Torquay Off The Beaten Path

Babbacombe is an area of Torquay which is a resort in itself. The cliff top promenade enjoys dramatic views across Lyme Bay that, on a clear day, can stretch as far as Golden Cap in Dorset. To make the journey down to the beach at Oddicombe you have the mild option by drifting 240 feet down on the cliff railway, which has been functioning since 1926. Someone was moving a table from the office & accidentally knocked into the side of the emergency stop button, the car halfway down came to a sudden halt sending people flying. Luckily no one was hurt, but there’s a grill over the button now!

Not far from Babbacombe is the pretty town centre of St Marychurch – a village within the town of Torquay, which is in the Doomsday book. Its pleasant pedestrianised grounds have a fine assortment of shops & cafes. Babbacombe’s most infamous inhabitant was John Lee, “The man they couldn’t hang”, who was convicted of the murder of his employer in 1884. The trapdoor was pulled three time’s, but the door failed to open; it was tested without body weight & was found to be working perfectly despite testing with sacks & dummies! His sentence was commuted & he did 22 years living to the age of 69.

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Occombe Farm has is part of the Torbay Coast and Countryside enterprises LTD and a registered charity. It's reletively new in Torbay, the first time I visited was in 2006.

They have a farm shop selling a variety of organic fruit, vegatables and locally produced food. Their bread is baked on site and they have an excellent selection of local cheeses. The butchers section is also excellent, the meat is fresh and of excellent quality.

Upstairs they have a cafe serving teas, coffees, cakes, sandwiches and other snacks, all produced at the farm.

The farm area has space for running educational events as well as other types of events and there are tracks to go off walking around the farm and the local countryside.

All in all a good place to spend a couple hours, have some good food and buy some great food to take home.

There are three lakes at Cockington,they are thought to have been created by the monks living at Torre Abbey to supply them with fresh fish and were restored by the local land owner,Richard Mallock before he died in 1900.

The garden was created in 1700s to provide produce for cockington court,now schools and comunity groups are being given the chance to design their own individual raised beds.There is also bee hives in the garden.

If your not going into the Drum Inn for something to eat or drink go and walk around their gardens,they are one of the prettiest i've seen.You can also sit down outside there is plenty of seating areas.

A wonderful walk any time of day is the road running along Meadfoot Beach. The beach itself is not good, mostly very rocky apart from the west end where it is a little sandy & a few beach huts, cafe and toilets.

It is not a long walk only about a mile each way but you have lovely views over the bay towards Birxham walking one was & in the other directionOrestone and Thatchers Rock Islands.

Cockington Visitor Centre is set in the heart of the village in another picturesque thatched building, a watermill in a former life, with the water wheel still being on the outside wall.

In here you will see documentation and exhibits of the old days of life in the village, obviously very much an agricultural area in days gone by. It is also a great place to collect information for all the local walks, including disabled friendly paths, plus events happening throughout the year such as plays, night time ghost walks & spider hunts to name a few!

Entrance free, open 10:00 to 16:00

Cockington Court sits overlooking the country park and cricket field. Inside is a craft shop, pottery and cafe, which spills out on to a terrace in the front of the court.

The horse and carriages pull up outside and there are lovely views over to the Norman church. Parts of the court originate back to the 1100's when the De Cockington family lived here.

They hold Shakespear plays on the lawn where you bring you picnic & a blanket, I have attended a few of these, it is a wonderful way to spend a summers evening!