Torbay

Torbay sits on a sheltered curve of the English Channel made up of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. The coastline includes harbours, beaches and sections of the South West Coast Path that trace cliffs and coves. Brixham retains an operational fishing fleet and market at the harbour, while Paignton has the pier and family-oriented seafront. Torquay contains the main marinas and the town centre with Victorian promenades. Much of the shoreline and townscape falls within the English Riviera Geopark, which highlights local geology and coastal landforms.

Inland and on the headlands there are long-running traces of human activity and military use. Kents Cavern in Torquay holds Palaeolithic occupation layers and a jawbone among the oldest modern human remains found in Britain. On the Brixham headland, Berry Head has 19th-century forts and a nature reserve with cliff-top paths and seabird colonies. The district’s economy blends tourism, boat services and fishing, and its transport links focus along the coastal road and rail connections into the wider Southwest.