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Summary

The site of Torbay House now lies beneath the extension to the Festival Theatre. Formerly an alehouse, Torbay House was built on the shore and, until the mid 19th century, only accessibly by sea or across the dunes. It was altered or rebuilt in the late 18th century and demolished in 1878 prior to the construction of Adelphi Terrace. Most of the material taken from it was used in these buildings.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86SE/23
• Torbay HER: MTO8902

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Demolished, XVI to XIX - 1535 AD? to 1878 AD?)
• BEER HOUSE (Demolished, XVIII - 1765 AD? to 1786 AD?)

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

Old Torbay House was unique in being built on the shore with access, until the mid 19th century, only by sea, or across the sand dunes via Marsh Lane (now Sands Road) and to the north via (Lower) Polsham Lane. Its origins are probably Tudor, but it may be earlier.
The house was altered/rebuilt in the late eighteenth century; then entirely demolished in February 1878 prior to the erection of Adelphi Terrace.

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

Torbay House depicted.

Torbay Pictorial Series, 1870s, Old Torbay House on Paignton Green (Ground Photograph). SDV362171.

A postcard with a photograph of Old Torbay House on Paignton Green 'from a photograph taken about 30 years ago' was sent on the 24th December 1906 so records the house in the last years of its existence. The photo was taken from the south-east.

Hunt, A.R., 1878, Notes on Torbay, 183 (Article in Serial). SDV362457.

In an article on cockle shells, Hunt notes that after a storm in February 1873 the cockles formed an almost continuous line on the shore from Redcliffe House to Torbay House, adding in a footnote that the latter has since been demolished.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Torbay House marked. A large house with a main north-south block and two side wings with gardens.

Foster, R., 1932, Scraps of Old Paignton, 544 (Article in Serial). SDV362424.

Old Torbay House was demolished prior to the building of Adelphi Terrace with most of the material being taken for use in the new buildings. Some of the old mahogany doors are still there. The wrought iron gates and pillars now form the main entrance to Parkfield.

Penwill,, 1953, Paignton in Six Reigns (Monograph). SDV362170.

Smith, L. T., 1964, The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Monograph). SDV362504.

The site is probably that recorded by John Leland in his 'Itinerary' of 1525: 'I marked almost in the middle of this [Tor]bay one house set on the hard shore and a small pier by it [Paignton Quay] as a socour for fischar boats.'

Donn, B., 1965, A Map of the County of Devon, 1765 (Reprint), Sheet 11a (Monograph). SDV336413.

Building depicted on the shoreline and marked as Torbay Alehouse.

Reed, S., 1998, Summary Report of Archaeological Recording of Geotechnical Test Pits at the Festival Hall, Paignton (* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist). SDV362175.

A watching brief was undertaken during the excavation of seven trial pits as part of the ground investigation of the site prior to development. No archaeological deposits were encountered within any of the 7 trial pits and 1 trench excavated. The complete dearth of any such features combined with an absence of any soil horizon or surfaces and dated artefacts earlier than the nineteenth century suggests that the demolition and removal of the fabric of Torbay House and associated out buildings was undertaken thoroughly, and that subsequent landscaping and construction on the site have effectively removed any previously surviving archaeological deposits in the areas covered by the test pits.

Pike, J., 1998, Torbay House (Un-published). SDV362172.

Research notes on Torbay House.

Shaw, L., 1999, Super sleuth unravels life and times of Paignton Green, 12 (Article in Serial). SDV362174.

Some of the later history of the house between 1786-1878 given.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #139772 ]
SDV336413	Monograph: Donn, B.. 1965. A Map of the County of Devon, 1765 (Reprint). A Map of the County of Devon, 1765 (Reprint). Hardback Volume. Sheet 11a.
SDV349431	Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV361984	SMR record: Torbay HER record.
SDV362170	Monograph: Penwill,. 1953. Paignton in Six Reigns. Paignton in Six Reigns. Hardback Volume.
SDV362171	Ground Photograph: Torbay Pictorial Series. 1870s. Old Torbay House on Paignton Green. Torbay Pictorial Series. Unknown.
SDV362172	Un-published: Pike, J.. 1998. Torbay House. Typescript.
SDV362174	Article in Serial: Shaw, L.. 1999. Super sleuth unravels life and times of Paignton Green. Herald Express. Unknown. 12.
SDV362175	* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist: Reed, S.. 1998. Summary Report of Archaeological Recording of Geotechnical Test Pits at the Festival Hall, Paignton. Exeter Archaeology. EA 98.?. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362424	Article in Serial: Foster, R.. 1932. Scraps of Old Paignton. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 64. Hardback Volume. 544.
SDV362457	Article in Serial: Hunt, A.R.. 1878. Notes on Torbay. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 10. Digital. 183.
SDV362504	Monograph: Smith, L. T.. 1964. The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543. The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543. 1. Unknown.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7799 - Watching Brief by Exter Archaeology

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