The Cary family built much of the Torquay we know today.
Back in 2023 The South West Heritage Trust was awarded a grant by the National Archives’ Archives to catalogue the Cary’s vast family and estate papers. 
The Carys lived at Cockington Court and later Torre Abbey for almost 300 years from 1662. They were significant landowners in Devon, served as MPs, intermarried with leading West Country families and were active at the royal court.
During the past few months John Tomkins of Emberlense Productions has been filming the progress of this exploration of the archive and the work of the Devon Heritage Centre. Here’s the video, filmed at The Lyceum, Torre Abbey and other locations across the Bay:
