Torbay

Torbay /tɔːrˈbeɪ/ is a borough in Devon, England, administered by the unitary authority of Torbay Council. It consists of 62.87 square kilometres (24.27 sq mi) of land, spanning the towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, located around an east-facing natural harbour (Tor Bay) on the English Channel. Torbay is roughly equidistant from the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. A popular tourist destination with a tight conurbation of resort towns, Torbay's sandy beaches, mild climate and recreational and leisure attractions have given rise to the nickname of the English Riviera.

History

That the Torbay area has been inhabited since Paleolithic times is shown by human bones and tools found in Kents Cavern in Torquay. A maxilla fragment known as Kents Cavern 4 may be the oldest example of a modern human in Europe, dating back to 37,000–40,000 years ago.Roman soldiers are known to have visited Torquay during the period when Britain was a part of the Roman Empire, leaving offerings at a curious rock formation in Kent's Cavern, known as "The Face".

Torbay (disambiguation)

Torbay is an English borough and bay. Torbay can also mean:

Torbay (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 50°27′36″N 3°32′17″W / 50.460°N 3.538°W / 50.460; -3.538

Torbay is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Kevin Foster, a Conservative.

Boundaries

The constituency covers the majority of the Torbay unitary authority in Devon, including the seaside resorts of Torquay and most of Paignton.

Parliament accepted the Boundary Commission's Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which slightly altered this constituency for the 2010 general election since which it has electoral wards:

The remainder of the borough is covered by the Totnes constituency.

History

After being held for several Parliaments (taking together various predecessor areas) by Conservatives, from 1997 the seat was held by Liberal Democrats until 2015 when a Conservative re-took it. The majority in 1997 was the most marginal of that election, and the majority of 2,029 in 2005 was the lowest to date.