A Short Description of Torre Abbey: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

A Short Description of Torre Abbey, credited to Hugh Robert Watkin, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of A Short Description of Torre Abbey by Hugh Robert Watkin. Read in English by Garth Burton Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the time of Henry VIII, a significant part of the buildings of Torre Abbey, particularly the church area, lay in ruins. Then, during the 17th century and subsequently, surviving parts of the abbey were incorporated into the creation of a grand private residence, the owner of which in the early part of the 20th century was Colonel Lucius Cary. With the permission of the colonel, Hugh Watkin, who at that time was living in the Chelston district of Torquay, fairly close to the abbey, undertook certain excavations of the remaining ruins between the years of 1906 and 1911. Until he made his excavations the ruins had not been thoroughly investigated. This book sets forth his findings and conclusions, and is the last of the three editions published, being dated July, 1912. Much more archaeological work has been carried out since the author's day, and further important discoveries made relating to the abbey's history. Torre Abbey passed into the ownership of the local council in 1930. Today, the house, which is now an art gallery and museum, ruins and beautiful gardens are open to the public, and many events, including weddings and exhibitions, take place in the house and grounds every year. It is a Grade 1 listed building. - Summary by Garth Burton

Recording facts

• Recording title: A Short Description of Torre Abbey
• Author credits: Hugh Robert Watkin
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 10
• Listed recording duration: 1:39:00

Catalogue topics

• history
• religion
• medieval
• architecture

Track guide

1. 00 - Preface and Introduction. — 8:04
2. 01 - The Entrance. The Two Missing Gate-houses. The Moat, Conduit and Drain. The West Front. The Cemetery. — 9:31
3. 02 - The Church. Nave and Aisle. — 11:02
4. 03 - The Church Tower. The Chancel. The North Transept. — 11:22
5. 04 - The South Transept. Relics in Stone, the Mill Garden. Sacristy, Muniment Room and Chapter-house. — 10:19
6. 05 - The Garth. The Cloister. The Locutorium or Calefactory. The Refectory Sub-vault. The Cellarer's Store. — 9:29
7. 06 - The South-West Corner of the Garth. The Volta. Sub-vault of Guest Hall. West Side of Garth. — 8:18
8. 07 - The Entrance to the Garth. The Abbat's Tower. The Modern Chapel. — 7:46
9. 08 - The Mohun Gatehouse. The Fawden. — 9:34
10. 09 - The Norman Aula. The Infirmary. The Barn. Encaustic Tiles. — 13:35

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Source and rights

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