Just before the entrance to The Harvester restaurant is a memorial to the 4^th U.S. Infantry Division who departed here for Utah Beach in Normandy on 6^th June 1944 – D-Day. The Embarkation Ramps are still here and for many years American veterans came over on the anniversary of D-Day to pay their respects to those who didn’t return, but I don’t believe any of them are able to make it any more.

Although most people won’t realise it, there’s an artwork along the quayside which starts with lights in the shape of a cross that lead towards a semi-circular ring, which I’ve come to call the ‘Quay Ring’. These lights run along the boardwalk and incorporates a message in Morse Code, but what it says I’ve no idea: Even if I was an expert in Morse Code, I’m not even sure that I would be able to decipher it because half the lights aren’t working most of the time anyway, which seems to defeat the object somewhat.

Walking on past the Harbour Master’s office to the end of the quay would have brought you to Living Coasts, the coastal arm of Paignton Zoo – but that was before Covid-19 arrived.

Although I’m not a great lover of seeing creatures of any description in captivity, it still seemed a sad day somehow when this large outdoor aviary (nicknamed the ‘Hairnet’) called it a day in June 2020. It was very popular, but obviously not popular enough to be able to keep going financially: Even I paid a visit here a few years ago, and although my opinion hasn’t changed, I recognise that a lot of good conservation work was done here as well. In the meantime, the area will no doubt become desolate until a viable alternative can be found.

The location of Living Coasts is where Beacon Quay meets Haldon Pier, but if you intend walking along to the end of the pier just bear in mind that unlike the Inner Harbour, you’ll need to re-trace your steps. Princess Pier is tantalizingly close, and it’s a shame that there isn’t a bridge to complete the circuit, but that’s how it is for most harbours.

The quickest way to get across to the other side of the Outer Harbour is to retrace your steps back over the Millennium Footbridge, but there’s nothing to stop you walking all the way around the Inner Harbour and along The Strand, where May 2025 saw the first phase of the harbour regeneration plan completed. This involved changing the road layout to give more priority to pedestrians over vehicles, which sounds good in theory, but at the same time could create a bottleneck for traffic. Only time will tell if it’ll be a success or not, and that won’t be fully realised until the next phase is implemented.

One addition to the new scheme which seems to have gone down well is a new sculpture of Agatha Christie sat on a bench with her pet dog Peter. Created by talented Brixham sculptor, Elisabeth Hadley, it definitely makes more of an impression of the ‘Queen of Crime’ than the insignificant bust of her on Cary Green.

Cary Green has also been at the centre of regeneration plans, or more accurately, the lack of them. Connected by ownership to the Pavilion opposite, the iconic building in recent years has become a battleground between developers and conservationists, with the council somewhere in between. After years of wrangling, the fate of the Pavilion has finally landed in the Council’s lap, which at least has given it some stability, but will need some serious conservation work (and money) to bring it back to life – and then there’s the question of what they’re actually going to do with it.

Next to the Pavilion are Princess Gardens, which are named after Princess Louise, the 4^th daughter of Queen Victoria, who laid the foundation stone for the gardens in 1890. Don’t feel guilty if you haven’t heard of her because I hadn’t either.

Amongst the manicured gardens is a lovely ornate fountain, which is often surrounded by English Language students from the continent who descend on Torquay during the summer months. Sometimes the atmosphere is very laid back and sometimes it’s not – it all depends on when you’re here.

Walking past the Riviera Wheel, and along the prom through Princess Gardens brings us to the Princess Theatre and Princess Pier which constantly takes a battering from the elements –  and another drain on council resources. Its primary reason for being here is to protect the Outer Harbour, but it’s also the departure point for the pleasure boats that operate out of Torquay, so it’s imperative that it doesn’t fall into total disrepair.

In my original post, I spoke about finishing a walk around the harbour with a visit to the Hole in the Wall pub in Park Lane, but after serving customers for nearly 500 years, it finally closed its doors on April 13^th 2025. Having spent many a happy hour in here, I felt, like many people, a great sense of loss when I heard the news. People from far and wide have visited this gem with its cobbled floors, beamed ceilings and wonderful atmosphere, and there was never any shortage of customers so, what happened?

There’s no denying that trading conditions in the hospitality trade have been strained to the limit in recent times and it seems that the sitting tenant was issued a winding up order by the Taxman – but all may not yet be lost. According to Stonegate, the pub company that own the Hole in the Wall, they say that they are committed to the pub’s future. Let’s hope so, but only time will tell.

Whether the Hole in the Wall survives to live another day I don’t know, but life and times around Torquay Harbour have always been constantly changing, but throughout all these changes the harbour has always managed to retain its position as the town’s focal point – and there’s no reason to doubt that it always will.

ORIGINAL POST – JAN 2019

LATEST UPDATE – JUNE 2025