Brief history of Torbay
There are three main towns around the bay: Torquay in the north, Paignton in the centre, and Brixham in the south.
The southern limit of Torbay is Berry Head, and the northern limit is Hopes Nose, although Torquay itself stretches further north into Babbacombe Bay, where the popular beaches at Oddicombe and Babbacombe can be found; these are noted for their interesting Breccia cliffs.
Because of the mild climate, Torbay Palm trees are a common sight along the coast. However, this 'palm' is in fact a Cabbage Tree (Cordyline australis), originating from New Zealand. These trees may be seen flourishing elsewhere in the UK, at least as far north as Pickering in North Yorkshire. It is suggested that the popularity of Cabbage Trees in Torbay is attributable to their first being introduced to the UK in that region; a street in the old part of Dartmouth named Anzac St suggests an early 20th century initiative to associate the town with New Zealand and Australia.
The area is host to a large number of European students learning English every summer. The fishing port of Brixham is home to one of England and Wales most succesful fishing fleets and regularly lands more value than any UK port outside of Scotland.