About Torquay and the English Riviera

Every good seaside hotel sells its town as much as its rooms, and the Gleneagles was no exception. The guide below preserves the hotel's own affectionate portrait of Torquay — the resort it called "a dream location" — lightly edited, and still remarkably true today.

A Resort Since Victorian Times

The English Riviera is a resort in the truest sense of the word, attracting visitors of all ages and interests throughout the year. Torquay has been one of the UK's top holiday destinations since Victorian times, when the gentry promenaded along the seafront, bathing huts were wheeled down to the beaches, and anyone who was anyone kept an attractive villa overlooking the sea.

It was the Victorians who first used the "English Riviera" name to describe their favourite resort, and their legacy remains to this day: sparkling white villas perched on the verdant hilltops, beautiful gardens around the seafront, and elegant Victorian facades along the main streets. Torquay's famous seven hills provide the backdrop to a waterfront scene that matches anything you'll find on the French Riviera.

Twenty-Two Miles of Coastline

There are 22 miles of coastline here — cliffs, coves, beaches and walks to rival any in the South West of England, with a climate that feels as though it belongs somewhere much further south. Along that shoreline lie nineteen beaches and coves: some, close to the town centre, are wide open stretches of sand with cafés, beach huts and watersports; many others are smaller and more secluded. Several hold coveted awards for cleanliness and water quality.

Torbay is a naturally sheltered bay, a safe haven for ships in stormy weather — though occasional easterly winds whip up winter seas, which is exactly when the beachcombers make their best finds. The geology that shaped all this is remarkable enough that the area is recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark; the English Riviera Geopark tells that 400-million-year story.

The Waterfront and the Town

Torquay's waterfront is the focus of life in the town. Here you'll find the palm-lined promenade, seafront gardens, a lively harbour and an international marina, with pavement cafés, pubs, restaurants and good-quality shops a short stroll away. Stunning views open up almost everywhere across Torbay — out over the English Channel, along the forty miles of Lyme Bay towards Portland Bill, or inland towards the granite tors of Dartmoor.

The town is also an ideal base for exploring South Devon: Dartmouth, Totnes, Exeter and Plymouth are all within easy reach, and the resort's official guide at englishriviera.co.uk keeps an up-to-date what's-on calendar for the whole bay.

The Wellswood Corner

The Gleneagles' own neighbourhood deserves a word. Wellswood sits on the hill east of the harbour: a village-like enclave of white villas, small shops and wooded lanes, with Anstey's Cove and Redgate Beach below and the coast path threading along the clifftops. It was a fittingly genteel address for a hotel with country-house pretensions — quiet enough that the hotel could honestly advertise "one of the most peaceful hotel locations in Torquay," yet only a fifteen-minute walk from the seafront. The cove below was a favourite picnic spot of Agatha Christie, Torquay's most famous daughter, whose life and locations are celebrated by Torquay Museum.

Then and Now

Some details of the hotel's old guide have inevitably dated — attractions have come and gone along the harbourside, and the hotel itself is no longer there to walk back to. But the essentials of Torquay have proved durable: the palms still line the promenade, the gig boats and yachts still crowd the marina, and the seven hills still catch the evening light. For what to actually do with a day or a week here, see our companion page of things to do on the English Riviera — or read about the hotel that once watched over Anstey's Cove.