Welcome to Livermead House
A Classic English Riviera Hotel
As one of Torquay’s most historic hotels, we have a legacy of excellent hospitality that dates back to Victorian times and the 1860s. These days, our aim is to keep some of the timeless traditional charm of the Riviera alive, while providing modern comforts and cuisine for the discerning guest.
If you are looking for a spotlessly ordinary 21st Century chain hotel, we might perhaps not be the place for you. But for those who love a sense of old world charm, flair and heritage, Livermead House is a genuine delight among Devon Hotels.
Livermead House Lounge Circa 1945.
Livermead House Billboard at Paddington station during the London Blitz 1940.
View of Livermead House from Cockington Lane.
A Brief History of
Livermead House, Torquay
In 1820, the Reverend Roger Mallock of Cockington Hall decided to build a house for his guests by the sea. This house stood on a site a little way out from the new town of Torquay, and was one of the most attractive and picturesque in the bay. The house is still with us, but since the latter part of the nineteenth century has been enlarged and extensively modernised to transform it into what is now proudly known as the Livermead House Hotel.
The hotel was a popular Victorian guest house during the mid to latter part of the last century, and one can imagine the all-enveloping swimming costumes of the day and bathing machines on Livermead sands - barely a stone's throw from the hotel's doors. Livermead also played its part during the Second World War as a medical centre for R.A.F. personnel being drafted overseas.
We have had many famous visitors in Torquay over the years, but one of the Livermead's most notable was the Victorian clergyman, naturalist and author, Charles Kingsley. He came to Torquay in 1854 and spent time at the house whilst his wife recovered from illness. One may even wonder if the idea for The Water Babies, Kingsley's most well-known work, may have been forming in his mind as he watched the fire burning in the grate and the sparks flying up the chimney.
