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24 Oct 2025
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24 Oct 2025
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There were five "houses of entertainment" on the harbourside back in 1774, servicing a population of around 500
Torquay’s pubs and clubs were never just places to drink. They were social centres, the focus of community life and a launch pad for local musicians.
The first record we have of our imbibing history comes in 1774 when an Exeter printer by the name of Andrew Brice wrote in his Grand Gazetteer that “at Tor Kay is a village and an inn or two”.
Actually, there were five “houses of entertainment” on the harbourside back in 1774, servicing a population of around 500. They were licensed “for man and beast” and included ‘The Bird in the Hand’ whose landlady, Betty Cole, was noted as never giving credit. The motto on the inn’s hanging sign stated: “A bird in the hand is better far than two birds in the bushes are.” The location of ‘The Bird in the Hand’ became the ‘London Inn’ and then ‘Wolfinden’s London Inn’ in 1840, and eventually the ‘Royal Hotel’. It’s now a Yates.
There was a claim that there were once 21 pubs between Torre and the Strand.
We were sure that there were many more. So, we asked Locals what pubs they remembered and additional names and memories flooded in.
Some pubs were still going; many had closed or changed their names. Some lasted well over a century; some only a few months. We went as far as Torre Station, Belgrave Road, the Coach Station and Ellacombe Park. We didn’t include Plainmoor, Hele, Shiphay, or Chelston. Then there were the much-loved clubs and wine bars. So those have been added to the list.
We also didn’t put any limit on when they were open, so some go way back into the nineteenth century or even further.
Bearing in mind, many have had different identities over the years, to date we have a list of 170 names on the Longest Torquay Pub Crawl. We’re bound to have missed a few, but here’s the definitive (so far) list:
Albert’s BarThe AlpineThe Avenue Hotel/Bull & BushThe Banner Cross/Hop & GrapesBanx BarBar Med/Green GingerThe Bed BarBelow DecksThe Berkeley ClubThe Bird in HandThe Black CatThe BodegaBluittsThe BoulevardThe Braddons/Post HornThe Bristolian/PeacocksThe Brunswick/Fox & FirkinCafe RoyaleCandyflossCaptain PeppersCarlton CasinoThe Carousel ClubThe Carpenter’s ArmsThe Castle/Chaplin’s/The Iron Bar/Plonkington’s Wine BarThe CavernThe Church HouseThe Cider PressClaire’sThe Clarence HotelThe ClocktowerThe CoburgThe Compass ClubThe Conservative Club – TorreThe Conservative Club – Higher Union StreetThe Conservative Club – Parkhill RoadThe Country HouseThe Crazy HorseDeja Vu wine barThe Devon ArmsDiamond LilsDuke of YorkThe DungeonEJsEl SombreroElton’sThe Empire Ballroom/The Scotch Club/Tiffs in Town/Tiffs Club/Monroe’sThe Exeter Inn/Jolly Judge/The Pig in Black/Wig & PenThe Ex Serviceman’s ClubThe Falcon/Town HouseThe FleetThe Forresters/Printers ElbowThe Forresters- Stentiford HillThe 400/5th Avenue/ Ritzys/Route 66Four SeasonsGatsby’sThe Globe/Printers’ Elbow IIThe Golden LionThe GraftonThe Grapes/The Pickwick/Twiggy’sThe Green RoomThe Gibbons/Park LaneHarvesterHennessy’s/Bamboo BarThe Hesketh/The Stumble InnThe Hole in the WallIbiza BarThe Madison Club/The Hot Spot/DoodlesMarine TavernThe MeadfootRevolutionStarbaseSchoonersJudy GsJD’sThe KlondykeThe LansdowneLautrec’s Wine BarThe London Inn/Ryans BarThe London Inn- PimlicoThe MadeiraMambosThe Manor/The Old Skool BarThe Melville/ClipperThe Merry MonkThe Mexican BarMoJo’sThe MousetrapOffshoreThe Old Lion InnThe Pembroke/Ellacombe Inn/The PubThe Piazza/Blu Cargo/The BierkellerThe Prince of WalesThe Queens ArmsQueens ArmsRAFA Club/RafflesThe RailwayThe Rainbow HouseThe Rising Sun/The Old Mill/DTsThe Rockingham/The HideawayThe Royal Oak InnThe Sportsman’sThe Stagg InnThe Strand BarThe OutriggerThe Paradise CastleRock Garden/Yates Wine LodgeR’n’BsSeamus O’DonnellsShirazThe SidewalkThe Soda FountainSoHoSpartacus/LazersStaxThe Torbay Inn/The Pelican/ParrotTwentyOneTrent’sTQ1/ZulusTQ2Top of the TownThe Torre Abbey/SportysThe Trades ClubThe 27 ClubThe Union HotelThe WarrenThe White HartWoody’sUpton Social ClubThe Upton ValeVaughansVenueThe Victoria and AlbertVisto LoungeWoody’s/Apple and ParrotThe Yacht/CinnabarZanzibar
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