Editing Torbay (section)

==History==
{{See also|History of Devon}}

Human bones and tools found in [[Kents Cavern]] in Torquay show that people have inhabited the Torbay area since [[Paleolithic]] times. A [[maxilla]] fragment known as [[Kents Cavern 4]] may be the oldest example of a [[modern human]] in Europe, dating back to 37,000&ndash;40,000 years ago.<ref>John R. Pike, ''Torquay'' (Torquay: Torbay Borough Council Printing Services, 1994), 5-6</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4482679.stm
|title=Jawbone hints at earliest Britons
|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk
|access-date=2006-11-07
|date=27 April 2005
|first=Paul
|last=Rincon
|archive-date=13 December 2006
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213224301/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4482679.stm
|url-status=live
}}</ref> [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] soldiers are known to have visited Torquay during the period when [[Britannia (Roman province)|Britannia]] formed a part of the [[Roman Empire]]; they left offerings at a curious rock formation in Kent's Cavern, known as "The Face". A Roman burial was discovered in 1993 in [[Paignton#History|Paignton]].

Both Brixham and Paignton appear in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086, and Paignton was given a [[market charter]] in 1294 granting it a weekly market and annual fair.<ref name="parnell">{{cite book
|last= Parnell|first=Peggy
|title= A Paignton Scrapbook|year=2007
|publisher=Sutton Publishing|isbn = 978-0-7509-4739-8}}</ref> The first major building in Torquay was [[Torre Abbey]], a [[Premonstratensian]] [[monastery]] founded in 1196<ref>Percy Russell, <cite>A History of Torquay</cite> (Torquay: Devonshire Press Limited, 1960), p.19</ref> and associated with the manor of Torre.

William, [[Prince of Orange]] (afterwards [[William III of England|King William III]]), landed in Brixham on 5 November 1688, during the [[Glorious Revolution]], and issued his famous declaration "The Liberties of England and The Protestant Religion I Will Maintain".

Torquay's economy, like Brixham's, initially depended on fishing and agriculture, but in the early 19th century the area began to develop into a fashionable [[seaside resort]], initially frequented by members of the [[Royal Navy]] during the [[Napoleonic Wars]] while the [[Royal Navy]] anchored in [[Tor Bay]] and later, as the town's fame spread, by [[Victorian era|Victorian]] society.

The historic part of Paignton lies inland: salt marsh formerly occupied the low-lying coastal fringe. [[Kirkham House]] is a late-[[medieval]] stone house and the Coverdale Tower adjacent to Paignton Parish Church is named after [[Miles Coverdale]], who published [[Coverdale Bible|an English translation of the Bible]] in 1536 and became Bishop of Exeter in 1551. Paignton remained a small fishing village until the early 19th century; a new harbour was built here in 1837.

A new phase in the urban expansion of the area began when [[Torre railway station]] opened in December 1848. The railway extended to Torquay Seafront station in 1858, to Paignton in 1859 and to Brixham in 1861. As a result of its expansion, Torquay was granted borough status in 1872, and 1902 saw its first marketing campaign to summer tourists.

Torbay Golf and Country Club (now defunct) opened in 1933. The club and course closed in the mid-1950s.<ref>[http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/south-west/devon/1007-dev-torbay-golf-a-country-club-shorton-road-paignton "Torbay Golf & Country Club"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108142148/http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/south-west/devon/1007-dev-torbay-golf-a-country-club-shorton-road-paignton |date=8 November 2014 }}, "Golf's Missing Links".</ref>

Tor Bay hosted the [[Sailing at the 1948 Summer Olympics|sailing]] events for the [[1948 Summer Olympics]] in London.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1948/OR1948.pdf 1948 Summer Olympics official report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506013820/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1948/OR1948.pdf |date=6 May 2010 }} p. 50.</ref>

In the 1970s Torbay had problems with [[substance abuse]] and people living in poor conditions in [[House in multiple occupation|houses of multiple occupation]].<ref name="DL_CS_2021">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Colleen |title=The people with a battle on their hands to make Melville marvellous again |url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/people-battle-hands-make-melville-5011219 |access-date=24 January 2022 |work=Devon Live |date=28 February 2021}}</ref>