Plymouth is known as Britain's Ocean City, and it sits at the mouths of both the River Tamar and the River Plym, from which it gets its name.
Situated on the south coast of Devon, overlooking the Plymouth Sound- a bay which sits on the English Channel- a couple of nights in this beautiful town with a strong maritime tradition were perfect in breaking up my west country trip, before I headed on to Cornwall.
Plymouth's history dates back from the Bronze Age, when a settlement was recorded at Mount Batten. An important trading post in Roman Britain, Plymouth became the English departing point for the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers, in 1620, as they made their way to the New World- now the United States of America- and established Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts; the second English settlement after Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607.
A Parliamentarian stronghold during the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution saw Plymouth prosper as an important commercial trading port; exporting local minerals such as tin, copper and lime and handling imports and passengers from the Americas.
An important enough naval port to become a big target during World War II, the city centre was rebuilt and Plymouth expanded, continuing its seafaring heritage by being strongly influenced by shipbuilding, although this has since declined. The temperate climate of this rocky peninsula- typical of south western England- its cultural quarters and attractive, rugged coastal setting, along with its direct train route to London, lend themselves perfectly to modern tourism.
I tackled my recent blogging in an arse-about-face kind of manner, as I've already documented my Cornwall shenanigans, but visited there after Devon.
Mind you, you will read this first as it's higher up in my blogging history!
We began our journey at Paddington Station, London, where Paddington Bear was found by Mr and Mrs Brown when he arrived form Peru. Here is his dedication plaque and commemorative seat.
He was cast in bronze by sculptor Marcus Cornish. Although Paddington Bear first appeared in 1958, this was erected in 2000.
After a journey of just over 3 hours we found our hotel, dumped our luggage and went for a wander; overlooking Queen Anne's Battery Marina. Weather-wise it was squally; with brilliant, blinding sunshine one moment and a great grey block of cloud dumping its contents onto your head the next. I gave up on personal appearances- such as hairstyling- and we took a mooch around the harbour.
Here you can see pedestrian swing bridge that saves you the effort of walking all the way round from this side, known as Coxside, to the Barbican side of the marina- unfortunately, it was closed all the time we were in Plymouth! Oh well, it's not as if the walk round wasn't pleasant...
This was taken from the side of the National Marine Aquarium, which we didn't visit. We only spent 45 hours in Plymouth in total, so we had to be selective with regard to which tourist attractions we visited.
We walked around attractive Sutton Harbour Marina. The dullness of the sky did nothing to diminish its appeal.
Continuing around and you have to be careful what you're doing, as there are no barriers in some places. It's wise to walk on the side of caution after a drink or two!
Compare the sky with a similar view taken the next day, when the weather was clearing into incandescent brightness...
It is very pretty, and I'm sure some of the harbour facing apartments cost a pretty penny...
An artistic angle, taken through wooden beams which supported the overhanging first floor of a row of commercial outlets...
Berthed boats and the tide wasn't particularly high, but definitely in...
The marina quarter contains a plethora of bars and restaurants and was quite vibrant at night...
This working harbour offers up a very pleasant view. If you don't like boats, then Plymouth's maybe not the city for you! My great grandfather was a rough old sea dog, and maybe it's in the blood as I LOVE being near the water- I find it vary calming and it offers up an ideal background in which to ruminate...
The array of cobblestones meant that I couldn't wear my new stilettos- clunky high heels were the only option!
Steps down into the green, lichen shallows...
Dean sticking his big swede into my photo of this bar. I like the way the old buildings have been updated in such a fashion to still look rather quaint, yet entirely modern (is that an oxymoron?!)
This building was right near the Mayflower Museum, which we visited during our brief stay...
The Mayflower Steps are where the Pilgrim Fathers were believed to have finally left England, on 6th September 1620 (recorded dates differ- September 16th and 26th have also popped up as the leaving date.) The steps were inaccessible as they were closed for restoration and repair, in preparation for the 400th anniversary celebrations next year.
Actually, I wouldn't have wanted to venture too far down as they were very slimy. Mind you, maybe they plan on clearing the pretty greenery? Hmm, it will only return...
Early the next day, after breakfasting in local pub The Gog and Magog, we began our Mayflower Museum experience by taking in the stunning harbour views from their balcony...
The Sutton Harbour Footbridge that we would have used- had it not been under repair...
Further over, with a magnificent Turner-esque sky...
This is very much a working harbour, and you can sail in and berth your boat here- if you're lucky enough to own a boat, that is!
The Mayflower Museum was very modern and consisted of only two floors. The first tells the story of the Pilgrim Fathers. They held Puritan, Calvinist beliefs but, unlike other Puritans, maintained that their church needed to be kept separate from the Church of England.
They had fled England for the more tolerant Holland, but arranged to establish a new colony in America, as they feared a loss of identity if they remained in the Netherlands.
The Mayflower in miniature. The ship measured around 100 feet (30 metres) in length and was 25 feet (7.6 metres) wide, but her exact dimensions are unknown. She has become a cultural icon in the United States of America.
The Mayflower in full sail. There were 102 passengers and approximately 25-30 crew- the exact number is unknown. It was a miserable crossing hampered by delays, ferocious weather, lack of provisions and scurvy. One child died on route and there was one stillbirth. During the first, harsh winter, the passengers and crew remained on board the ship and nearly half of them died from a mixture of the aforementioned scurvy, pneumonia and tuberculosis.
You can look through the sparkling windows of this lower floor. I never tired of taking photographs of the stunning marina and this view is more personal, as you can see people going about their daily business.
If you peer, you can just about make out the castle-like form of the Mount Batten Tower (a 30 foot high, 1652 defensive artillery fort) to the right of the photo. It is almost camouflaged by the hills.
We walked around to Plymouth Hoe, taking the coastal path. Cannons sit in front of the Royal Citadel, and you can see Mount Batten Peninsula, with its Mount Batten Tower, behind.
Looking over the barrier to The Sound...
Our first view of Smeaton's Tower, which is a memorial to celebrated civil engineer and physicist John Smeaton (1724-1792). It opened to the public in 1884.
This iconic tower shot has got to my favourite Plymouth photograph.
Tinside Lido is a 1935 Art Deco salt water swimming pool, and it looked in good condition and filled, ready for action- although not yet open for the summer.
It is 93 steps to the lantern room, up several steep ladders.
The tower is depicted as a working lighthouse, with amenities on some floors...
The view from standing outside at the top of the tower.
At the top left of Plymouth Hoe is the bowling green where, on 19th July 1588, Sir Francis Drake was playing bowls when he was told that the Spanish Armada had been sighted. His statue is visible to the left of the photo, atop of the triple-stepped monument.
On the headland over to the left side is a memorial monument dedicated to the Royal Marines and, behind that, the building houses the Marine Biological Association. To the right is the Mount Batten Peninsula.
Looking over the turquoise lido and out over The Sound. From the tower, on the horizon you can see the remaining stump of the old Eddystone Lighthouse, close to the current Eddystone Lighthouse. The former was Smeaton's structure and in use from 1759-1877, until the ledge it sat on eroded. Considered directional in lighthouse design, it was dismantled and rebuilt as Smeaton's Tower.
Looking west towards West Hoe. The name 'hoe' means high ridge in old English- it's not a reference to a woman of loose morals in the ghetto!
Looking down from the very top, and there were quite a few school kids there that day, with their teachers. But, as usual, it was the adults being awkward- two tourist bints chose the stairs as a place to balance to take their photos (not the brightest of ideas) and generally be a pain in the rectum and get in the way. They then proceeded to be even more stupid, and totter down the stairs facing the wrong way. The children were well behaved!
Right at the top of the tower, this section represents the lantern room, where the wick would have been lit...
Back on terra firma and the memorials are: the Plymouth Naval Memorial, the Armada Memorial and the Royal Air Force and Allied Forces Monument.
After a walk through the city, we ventured back towards our hotel On the way was Charles Church, gutted during the Second World War, over the nights of 21-22 March 1941, by incendiary bombs. It was named after King Charles I, at the monarch's insistence. It was a rather controversial move as Plymouth had become a Puritan town- which sided with Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians...
The church dates back to 1641 when building commenced, but was halted by the Civil War, in 1642, just as builders were about to complete the roof. It wasn't consecrated until 1665, although there is evidence to suggest that it was used as a place of worship during those times...
Nowadays, the church is occasionally used for services of remembrance and carol services. It sits inside busy Charles Cross Roundabout and, believe me, if I could have crossed this road and ventured in for a nosy around I would have. Unfortunately, the busy road made it impossible.
A glimpse of a cute street. You certainly pick up on the seafaring nature of the city in these picturesque quarters. It's all there in the frontage.
Southside Street, and visible at the end is the tower belonging to Plymouth Gin Distillery, which has been in operation since 1793, and is also known as the Black Friars Gin Distillery. It is still a working concern today.
I thought the little street sign with its relevant illustration just brilliant. You see a fair bit of Bath Stone (warm, honey-coloured stone, originally obtained from Bathampton Down Mines and used in southern England) in the centre of Plymouth...
The pasties from here were delicious, and we certainly indulged in a couple...
We popped in here for a huge cream tea- a serving for one included a large pot of tea and two scones- and we were glad we shared a portion! I was enticed in by the purple (my favourite colour) frontage and the macabre skull and Jolly Roger flags inside. You know me- anything 'dark' and that's my interest raised a notch...
As I'm sure you know, I love my charity shop bargains. This beautiful diamante necklace was only £4 from a shop down Southside Street, opposite the entrance to the Gog and Magog pub, where we ate most of our meals (and drank most of our cloudy cider😉).
These gorgeous shoes were £6.50 from the same charity shop, and I bought them within ten minutes of first leaving my hotel! Well, I had to get my priorities right, and shoe buying will always take precedence...😉
Venturing out to dinner, along Sutton Harbour Marina. You had to be careful not to go near the unguarded edge here- otherwise you'd fall in!
This one's Dean's shot, taken with his phone. Not sure which one's the best...😉
Walking home beside almost the same spot. Goodnight, pretty Plymouth.
This is a bench at the Brunel Museum, London. It's a miniature of the Royal Albert Bridge, engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1859 as part of the creation of the Great Western Railway. It crosses the River Tamar, from Plymouth over to Saltash, Cornwall.
When we crossed over to Cornwall, I wanted to take a photograph of the real bridge- but it's a bit hard when you're actually on it! I managed to get my phone out quickly enough to get this snap of the Tamar Bridge, which runs adjacent to it and was opened in 1961. The great hulking girders of the railway bridge frame the left of the photo.
On the way home form Cornwall and we retraced our steps (or rather our rails!) The weather was a bit dreary and threatening rain (the first we'd seen for over a week). This was also taken from the Royal Albert Bridge, looking the other way through the train window at this flotilla on the mouth of the River Tamar.
Devon and Cornwall was what I specified, with regard to my holiday requirements, and Devon and Cornwall is what I got!
I will definitely visit both again and, next time, hope I have longer to explore Plymouth and head further west; to Devil's Point, the Royal William Yard and the Mayflower Marina. I would also like to wander through the city's market and look at some of its independent shops.
I will return! But- until then...
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous
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