Date not recorded
Magnolia Campbell tree plate
A stainless steel plate honouring the tree planted by Eden Phillpotts and his daughter one hundred years earlier, now standing in Magnolia Square at the Torre Marine development.
Restoration and conservation
Repairing what was damaged, protecting what was at risk, and returning lost pieces of the bay to public view.
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1985
Agatha Christie memorial room
The council made the Abbot's Study at Torre Abbey available to the Society, which furnished it in solid mahogany with display cabinets and a bookcase to hold memorabilia lent by the author's daughter, Mrs Rosalind Hicks. It was later removed when Torre Abbey was redeveloped with Heritage Lottery funding.
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1986
Paignton Heritage Room, Oldway Mansion
Torbay Council agreed in 1984 to give the Society part of the ground floor of Oldway Mansion for a heritage space recording the history of Paignton. More than fifty items lent by local people went on display, including Singer sewing machines, and the room was opened in May 1986 by the Mayor, Councillor A Sawyer.
-
1995
Paintings at Oldway Mansion
After a fundraising effort that gathered just under £15,000, a full size Scanachrome reproduction of Jacques-Louis David's The Crowning of Josephine by Napoleon was unveiled above the marble staircase, hanging where Paris Singer's original had been before its sale to the French government. The Society also purchased an original oil painting of Persephone by Arthur Hacker, now in the Winnaretta room.
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Date not recorded
Britannia on the Pavilion roof
The Society paid for the replacement of one of the arms on the statue that stands above Torquay Pavilion.
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Date not recorded
The Old Clink, Paignton
Restoration of the town's surviving lock up.
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Date not recorded
The Henry Brunel staircase
A Local Government Covenant was created to protect the staircase at The Manor House in Chelston, Torquay, and to allow public access once a year.
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Date not recorded
The Snelgrove Memorial, Wellswood
The fountain raised by the daughters of John Snelgrove, of Marshall and Snelgrove, was restored with financial support from the Society in partnership with the Wellswood Community Partnership. Famous Wellswood names were carved into the new plinth alongside a new information source.
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Date not recorded
The Rosetor Hotel shutter
The Society assisted with the return of a window shutter saved from the hotel before its demolition for the Conference Centre. It carries the signatures of RAF trainees from the Second World War and is to go on public display in a purpose made case.
Parks, gardens and public space
Trees, seating and gardens paid for by members and given to the public realm.
-
1981
Scented garden at Lower Hollicombe
Proposed by chairman Ena Hocking and planted with the council's Parks Department for the Year of the Disabled, using shrubs chosen for their scent so that blind and partially sighted visitors could enjoy the garden through the year. A seat was placed nearby.
-
1981
The Society Tree Fund
Started in 1981 with £1,500 raised from local businesses and a series of musical evenings. Hundreds of trees followed: the length of the valley meadow in 1982, full grown trees at Cary Parade in 1983, five London planes on the Tar Path in 1985, and a Silver Jubilee planting at Sherwell Park, Palace Avenue Gardens and St Mary's Park in 2001.
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1987
Cockington Arboretum
Rare trees planted beyond the heather beds on the walk up to the church, opened at a civic ceremony in April 1987 by the Mayor, Councillor James Mason.
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2002
Tree guards at Torquay Museum
Trees were planted at the museum to mark the Society's Silver Anniversary and the Queen's Golden Jubilee, dug in by HRH Prince Andrew during a visit. Two 5ft 6in galvanised tree guards, made by Oaktree Forge of Paignton, were handed over during National Tree Week that November alongside a second tree.
-
2005
Sensory garden at Preston House Gardens
Funded by South West Water after their sewer works destroyed the original Hollicombe garden. Three hundred shrubs, bulbs, grasses and perennials chosen for smell and touch were planted along the west facing border, and the garden was opened by Councillor John Dunn, vice chairman of Torbay Council.
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2008
Hollicombe Park scented garden
The garden lost to the sewer works was re-established in partnership with Torbay Council and PLUSS Working Torbay.
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Date not recorded
Seat for the ziggurat walkway
A circular seat designed to fit the pedestrian bridge into Fleet Walk, provided when the Society also replaced the trees removed from Cary Parade for the Fleet Street and Cary Green redevelopment.
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Date not recorded
Public seats at Torre Abbey
Seating provided in the grounds for visitors.
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Date not recorded
Seats at Old Maids Perch
Two public seats provided on Torquay seafront to commemorate Torbay Centenary Year.
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Date not recorded
Land at Lower Hollicombe Gardens
Donated by the Society to Turning Point Heritage Trust.
Publications, maps and research
Putting the history of the bay on paper so that residents and visitors can follow it for themselves.
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2006/07
Torbay's first full colour heritage map
The first Heritage Trail and Tourist Map for the bay, sponsored by local tourism businesses.
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2015
Heritage and Tourist Guide No 2
The second edition, a print run of 8,000 copies, following more than 10,000 of the first.
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2016
Forty years of the Society
A history pamphlet made possible by a gift from Mrs Lin Cook, widow of Peter Cook, launched at a gala evening at the Livermead Cliff Hotel on 22 July 2016 alongside a DVD from founder chairman Mrs Hardaway.
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Date not recorded
More than seventy history pamphlets
Each pamphlet covers a piece of built heritage or a notable figure from Torbay, usually published to accompany a blue plaque.
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Date not recorded
Torquay and Paignton town trail maps
Walking trail maps published for both towns. The Torquay leaflet took second place in a nationwide competition of excellence sponsored by Wimpey.
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Date not recorded
Famous Devon Figures of Torbay
Written and published for the Society by chairman Ian L Handford.
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Date not recorded
History of the Cary family
Researched and produced by the Society as a framed four foot by three foot panel, now held at Cockington Court.
Campaigns and community support
Standing behind local groups, taking on campaigns that needed a home, and helping other causes over the line.
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2007
Torquay Library improvements
The Society supported the works and arranged for the author Dick Francis to attend the opening ceremony, which also marked the library's centenary.
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2008
Friends of Oldway
The Society helped found the public backed group in partnership with Paignton Heritage Society in the spring of 2008.
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2009
Hollicombe Residents Action Group
The Society took over responsibility for the group.
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2010
Kingskerswell Bypass campaign
The Society took over the campaign group.
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2010
Wishing Fields, Brixham
Support given to the campaign to save the parkland.
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2010
The Lady Cable
Support given to the campaign to save the last little ship to leave the Dunkirk beaches, along with the donation of a coin counting machine to the trust.
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2011
Coastwatch Tower, Daddyhole Plain
Support given to National Coastwatch's first purpose built watchtower, which lets volunteer watchkeepers see up to fifteen miles out to sea. Members attended the opening in August 2011, where the plaque was unveiled by Admiral Sir Neville Purvis.
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2016
Paignton Cottage Hospital
The Society supported the SOS campaign to retain the hospital, originally provided by the Singer family.
-
Date not recorded
Palace Avenue Theatre
The Society assisted the Friends of Palace Avenue Theatre in raising the final £10,000 of matching funds.
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Date not recorded
Sponsorship of local associations
Money and practical support given to causes across Torbay, among them St John's Church restoration fund, Brixham Museum and History Society, the Devon Rural Skills Trust at Cockington Court, and Men of the Trees for replacement planting after the storms of 1987.
Education, awards and partnerships
Teaching resources, recognition for good development, and long running work with schools, colleges and museums.
-
1981
Certificates of Merit
The scheme was drawn up in 1978 and the first certificates awarded in 1981, to Jurgen Etheridge for his refurbishment of the Pavilion and to the Mayor, Councillor L Blogg, for the landscaping of the Hollicombe scented garden. Early recipients included the Victorian Arcade, the first stage of the Pavilion, Dower Court, the Old Brewery at Paignton, the Old Steartfield Road coach house and the Wells Street project.
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2017
National Civic Day at Cockington
The Society supported the 2017 campaign with a trail walk of the sculptured gardens.
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Date not recorded
Heritage exhibition boards
Boards explaining Torbay's heritage were created for use in schools. They were later displayed in Torbay's public libraries and are still used at public exhibitions today.
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Date not recorded
The Torbay Civic Society cup
Awarded to the winning student of a set test paper as part of the schools heritage project.
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Date not recorded
Merit Certificate for Lincombe Manor
Devon's first care village, built by the Nicholas James Group at the Lincombe Manor Estate in Torquay, received the Society's Merit Certificate for its restoration of the manor itself.
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Date not recorded
Names for South Devon College
The Society supplied the names of famous Devon people for the classroom doors of the college's new university building.
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Date not recorded
Shipbuilding photographs for the Marine Academy
Two privately owned photographs saved from Philip and Son Ltd shipbuilders at Noss Yard, Kingswear, donated for display in the Marine Academy planned there by South Devon College.
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Date not recorded
Sir Samuel White-Baker's spear
An original African spear, given to the Society by a member from the White-Baker family, was donated to Newton Abbot Museum.
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Date not recorded
English Heritage open days
Supported each year by organising public events around Torbay.
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Date not recorded
Future South Devon College projects
The Society continues to support the college's plans for a new sports centre, a design, film and media facility, a third phase building at Long Road in Paignton, and a maritime academy at Noss, Kingswear.