At the edge of land and sea, Torre Abbey has stood for over 800 years, its walls shaped by history, weather, and time. But like all historic sites, it is constantly in flux—eroded by the elements, preserved through human intervention, and always on the brink of change. As this landmark undergoes a significant restoration, two artists have been invited to respond to its story, exploring what happens when nature reclaims history, when preservation meets decay, and when the past is held in the present.

The Geopark Artist Residency Programme has brought together James Murch and Laura Segan to examine Torre Abbey’s place within the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, responding to themes of degradation, restoration, and conservation. Over a month-long studio residency, the artists engaged directly with Torre Abbey’s architecture, collections, and ongoing preservation work, producing new works that offer an artistic lens on the Abbey’s evolution and its uncertain future.

James Murch – Roots and Relics

Through plein air painting, James captures the raw beauty of Torre Abbey as it shifts between survival and collapse. His large-scale works imagine a future where nature overtakes the Abbey, its walls softened by vegetation, its form dissolving into the landscape. His work raises questions about the fate of heritage buildings and what is lost—or gained—when nature takes control.

Laura Segan – Salt and Other Stories

Laura’s work explores salt as both a destructive and preservative force, mirroring the challenges Torre Abbey faces due to its proximity to the sea. Using alternative photographic processes and botanical dyes from the Abbey’s gardens, her work captures the fragility of historic materials, the slow creep of erosion, and the intimate moments of change that often go unnoticed.

Founded in 1196, Torre Abbey is one of Devon and Cornwall’s most significant medieval sites, its structure revealing centuries of human adaptation and natural wear. Now, as it undergoes its latest restoration, the Abbey provides a unique setting for these artists to explore the relationship between preservation and transformation.

This exhibition invites audiences to see Torre Abbey not as a relic of the past, but as a living space—one that is shaped by time, environment, and human hands. Through painting, photography, and installation, these works reflect on the delicate balance between decay and preservation, nature and intervention, loss and renewal.

This programme has been made possible by the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme, with funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Torbay Council, and the Friends of Torre Abbey. The Geopark Artist Residency Programme is a partnership between Artizan Collective CIC, Torre Abbey, and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, working to explore new ways of interpreting and engaging with Torbay’s heritage.

This is just the first of two exhibitions presenting the outcomes of the Geopark Artist Residencies. A second showcase, featuring all four residency artists, will be held at Artizan Collective Gallery from 25th May – 22nd June 2025, coinciding with the Geopark Festival Weekend.

We invite you to explore, reflect, and engage with these works—and to see Torre Abbey’s past, present, and future through an entirely new lens.