Torre Abbey provides the ideal setting for Torbay Council's magnificent collection of paintings which range from the 18th century to the present day.  There are 600 oils and watercolours and the collection is particularly rich in works of the 19th century.  Contemporary paintings are also acquired from time to time.  Most of the works have been donated or bequeathed by local residents but in recent years the collection has been augmented through the generosity of the Friends of Torre Abbey.  
   

Highlights from the collection include works of national importance such as Holman Hunt's 'The Children's Holiday' (right) and some preparatory sketches by Burne-Jones for a series of stained glass windows based on 'The Planets'.














 


Given Torre Abbey's strong associations with the sea from when it was used as a naval headquarters during the Napoleonic War, it is hardly surprising that the Abbey possesses a splendid collection of maritime paintings, including several by the celebrated marine artist Thomas Luny.

A number of fine and varied watercolours are on display, including works by William Henry Hunt and Thomas Miles Richardson.

In addition there is a superb collection of about 150 miniatures, with Ozias Humphrey being well represented.

The core of the sculpture collection comprises the working drawings, plaster casts and sculpture from the studio of the Victorian sculptor, Frederick Thrupp.  Although not widely recognised today his works can be found in Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.  He spent the last ten years of his life in Torquay and his widow presented the entire contents of his studio to the local council.  As a collection it is therefore unique in this country because it is a complete working record.


However, the Abbey's sculpture collection is not represented solely by Thrupp. There are a number of works by Italian sculptors, including the finest in our collection, a superb bronze and marble bust of Othello by Pietro Calvi.

The applied art collection includes English glass, silver, pewter and ceramics.  The glass is particularly fine, much of the collection having been formed by Mrs P Meres.  Highlights include wine glasses and tumblers decorated with Jacobite emblems, the possession of which was at one time a treasonable offence.





The rarest item of glass is a Beilby flask and stopper (right).



















The core of the ceramics collection comprises one of the largest displays in the country of Torquay and Watcombe terracotta.  It was started through the generous donation of his private collection by Brian Reade.  Since then, it has been regularly augmented by donations from the Torquay Pottery Collectors' Society.  Interest in South Devon potteries, which have all now closed, has been growing steadily and the Abbey's collection attracts enthusiasts from around the world.

A collection of moulded and sculptured stone from the medieval Abbey which includes parts of several full-size effigies of knights and abbots and are of at least regional importance. They were mostly found during the archaeological excavations of the 1980s and are awaiting restoration.  It may also be possible at a later date to reconstruct a typical stone window from the medieval church using sections unearthed during the excavations.
    Most impressive of the stone items is a 15th-century (or earlier) grave slab (right) found during excavation of the cloister. Made of solid slate it is decorated with a carving depicting a cross and the Tree of Life and is one of the finest ever found in this country. 






Preparing to lift the tomb slab from its original burial site


 

Items relating to the history of Torquay are housed not at Torre Abbey but at Torquay Museum.  However, the Abbey does possess significant collections relating to the history of the building and the families whose home it was.  By far the largest collection relates to the Cary family (owners of the Abbey from 1662 to 1930) and includes family portraits, photographs, and a number of items of furniture and ceramics which once formed part of the original contents.







Captain Lionel Cary in naval uniform












A portrait by Prinsep of Lady Frances Layland-Barratt 





 





 






















An 18th-century watercolour showing the West Front of Torre Abbey