How Torquay's Riviera Centre went from Victorian villa to community hub

The Riviera International Centre on Chestnut Avenue, Torquay, stands upon the former site of Rosetor.

In a post shared on the local history Facebook group, Undiscovered Torbay, local history expert Graham Wheatley posted a colourised image of a 1950 postcard depicting the iconic villa during its time as the Rosetor Hotels.

This glimpse into its past is just a drop in the ocean of the building’s fascinating history.

According to Graham's research, the current community centre was one of two Victorian villas built on the south side of Chestnut Avenue by the Harvey brothers between 1860 and 1861.

The sister villa, called Ehrenberg House, was leased in 1961 to Baroness Burdett Coutts (1814-1880), whose family were associated with Coutts Bank. The Baroness resided there until her death.

Both properties were constructed on land purchased from the Cary family, who lived at Torre Abbey for over 250 years and played a pivotal role in shaping Torquay as a town.

Rosetor became the residence of Bernard Critchley-Salmonson, until his death in 1902.

Two years later, it was opened as a hotel by W S Brockman.

Brockman later acquired the lease for Ehrenberg House from the Harvey brothers, operating it as a dual hotel alongside Rosetor. Ehrenberg was renamed Erin Hall in 1914.

Both hotels were managed by Brockman’s Hotels Ltd. In 1923, Erin Hall and Rosetor were connected and began trading under the Rosetor name, with Erin Hall being renamed Roselea.

With its uninterrupted views of Torbay, overlooking the Abbey Park Lawn Tennis Courts, the Rosetor Hotel served as accommodation for the RAF during World War II. The hotels closed in 1974, were demolished in 1979, and the site was cleared.

The Riviera International Centre that we know today was constructed on the site between 1984 and 1987, opening in May 1987.