Abbey reopened in July 2008. Buildings The main abbey comprises two Grade I listed buildings. Though the church is little more than a ruin, the west and south sides of the cloisters are still standing. The gatehouse dates from around 1380, and the barrel vault above the chapel, formerly the guest hall, dates from the 15th century. The tithe barn, built along with the abbey in the early thirteenth century, is known as The Spanish Barn after it was used for fourteen days to hold 397 prisoners of war from the Spanish Armada in 1588. Around 1740 the buildings underwent extensive alterations, giving them a Georgian remodelling that is mostly intact today. The Cary family invested in further reconstructions throughout the 19th century, including the construction of a small brewery. St Michael's Chapel on the summit of Chapel Hill, in Torquay may have belonged to the Abbey. Art exhibitions The permanent exhibitions focus on paintings of the 19th century including pictures of national standing as William Blake and the Pre-Raphaelite works of Edward Burne-Jones (The Planets, series of cartoons) or William Holman Hunt (The Children's Holiday). Torre Abbey also houses the contents of the studio of Frederick Thrupp, the largest collection by an individual Victorian sculptor to survive in the UK. The Abbey also provides a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, including Antony Gormley's Field for the British Isles in 2009 and Damien Hirst's Mother and Child, Divided in 2010. The annual Torre Abbey Contemporary Open exhibition (TACO) provides a showcase for artists from the South West. Miscellaneous During his time in command of the Channel Fleet between 1800 and 1801 Admiral John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent lived at the Abbey when he was too ill to remain with the fleet. References Further reading Rhodes, Michael, Devon's Torre Abbey: Faith, Politics and Grand Designs, 2015 External links Religious buildings and structures completed in 1196 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Monasteries in Devon Premonstratensian monasteries in England Country houses in Devon Grade I listed churches in Devon Grade I listed monasteries 1196 establishments in England 1539 disestablishments in England Buildings and structures in Torquay Historic house museums in Devon Art museums and galleries in Devon Religious museums in England Religious organizations established in the 1190s Christian monasteries established in the 12th century 12th-century church buildings in England