Widely known as the English Riviera, Torquay is a tiny seaside town built on a peninsula in the south of Devon, England. It’s located 28 miles east of Plymouth, and 18 miles south of Exeter. Known for its pleasant friendly atmosphere, it has one of the warmest climates in the UK, and is well worth a visit.
Although it may not be apparent at first, Torquay does have historical significance. It was an unknown little fishing village until the early 1800s, when it started to gain popularity with tourists, especially during the Victorian era and onwards. It became the target of German bombing raids during WW2 as it was a military training ground, and even has evidence of early human life dating back 40,000 years in the Kents Cavern cave system, which is also a very popular attraction.
World famous author Agatha Christie was born there in 1890, and you can take a walk down ‘Agatha Christie mile,’ starting from the Imperial Hotel. It features a lot of interesting places, with sign posts and information about her life. It’s a very cultural and jolly thing to do, and could be a rather lovely start to your day in Torquay. On your way down that famous mile, you can take a detour and stroll along the late Victorian era Princess Pier, enjoying the fresh salty sea breeze as you walk along the old wooden flooring above the waves.
In the mid 70s Torquay was made famous by the hit sitcom Fawlty Towers, and quite a good chunk of Monty Python’s Flying Circus was filmed there too. Rumour has it that John Cleese found his writing inspiration for the highly volatile Basil Fawlty’s character from the manager of the Gleneagles Hotel, while they were on location with Monty Python. You can actually go and stay in the hotel used for the show, now called Lulus Fawlty Towers Hotel. If you’re a fan of that classic English sitcom, it’s really got to be done.
There are also loads of family friendly attractions like the Babbacombe Miniature Village, Dinosaur World, Meadford Beach and various boat trips available from the marina. You absolutely must go for a walk along the coastal paths and take in the wonderful Devon nature. There’s a natural sea arch, nicknamed ‘London Bridge,’ where the sea has eaten away at the cliff peninsula, which is also a great photo opportunity.
With a population of only 6,400, it’s quite incredible to note that they have nearly 5 million tourists a year, creating 1,000s of jobs and almost half a billion pounds of revenue annually. Obviously, there can be some difficulties finding a parking spot there, so we’ve made a fully comprehensive list of free residential parking, as well as paid parking options for you.
Free Parking in Torquay
Table of Contents
Free, unrestricted residential street parking
Now it’s time to save you some money on parking tickets by using residential street parking. Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s completely legal. By using the list below, you can save time looking for free parking spots, and find the most convenient locations for your visit. These addresses show the distances to Fleet Walk, which is the central high street in Torquay. The list also includes information about points of interest on your walk from your parking location.
We would like to remind you that although it’s free to use residential parking, you should also use discretion. For example, If you are really worried about leaving valuables in your vehicle, paid car parks normally have some kind of security cameras. However, if you do want to go for the free parking option, please be kind to the residents. Park responsibly, check for any notices or signs to do with parking, and keep noise to a minimum, especially at night.
North
If you’re driving down south from the Exeter direction, you can stop off at the beach on your way to town, as well as checking out the Babbacombe Model Village. There’s also the Cary Play Park if you have kids, or just fancy a nice sit down. If it’s a nice day, we recommend heading east from your parking spot, straight to the cliffs, and taking the long walk around the coast towards the marina. It’s a stunningly beautiful place.
- Princes Road TQ1 1PA – 0.5 miles
- Ellacombe Church Road TQ1 1LJ – 5 miles
- Kenwyn Road TQ1 1LX – 6 miles
- Park Road TQ1 4QR – 2 miles
- Hartop Road TQ1 4QQ – 2 miles
West
As you can see from this list, there are way more parking options in the west, and that’ll be more useful to you if you’re coming in from the Plymouth direction. You can head straight down towards the sea, or be in the town centre in a matter of minutes. Make sure you don’t miss the 800 year old Torre Abbey on your way.
- Warren Road TQ2 5TE – 0.2 miles
- Croft Hill TQ2 5NT – 0.4 miles
- Croft Road TQ2 5PF – 0.4 miles
- Scarborough Road TQ2 5UJ – 0.6 miles
- Bampfylde Road TQ2 5BA – 0.7 miles
- Cleveland Road TQ2 5BE – 0.9miles
- Newton Road TQ2 5BZ – 0.9 miles
- Rousdown Road TQ2 6PB. – 0.9 miles
- Solsbro Road TQ2 6PE – 0.9 miles
- Chelston Road TQ2 6AL – 0.9 miles
Free after 6pm/Overnight Streetside Parking
You can only park on the following addresses between the hours of 6pm and 8am. Make sure you don’t forget to take the car away before the traffic wardens start patrolling at 08:00 to avoid fines.
- The Terrace TQ1 1DE – 0.1 miles
- Torwood Street TQ1 1EB – 0.2 miles
- Parkhill Road TQ1 2AR – 0.2 miles
- Torwood Gardens Road TQ1 1EQ – 0.4 miles
- Market Street TQ1 3AF –4 miles
Free after 6pm/Overnight/Sunday Streetside Parking
- Castle Road TQ1 3BB – 0.7 miles
- Lymington Road TQ1 4AQ – 0.7 miles
- Magdalene Road TQ1 4AF – 0.7 miles
Cheapest Paid Car Parks
Prices vary in different car parks in Torquay, and can be up to £10 for the whole day. If you don’t mind paying, need to save on time, or you feel like you need extra security, here is a full list of paid car parks:
- 2 Temperance St TQ2 5PU – £2.20 for 2 hours
- Fleet Walk Car Park TQ2 5EX – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Melville Street Car Park TQ2 5TB – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Union Square Car Park TQ1 3BB – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Brunswick Square Car Park TQ1 4UT – £2.50 for 2 hours
- St Marychurch Car Park TQ1 3LA – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Chilcote Close Car Park TQ1 4QT – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Lymington Road Car Park TQ1 4BD – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Walls Hill Car Park TQ1 3LZ – £2.60 for 2 hours
- Hampton Avenue Car Park TQ1 4RP – £2.60 for 2 hours
- Cockington Country Park TQ2 6XB – £2.00 for 2 hours
Free Car Park
Hooray, we love free parking in Torquay! This is only a 10 minute walk from the breathtaking London Bridge Arch, on the coastal path, but it’s a 30 minute walk to the centre, so it’s not as convenient as some of our street parking locations .
- Daddyhole Plain Car Park TQ1 2EF
Free short-term parking (2h or less)
We’ve found a few great free options in customer car parks. They’re supposed to be for customers only, but if you’re in and out before your 2 hours are up, you will avoid penalties.
- Asda Torquay Supermarket TQ2 7AN
- B&Q Torquay TQ2 8AS
