Where to live in Torquay

[Hannahthepink]

We're moving to Torquay, and we're starting to look at houses, but although we know the town a bit, we're not very clued up on what residential areas are best.

We have small children so are interested in having a lovely primary school nearby.
It's also essential to be in easy walking distance to a nice beach.
We're moving from a market town with lovely independent shops, lots of community events and green spaces, and whilst we recognise that Torquay is a very different place, we would love to find a similar community minded feel somewhere.

Our budget is around £500,000, so seems to cover houses that we like in most areas of the town.

We really liked St Marychurch, and others have told us to look at Chelston, but we weren't quite as sure on that area.
If you have any tips on (dare I say it...) 'naice' spots that we can home in on I'd be really grateful!

I forgot to mention the feral teens. Go into Facebook and search spotted torquay. Ask your questions in there and you'll get honest answers.

@Hannahthepink I mean, the family I have there, grew up in Tottenham and moved west for Uni and stayed there, so they're not of the precious kind. They did well in life and live in a lovely house. They have kids who are in primary and just starting secondary. The anti social behaviour and drug problems are worse than I've seen in our neck of the woods in N London and worse than they experienced growing up in Tottenham. There's not many places to escape to, transport is rubbish and activities expensive. I don't doubt there are nice areas but I wouldn't sign up for this move if I had kids with any inclination towards naughtiness.
They are moving further north towards Exeter.
It also has a heavy migrant population so if you're after a more English vibe, maybe try Looe?

What I meant by cheap was it’s far cheaper than nice areas like Totnes, Stoke Gabriel, Dartmouth and Kingswear for example, Torquay is cheap compared to these far nicer areas.

I live in Cornwall, it's grim and deprived. Drugs and homelessness everywhere.

We're moving to Exeter for a brighter future and more jobs but we know Torquay well and it's no better than the roughest part of Cornwall! Probably very similar issues. Seasonal and deprived.

Sorry OP.

I wouldn’t move to Torquay if I was gifted a house there - it’s awful!

I live fairly nearby and work all around the area. Over the past few years the whole town has be worse and worse, it’s an absolute dive.

I know people who live in some of the very naice areas and even they want to leave because of the overall feel of the town.

don’t do it to yourself - move to a different town nearby instead.

I'd say the area around Meadfoot beach is the nicest part of Torquay, going up to Ilsham Marine Drive. That's a stunning area, amazing properties and a beautiful beach. The trouble with it is though that there's no real 'village' there; you're still reliant on Torquay town centre which is... not so nice.

As someone who grew up there I can't believe I'm about to say this, because the me of 15 years ago would have laughed this out of town... but nowadays I'd say that Brixham is the 'naicest' part of Torbay, if you're willing to go slightly out of Torquay. Huge regeneration, beautiful restaurants, scenery etc. Its the new Salcombe but like most seaside towns, there's still a bit of a problematic underbelly if you get to know it well enough.

To be honest, to get everything you want, I'd go to Totnes, Kingswear or Dartmouth, and do the short commute to Torquay as needed.

I grew up in Torquay and my parents still live there. Yes there are some issues in certain areas of the town but that's the case wherever you live.
I would highly recommend Cockington, it's a bit more pricey but you get what you pay for. Low crime, quiet, picturesque, open spaces for kids to play in, reasonably close to a beach and it has a good school.
Chelston and Wellswood are also nice areas.

Wellswood, Livermead, Preston (between Paignton and torquay). Or slightly further afield, shaldon, Teignmouth or Totnes. Lots of nice parts of Paignton, Brixham is nice in the summer but a dive in the winter and large drugs problem.

I lived in Torquay about 20 years ago and sadly don't have family there anymore and I'm so sad to read these posts about how deprived it is now. I've been planning to visit again in the next year or so but maybe I should just leave the past in the past and view it with rose tinted glasses of fond memories 🙁

@Hannahthepink I understand why so many of the comments are negative as it is a relatively deprived ares, has significant drug problems and a horrible town centre. I also said I would never love in Torquay when we first visited.
Now, we do live here and I have a much more positive opinion. There are some beautiful places in Torquay as well as the rough (much like anywhere). The areas up on the cliffs around Thatcher's Av/ Ilsham Marine are stunning, the coastal paths and many beaches are beautiful. There are many wonderful sea views and Cockington-with-Chelston Park is a huge green area. It is wonderful to be by the sea in the Summer. Yes there are tourists but I haven't found that overwhelming as I had expected to.
Areas which I would recommend:
Wellswood/ The Warberries (I think traditionally the most sought after)
Babbacombe/ St Marychurch
Chelston/ Livermead/ Cockington/ Preston

I don't have a huge knowledge of local schools and don't want to give personal details here but you are welcome to PM me if you would like to.

I see that Gargan and Hart were recommended above. We have found them very poor (being polite) so I wouldn't recommend them at all. I don't think anyone called Daman works there so perhaps the advice is out of date.

What do you mean by this @Meadowbreeze 'It also has a heavy migrant population so if you're after a more English vibe, maybe try Looe?'

@MrsPussinBoots thank you, yes, we definitely have heard good things about both of the areas in Paignton that you have mentioned, they're on the list!

Yikes!! I think Torquay is hands down the worst place I've been to in the UK!! Only once, but never again!

@ImJustNotMeAnymore thank you for your input, but I'm not sure that you can compare it to Luton 😂
On a positive, yes, there are some brilliant schools, and I know people who have moved purely for the fantastic grammar schools alone.

I agree, don't move to Torquay itself. It's a very run down town. Lots of issues with drugs and homelessness. There are nicer places in Devon or Cornwall that will have what you're looking for.

@ImJustNotMeAnymore and I have followed Spotted In Torquay for months now. I'm like all Spotted In groups, it is certainly populated by a particular niche of the population, but that doesn't bother me.

@Meadowbreeze luckily I don't give a hoot about an 'English' population, so the diversity is great, thanks for the recommendation! 👍

Can I ask why you're convinced Torquay is right for you, for various reasons?

For example, if you have elderly family there then I could see the inclination. But if it's just for the beaches then I'm afraid there aren't any 'nice' beaches within walking distance of good areas.

Reasons we are moving:

1. New job in the centre of Torquay.
2. Want to live very close to the sea to give my children the fantastic childhood that I had going to the beach every day.
3. Closer to family.
4. Great schools, better than where we live now in a very nice Somerset town.

We know it's not everyone's taste, we know about the shitty town centre, the drugs etc.

If you wouldn't live there, that's fine, but just saying 'don't move there' isn't particularly helpful to me.

This, It's really awful there atm. Especially in the centre. www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/fears-torquay-town-centre-on-7339874

The town centre is really rather horrible apart from the sea-front area.

I know the Barton/Watcombe borders - it's an area where some roads are very nice and others are really rough, but most of the roads to the north of Jacks Lane and left of Swedwell Road are ok, if a bit grannyish with bungalows. But you are close to council estates and I don't know if either Barton or Watcombe primaries are ok. Wellswood is really nice in parts (but expensive). Bits of Shiphay going towards Edginswell are nice too. I think you almost need to drive around and look at the areas you like the sound of, and look at individual roads and houses.

I wouldn't have said Paignton was better years ago, but it might be better these days, and you're in catchment for either Churston or the Torquay grammars. There are some nice bits between the town centre and Churston.

But I think Teignmouth is nicer and would be affordable with your budget. Newton Abbot has some great housing stock, but I don't know what the schools are like these days.

I didn't think that area of the world was particularly diverse - mainly white Brexiteers.

It's definitely not the worst place in the UK though. I've seen much worse!

But if it's just for the beaches then I'm afraid there aren't any 'nice' beaches within walking distance of good areas

that isn't true at all!

Ah, okay. The new job and wanting to be closer to family is understandable. As some PPs have said, Chelston is lovely but not within walking distance of a 'good' beach, I'd say.

I'm sure the OP would love to hear your suggestions then!

Somerset to Torquay is a huge downgrade 🤣

@Hannahthepink That's good. I didn't mean that in any negative way, just matter of fact. My family is half polish and the way the polish half have been treated by some is quite sad. A lot of the locals feel they've been encroached on by migrants and there's a divide. I can understand the sentiment on both sides but I can never understand why people choose violence and hatred.
Tbh it's not somewhere I'd want to live but it sounds like you know what you're getting into. The only way places like this will change is with regeneration and good people giving it a chance.
@InTheMiddle23