Torre Abbey provides the ideal setting for Torbay Council's magnificent collection of paintings which range from the 18th century to the present day.  There are 600 oils and watercolours and the collection is particularly rich in works of the 19th century.  Contemporary paintings are also acquired from time to time.  Most of the works have been donated or bequeathed by local residents but in recent years the collection has been augmented through the generosity of the Friends of Torre Abbey.  
   
Highlights from the collection include works of national importance such as Holman Hunt's 'The Children's Holiday' (right) and some preparatory sketches by Burne-Jones for a series of stained glass windows based on 'The Planets'.

Given Torre Abbey's strong associations with the sea from when it was used as a naval headquarters during the Napoleonic War, it is hardly surprising that the Abbey possesses a splendid collection of maritime paintings, including several by the celebrated marine artist Thomas Luny.

A number of fine and varied oil paintings are on display, including works by Thomas Mostyn.

    The core of the sculpture collection comprises the working drawings, plaster casts and sculpture from the studio of the
    Victorian sculptor, Frederick Thrupp.  Although not widely recognised today his works can be found in Westminster
    Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.  He spent the last ten years of his life in Torquay and his widow presented the
    entire contents of his studio to the local council.  As a collection it is therefore unique in this country because it is a
    complete working record.






The Abbey's sculpture collection is not represented solely by Thrupp. There are a number of works by Italian sculptors, including a superb bronze and marble bust of Othello by Pietro Calvi.

  
Torre Abbey is proud to announce that for the first time since we re-opened in 2008 Watcombe terracotta is now on display.

The central display in the Topographical Gallery on the First Floor comprises nine carefully selected pieces of Watcombe pottery. Interest in South Devon potteries, which have all now closed, has been growing steadily and the Abbey's collection attracts enthusiasts from around the world.

Watcombe Pottery was founded in 1869 and established its reputation with finely moulded slip-cast terracotta. The pottery was internationally renowned, but closed in 1962. Torre Abbey has a collection of about eighty pieces, donated in 1981 by Mr Brian Edmund Reade.

A collection of moulded and sculptured stone from the medieval Abbey which includes parts of several full-size effigies of knights and abbots and are of at least regional importance. They were mostly found during the archaeological excavations of the 1980s and are awaiting restoration.  It may also be possible at a later date to reconstruct a typical stone window from the medieval church using sections unearthed during the excavations.

Most impressive of the stone items is a 15th-century (or earlier) grave slab (right) found during excavation of the cloister. Made of solid slate it is decorated with a carving depicting a cross and the Tree of Life and is one of the finest ever found in this country. 

Torre Abbey houses significant collections relating to the history of Torquay, of the building and the families whose home it was.

The Cary family owned the Abbey from 1662 to 1930. The 'Cary Rooms' on the ground floor are devoted to their history, and they included family portraits, photographs, and a number of items of furniture and ceramics which once formed part of the original contents.





















Captain Lionel Cary in naval uniform                                                                                      A portrait by Prinsep of Lady Frances Layland-Barratt 

The Topographical Gallery, on the first floor, is home to fine paintings of the local area and part of the much loved collection of Watcombe Pottery. 

An 18th-century watercolour showing the West Front of Torre Abbey.