Van Hire Torquay

Also known in the 1800s as the English Riviera, Torquay is a popular seaside resort on the south coast in Devon. It takes its name from the old town of Torre, which takes its name from the tor which can be seen from (oddly enough) Tor Hill Road. As there was a quay in the ancient town, the town became Torre-quay.

Items have been found to suggest that the town of Torre/Torquay was inhabited as far back as 450 000 years ago. A portion of bone found may be the oldest example of a modern human in Europe, being up to 40 000 years old. Both the items and the bone were found in Kents Cavern, a cave system that is a geological Site of Scientific Interest and a Scheduled Ancient Monument – and lucky for us, opened to the public.

Make sure you visit whilst you have your Thrifty van hire, and see for yourself the caverns and passages that were carved out by water some 2 million years ago, and attract 80 000 visitors a year. The caves were thought to have been explored as early as 1571, with inscriptions on stalagmites, although man has lived in them for about 700 000 years. Stop in at the restaurant before you leave in your van hire and grab a coffee and sandwich.

Drive around in your Thrifty van hire and see if you can find places made famous in ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’, or where Agatha Christie was born. Near to Torquay is the town where John Lee, the ‘man they couldn’t hang’ was... Not hung. Legend has it that twice he was lead to the gallows and twice, the trapdoor failed to open, despite being in full working order. You can drive there yourself in your van hire, make a day of it!