Prominent Torquay seafront site mentioned in Doomsday Book

The stories behind Torbay's blue plaques by Ian Handford, chairman of Torbay Civic Society. This week: Torre Abbey

Associated with the Cary family, Torre Abbey actually predates the Carys by almost 500 years before a branch of the Devon family bought the premises in 1662.

The wording of our blue plaque, found alongside the Torre Abbey steps today, states 'Torre Abbey - founded as a monastery for Premonstratensian Canons - after 1539 adapted a private residence, home of the Cary Family 1662-1930'.

The history of this medieval site was uniquely researched by Leslie Retallick in 1989, who soon discovered that Torre Abbey was, in fact, Torquay's oldest historic building and that parts of the building and walls are still original.

In recent years, substantial financial grants have supported what was the arts centre as it gradually became more a museum, until today with its modern lift and toilets, it now meets all the health and safety standards of museums.

Over many years the complex was run by Mr L Retallick, who even oversaw changes in the rear of the premises while inside the building gained a new cafeteria area.

The deep research proved that Alric - one of the last in a long line of Saxon owners - had owned the Manor of Torre while also land at the Manor of Cockington.

However, much of the earliest history has been lost to us although we do know that some of the earliest references concerning this prominent site are even mentioned in the Domesday Book 1066.

Following the reign of King Edward the Confessor, it seems Alric was eventually ousted from his property after the invasion of William of Normandy in 1066, when the Manor of Torre was taken from him and divided up between William's most loyal followers.

By the late 12th century, the Torre Abbey land came into the ownership of the influential Lord William deBrewer who, as a nobleman, had once been an adviser to King Richard the Lionheart.

When Richard was later imprisoned in Austria by Duke Leopold, it was Lord deBrewer who tried to meet a ransom of 150,000 Marks - in today's terms millions of pounds.

The ransom proved impossible and a deal was then arranged whereby in 1194 some 67 hostages were sent to Austria in part payment, one even being the son of Lord deBrewer, William the Younger.

Fortunately, with the ransom money paid, the British hostages were released unharmed including his Lordship's son.

For that Lord William now ensured the Premonstratensian Order of Canons of Austria 'were suitably endowed with land and money' to create what became the new monastery in the Torre.

According to the historian Arthur C Ellis, within 12 months of liberating the hostages the first abbot - Abbot Adam and six canons - had, by March 1196, taken possession of the seafront land.

The Canons - White Canons due to a formal white habit - would within two years be given a charter confirming they had to dispense charity and offer hospitality at all times.

By then, William the Younger was Sheriff of Devon and, like his father, he also granted what is recorded as 'Five Charters to the Abbot' including land at Hylesham (Ilsham) Coletone (Shiphay) and Dunningstone (Denscombe near Bampton).

Over the centuries the Premonstratensian Order at Torquay became one of the wealthiest in Britain, until as with every other monastic order, they fell foul of Henry VIII when he introduced his new religious regime.

By 1598, the Ridgeweay family had purchased the whole site and made it their domestic quarters, until they eventually sold the estate to the Cary family and moved into their main home of Torwood House.

The Torre Abbey Cary family have been previously featured in this series and, of course, it is their blue plaque that was established at the abbey steps in 1989 when the Mayor of Torquay and Torbay Civic Society president Sheila Hardaway would formally have officiated.