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Torquay Museum, Devon

Kents Cavern

Torquay Museum has a collection of remarkable importance for an institution of its size. Artifacts recovered from nearby Kents Cavern are stored and displayed here. In fact the history of excavation at Kents Cavern is closely related with Torquay Museum. Torquay Natural History Society founded Torquay Museum in 1844 to help display local finds. Pengelly Hall, used for display and lectures at the museum is named after William Pengelly, who led excavations at Kents Cavern between 1865 and 1880. Agatha Christie's father Frederick Miller was a keen member of Torquay Natural History Society, and helped in the digging at Kents Cavern. His famous daughter is also commemorated at the museum with a display exploring her life and work.

Torquay Museum also holds other large collections related to natural history. There is also a remarkable archive of letters and documents. William Pengelly's papers are kept here. The Hester Forbes-Julian Collection of letters and autographs holds letters by many famous people of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Some of Charles Darwin's letters can be viewed. But documents are not confined to prominent figures of natural history. There is also material relating to Jane Austen, John Keats, the Brontes and the Duke of Wellington, among many others. Finally there is also a collection of seaweeds and algaes. And if seaweeds and algeas don't seem exciting, it might be worth remembering that seaweeds live in both deep water, and on the shore. These plants represent the step life first took from sea to land. They hark back to the original explorers, the original William Pengelly.

Address: Torquay Museum, 529 Babbacombe Road, Torquay, Devon TQ1 1HG

Directions: Torquay Museum is on the B3199 Babbacombe Road in Torquay, Devon. Click here for an interactive map centred on Torquay Museum.

Opening Times: Open all year, Monday to Saturday, 10am - 5pm. From mid July to the end of September there is additional Sunday opening, 1.30pm - 5pm.

Access: All galleries are accessible to visitors in wheelchairs. Adapted toilet facilities are provided. An induction loop is installed in the Pengelly Hall. Limited disabled parking is available next to the main entrance.

Contact:

telephone: 01803 293975

fax: 01803 294186

e-mail: enquiries@torquaymuseum.org

web site: www.torquaymusem.org