Torquay Market

Torquay Market is a pannier market built in 1852, designed by John Tapley Harvey and constructed by contractor Richard Gosling for a private company. The front of the market was altered in 1865 to include shops, with further modifications made in 1909. The building is constructed from local grey limestone rubble, which is now painted, and sits on a rock-faced plinth in a classical style.

The market hall features a 12-bay layout, divided by a central arcade supported by cast-iron columns. There are entrances from Market Street along the long side and another entrance at the north from Albert Road. The exterior has a symmetrical 13-bay front facing Market Street, with a central entrance flanked by three slightly set-back bays on each end. The bays are separated by Doric pilasters that rise from the plinth, with pairs on either side of the main doorway and every three bays.

The central round-headed doorway is adorned with vermiculated rustication and topped with a pedimented gable. It is flanked by a pair of elegant cast-iron gates featuring spear-head finials and a band of roundels. The bays contain segmental-headed openings with rusticated architraves, keystones, and lunettes featuring radial glazing bars.

On the right side facing Albert Road, there are two pedimented gables with paired Doric pilasters on either side and four additional pilasters with moulded capitals in the center. The right-hand bay has a segmental-headed doorway, while a similar doorway on the left has been converted into a window. A road sign with blue tiles and white lettering is fixed to the wall, reading "TORQUAY ALBERT ROAD."

Inside, the cast-iron columns feature pierced spandrels, and the king-post roof trusses are supported by princess posts with iron struts connected to timber rafters.