Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog » Torre Abbey

Torquay – the place to be for kids this summer!

Nigel Beck — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:35:35 +0000

If you’re looking for something entertaining and energising for your little ones this summer, TLH Leisure Resort is the place to be. Our Aztec Active weekly programme has been extremely popular with families of all ages, offering activities from Zorbing to Scuba diving.

Not only do we offer fantastic indoor and outdoor activities with our Arena Games, swimming pools, outdoor adventure and much more, there is now an added bonus for your kids this August. Just across from us on the Sea Front at Torre Abbey Park they are hosting children’s activity days with qualified coaches, providing training in Tennis, Golf, Football and outdoor Bowling – there will even be competitions and medals!

The days are run from 10am to 4pm on the 18th, 22nd and 30th of August and are suitable for children between the ages of 7 and 14. The cost of the day is £17 per child and an extra £5 will provide a trip on the Torquay Highflyer!

If you would like more information on the activity days, contact Heath Parkin on 07956 983980 – let him know you have seen our blog!

So what are you waiting for? Guaranteed family fun both in- and outside of TLH Leisure Resort; the kids will have a fantastic time and so will the grownups! For special offers and availability click here or call reservations on 01803 400500.

Torquay – the place to be for kids this summer! is a post from: Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog

Wedding Fairs Galore!

Vicky — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:03:08 +0000

Where can you pick up ideas for wedding invitations, wedding cakes and wedding dresses, as well as sort out your hen party? A wedding fair of course, and that is just where we have been lately. First off it was the Toorak Hotel displaying its wares at the Real Brides Show at Newton Abbot Racecourse. Next the Aztec Spa went along to the Autumn Wedding Show at Westpoint in Exeter.

The country may be in grip of a recession but it seems nobody told these brides and grooms to be! There was no shortage of visitors at either events and with dresses in their hundreds, if not thousands of pounds for sale, couples are still looking for the traditional ‘full on’ wedding.

That said, there is a move towards something a bit different with hog roasts, unusual venues and karaoke being asked for. The Toorak can now offer a twist on the usual celebrations with its contacts with Torre Abbey. You can have your ceremony in the atmospheric, historic Abbey and then stroll through the gardens and across the road to the Toorak for the wedding reception, for example. This idea certainly had several couples interested.

When it was the Aztec Spa’s turn to be in the limelight, at the Autumn Wedding Show, we noticed a definite shift in the hen party trend. No longer are girls looking for a cheap boozy weekend in Marbella, these days spas are the way to go! Who doesn’t love a spot of pampering? There may still be alcohol involved, but it will be the chilled and sparkling kind, served in a relaxed and sophisticated setting. The Autumn Wedding Show exhibitors couldn’t get enough of our All About You spa packages, perfect for a girly get together of all ages.

So, an interesting and informative few days out of the office, which gave us an insight into what our customers are really looking for.

At the end of this month, Affordable Dreams will be holding their wedding fair at the Victoria Hotel and next June, the Toorak will once again be holding their very own wedding fair. It seems romance will out and despite the doom and gloom, couples will always be ready to tie the knot!

Wedding Fairs Galore! is a post from: Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog

The Toorak Hotel at the Real Brides Show

Vicky — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:38:12 +0000

Brides-to-be won’t want to miss this opportunity to see dresses, venues, photographers and more, all under one roof at one of the biggest wedding fairs in the south west. Newton Abbot Racecourse is the new venue for the Real Brides Show and the doors open at 10am on Saturday 25 September. Packed with great ideas, expert advice and fantastic products and services it is the ideal place to start your wedding planning. Tickets and more information can be found on-line.

Just for You

The Toorak Hotel, Torquay, holds a long-standing reputation for hosting weddings and you can come and meet the team at the Real Brides Show. Speak with the General Manager, Nigel Beck or Wedding Co-ordinator, Lynda Tombs, to get first hand advice and ideas for your special day. And, just for you, at the show, there is a chance to get your drinks reception for free if you book your wedding with us.*

Torre Abbey

These days the actual ceremony venue is just as important as the reception and many brides are looking for something a bit different to help make their day a truly memorable one. Historic Torre Abbey is right opposite the Toorak Hotel so we have teamed up with them to offer a very special wedding package. Your ceremony can take place in one of the majestic rooms either in the Torre Abbey house or the adjacent Spanish Barn. Afterwards your wedding party has a short stroll across the road to the Toorak Hotel for your reception and the rest of your celebrations. Or if you’d prefer to keep everything under one roof, the Toorak is licensed for civil marriages too.

New Gardens

Not only do we have the beautiful Torre Abbey on our doorstep, but the Toorak now have a lovely new garden area, which should certainly be looking its best next summer. Perfect for a drinks reception, those all important photographs or maybe for a barbeque or hog roast, the garden is a welcome addition to your celebration options.

If you haven’t decided on your wedding venue yet or have already booked with us and just want to come along for a chat, do come and see us at the Real Brides Show.

(* terms & conditions apply)

The Toorak Hotel at the Real Brides Show is a post from: Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog

The cows come home…Torquay

Lara — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:03:51 +0000

Brilliant artist or or waste of art space?…

… Love him or hate him you have to admire Damien Hirst as one of the World’s most famous and successful artists.

Bristol born (June ’65) Hirst has turned his 6th Form E grade and a refusal of entry to Leeds college of Art and Design into a fairly impressive portfolio of works. He is now an internationally renowned artist with a host of achievements to his name (including a Turner Prize’95, a record sale for any single artist’s collection at Sotheby’s in 2008 -£111million- and a record sale of £10.3million for his piece ‘The Golden Calf’ to name but a few). He is also rumored to be the richest artist to date.

Charles Saatchi’s discovery of Damien Hirst, thanks to the influence of his university lecturer at Goldsmiths College, London, undoubtedly opened doors and opportunities for Hirst. Saatchi funded the creation of and displayed a number of Hirst’s collections at his gallery until they parted ways in 2003.

From Artist to Chartist.

As well as topping the art charts this famous artist also turned his hand to a spot of music. In 1998 he formed the ‘band’ Fat Les along with Alex James (of Blur) and actor Keith Allen. They achieved a number 2 hit with football theme ‘Vindaloo’. He also designed the cover for ‘Band Aid 20′ but is design was changed from the original depicting the Grim Reaper and a child to a less offensive version with a reindeer in snow next to a child. Our artist likes to create controversy

Closer to home.

Since the birth of his third child (with Californian girlfriend Maia Norman) in 2005, Damien Hirst has spent most of his time at his home near Combe Martin.

: Mother and Child, Divided

Damien Hirst has dabbled in all kinds of art types but is best known for his spin paintings (created on a spinning circular surface), spot paintings (rows of randomly coloured circles) and his installations. He is perhaps signified most by a piece he exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1993 ‘Mother and Child, Divided’. The piece in question, comprising a cow and calf, both cut in half and preserved in formaldehyde is set to go on display in Torquay later this year as Torre Abbey plays host to an exhibition of works borrowed from the Tate and the Arts Council Collection. It is hoped that the exhibition will follow the success of last year’s Antony Gormley Field For The British Isles exhibition which attracted many visitors to the Bay, thereby boosting the local economy.

If you want to see thexhibition for yourself, then why not enjoy your holidays in Devon at the Toorak Hotel - just across the road from Torre Abbey. Call 01803 400500.

The cows come home…Torquay is a post from: Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog

Murder on the English Riviera

Julia — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:45:03 +0000

The scene is set for a delightfully devious celebration of crime and thriller writing on the English Riviera, as some of the country’s most scheming criminal minds descend on South Devon’s beautiful bay. Over four days the festival will host talks from eminent authors, murder mystery plays and crime writing workshops, in the birthplace of the greatest selling crime writer of all time, Dame Agatha Christie.

This year’s “Sleuths! English Riviera Festival of Crime and Thriller Writing ” takes place 20 – 24 April with a full programme of events guraranteed to tantalise and tease.

One of the highlights of the week takes place on the Wednesday evening when amateur sleuths will love unravelling the Murder in the Abbey. This murder mystery event begins with welcome drinks and an eerie tour of historic Torre Abbey where a crime is sure to be committed. It’s then over to the nearby Toorak Hotel for dinner in the company of Murder Made to Measure when your team can attempt to finger the fugitive and solve the crime. Whodunnit? Will you be the one to unravel the dastardly plot!

This event in the Torquay calendar is not to be missed at just £35 per person. Call 01803 400400 to reserve your place on the investigation team and enjoy another excellent addition to our holidays in Devon.

Murder on the English Riviera is a post from: Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog

Antony Gormley at the Spanish Barn, Torquay

Julia — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:04:04 +0000

Free to enter, this stunning exhibition exhibition runs from 27th June to 23rd August 2009 and will be the centrepiece of a year of contemporary art in the ancient setting of Torre Abbey. Built in 1196 by the ‘White Canons’ the Abbey is Torquay’s oldest building and its recent restoration will provide an unusual backdrop for Gormley’s thought-provoking installation.

Perhaps most famous for his giant sculpture, Angel of the North, Gormley’s Turner-prize-winning Field series is a startling and arresting sight: thousands of unglazed, fired, small clay figures, standing closely together, all staring towards the viewer. The Field for the British Isles’ comprising 40,000 clay figures will fill much of the Abbey’s huge Spanish Barn.

The Spanish Barn, venue for Field, is a mediaeval Tithe Barn originally built to store taxes paid to the Abbey in the form of grain, hay and other farm produce. The barn’s unexpected name, and its place in the history books, was firmly established at the time of the Spanish Armada, when 397 prisoners were captured and held in the barn for a fortnight.

The exhibition will be open daily from 27th June to 23rd August 2009 in the Spanish Barn. Entry to the exhibition is free of charge – donations are invited. The SW’s own contemporary art exhibition Blank Canvas will run concurrently in Torre Abbey (normal Abbey admissions prices apply).

According to Keeper of Art, Amelia Marriette: “The exhibiting of Antony Gormley’s Field for the British Isles is the start of a new era for Torre Abbey as a major centre for contemporary arts in the region. I guarantee that Field will create a very strong impression on all that come to see it and experience it’s silent message. Gormley is one of Britain’s best known living artists and we know that visitors will travel far and wide to see his work. With Blank Canvas running alongside we can also make this event a fantastic opportunity for artists in the South West to showcase their work. It really is the beginning of something much bigger for Torre Abbey and for Torbay.”

The Spanish Barn is located directly opposite TLH Leisure Resort’s Toorak Hotel, and is the perfect location if you are combining a visit to the exhibition with a break in Torquay.
Click here to download leaflet PDF

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Antony Gormley at the Spanish Barn, Torquay is a post from: Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog

Torre Abbey Re-opens in the heart of Torquay

Julia — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:50:21 +0000

The grand doors of Torre Abbey have once again re-opened to the public following a three-year, £6.5 million restoration. The biggest surviving mediaeval monastery in Devon and Cornwall, the Abbey first took shape in 1196 when it was founded as a Premonstratensian Monastery, and today enjoys one of the finest seafront locations on the south west coastline. Pretty impressive or what!

Don’t just take my word for it. When you come and stay here at TLH Leisure Resort, the Abbey is located just across the road from the Toorak Hotel, and is well worth taking the time to pay a visit. You can wander round the cloisters and gardens in the footsteps of the White Canons – the brothers who lived here 800 years ago, when Torquay was just a tiny fishing hamlet . And when you look at Torquay today, it’s hard to think of the jewel in the crown of the English Riviera as a tiny village.

Torre Abbey is just part of the great heritage and culture of Torquay and the surrounding area of South Devon, so if you’re a bit of a culture vulture, there are plenty of places you can visit during your next stay at TLH Leisure Resort.

The Abbey is open every day 10am-6pm (last admission 5pm); and from 10am-5pm from November to February.

A disused door under the porch-tower will be reopened to provide a new entrance for everyone including wheelchair users

Admission prices are: £5.90 adults, £4.90 concessions, £2.50 children.

For further details, visit www.torre-abbey.org.uk.

Torre Abbey Re-opens in the heart of Torquay is a post from: Torquay and Devon Holiday Blog