This list of the tallest buildings and structures in Lon-don ranks skyscrapers and towers in London, United Kingdom by height. Since November 2010 the tall-est structure in London has been the Shard London Bridge. It was topped out at approximately 306 metres (1,004 ft) in March 2012, making it the tallest habit-able building in Western Europe. The second tallest building is the 50-storey One Canada Square, which rises 235 metres (771 ft) in Canary Wharfand was completed in 1991.

interesting places

Torquay is full of sur-

prises with its mag-nificent horseshoe-shaped bay, swaying palm trees,

elegant Victorian villas, pretty marina, sweeping sandy beach

and its fascinating Agatha Chris-tie connections.

Torquay’s history is bound up in the Napoleonic Wars

when the town be-came a water-

ing hole for the

rich elite who could no longer visit conti-

nental Europe and who were greatly struck by its beauty and mild climate. Following the Battle of

Waterloo, Napoleon was held captive

on the

HMS Bellerophon

in Tor Bay for two days and is report-

ed to have exclaimed ‘Quel Bon Pays’ (what

a lovely country).

Mild ocean breez-

es, sandy beaches and swaying Torbay Palms give the small

English town of Torquay a distinctively Mediterrane-an feel. More than just a

beach spot, Torquay boasts an enor-

mous

coast-al aviary and

the famous Kents Cavern Prehistoric

Caves. Agatha Christie spent most of her life here, and the city is now home to multiple film compa-nies. With such a rich

literary history, Torquay

may be the

perfect place to finish writing that

novel or screenplay, or just to relax with

a good mystery.

There was little development until the early 19th century, when Lawrence Palk, 2nd Baronet built a new harbour here. Much of the later building in the town was done by his solicitor, William Kitson, who was put in charge of the Palk estates in 1833. At this time the town started to attract visitors in ill health as a winter resort because of its fresh air and mild climate. Its popu-lation grew by over ten times in the first 50 years of the century. Later in the century, Torquay became a favoured resort for the upper classes. In 1870, Lawrence Palk, 1st Baron Haldon built another new harbour for the town which made it popular with yacht sailors. It was also extensively used for importing coal and wool from Australia.

The History of Torquay, a town in Torbay, on the south coast of the county of Devon, England, starts

some 450,000 years ago with early human artefacts found in Kents Cavern. There is little evidence of any permanent occupation at

Torquay until the eleventh century records in the Domesday Book, though it is known that visits were made by Roman soldiers and there was a small Saxon

settlement called ‘Torre’. In 1196 Torre Abbey was founded here, which by the time of its dissolution in 1539, had become the richest PremonstratensianMonas-tery in England. The buildings were bought by Sir George Cary in 1662.

THE TOW

N O

F TORQ

UAY

It lies 18 miles (29 km) south of the county town of Exeter and 28 miles (45 km) east-north-east of Plymouth, on

the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbour-ing town of Pagination on the west of the bay and across from the fish-ing port of Brigham. In the 2011 UK Cen-sus, Torquay’s population was

65,245, about half of that of the whole of Torbay.The town’s economy, like Brixham’s, was initially based upon fishing and agriculture, but in the early 19th century the town began to develop into a fashion-able seaside resort, initially

town and lived there during her early years. The town contains an “Aga-tha Christie

for its health-ful climate, the town earned the nickname of the Riviera and favourable comparisons to Montpellier.Torquay was the home of the writer Agatha Christie, who was born in the

frequented by members of the Royal Navy during the Na-poleonic Wars while the Royal Navy anchored in the bay. Later, as the town’s fame spread, it was popular with the crème de la crème of Victorian soci-ety. Renowned

The streets of torquay

Torquay Town Centre is in a Business Improve-ment District . Business Improvement Districts are not-for-profit or-ganisations which aim to regenerate areas and increase footfall. Torquay Town Centres business ratepayers are investing extra money into im-

proving the Torquay town centre even fur-ther for the benefit of local r idents and visitors. The money provides the opportunity to improve the façade of the town and its clean-liness.