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 Bar
The Alpine
The Avenue Hotel/Bull & Bush
The Banner Cross/Hop & Grapes
Banx Bar
Bar Med/Green Ginger
The Bed Bar
Below Decks
The Berkeley Club
The Bird in Hand
The Black Cat
The Bodega
Bluitts
The Boulevard
The Braddons/Post Horn
The Bristolian/Peacocks
The Brunswick/Fox & Firkin
Cafe Royale
Candyfloss
Captain Peppers
Carlton Casino
The Carousel Club
The Carpenter’s Arms
The Castle/Chaplin’s/The Iron Bar/Plonkington’s Wine Bar
The Cavern
The Church House
The Cider Press
Claire’s
The Clarence Hotel
The Clocktower
The Coburg
The Compass Club
The Conservative Club – Torre
The Conservative Club – Higher Union Street
The Conservative Club – Parkhill Road
The Country House
The Crazy Horse
Deja Vu wine bar
The Devon Arms
Diamond Lils
Duke of York
The Dungeon
EJs
El Sombrero
Elton’s
The Empire Ballroom/The Scotch Club/Tiffs in Town/Tiffs Club/Monroe’s
The Exeter Inn/Jolly Judge/The Pig in Black/Wig & Pen
The Ex Serviceman’s Club
The Falcon/Town House
The Fleet
The Forresters/Printers Elbow
The Forresters- Stentiford Hill
The 400/5th Avenue/ Ritzys/Route 66
Four Seasons
Gatsby’s
The Globe/Printers’ Elbow II
The Golden Lion
The Grafton
The Grapes/The Pickwick/Twiggy’s
The Green Room
The Gibbons/Park Lane
Harvester
Hennessy’s/Bamboo Bar
The Hesketh/The Stumble Inn
The Hole in the Wall
Ibiza Bar
The Madison Club/The Hot Spot/Doodles
Marine Tavern
The Meadfoot
Revolution
Starbase
Schooners
Judy Gs
JD’s
The Klondyke
The Lansdowne
Lautrec’s Wine Bar
The London Inn/Ryans Bar
The London Inn- Pimlico
The Madeira
Mambos
The Manor/The Old Skool Bar
The Melville/Clipper
The Merry Monk
The Mexican Bar
MoJo’s
The Mousetrap
Offshore
The Old Lion Inn
The Pembroke/Ellacombe Inn/The Pub
The Piazza/Blu Cargo/The Bierkeller
The Prince of Wales
The Queens Arms
Queens Arms
RAFA Club/Raffles
The Railway
The Rainbow House
The Rising Sun/The Old Mill/DTs
The Rockingham/The Hideaway
The Royal Oak Inn
The Sportsman’s
The Stagg Inn
The Strand Bar
The Outrigger
The Paradise Castle
Rock Garden/Yates Wine Lodge
R’n’Bs
Seamus O’Donnells
Shiraz
The Sidewalk
The Soda Fountain
SoHo
Spartacus/Lazers
Stax
The Torbay Inn/The Pelican/Parrot
TwentyOne
Trent’s
TQ1/Zulus
TQ2
Top of the Town
The Torre Abbey/Sportys
The Trades Club
The 27 Club
The Union Hotel
The Warren
The White Hart
Woody’s
Upton Social Club
The Upton Vale
Vaughans
Venue
The Victoria and Albert
Visto Lounge
Woody’s/Apple and Parrot
The Yacht/Cinnabar
Zanzibar
‘Torquay: A Social History’ by local author Kevin Dixon is available for £10 from Artizan Gallery, Fleet Street, Torquay. or:
