| Page Views: 8,875 Last Visit to Plymouth: December, 2008 | Plymouth and The Barbican by Geoff_Wright - last update: Dec 9, 2008 |
The city of Plymouth, Devonshire, is situated on the Plymouth sound, an inlet of the English Channel. Situated on a peninsula between the estuaried of the Plym and Tamar Rivers, Plymouth is an important port and naval base. The southern waterfront and adjacent promenade are known as the Hoe. Foodstuffs and raw materials are imported and manufactures of many kinds exported. Other items traded include fish and kaolin (china clay), and granite and marble were also exported. (I'm not certain if this trade has now ceased). The Royal Maries Barracks and Naval Dockyard (1691) are located in Plymouth. In 1588 the port was the rendezvous of the anti-Armada fleet. From here Drake, Hawkins, Raleigh, and several later explorers set forth. |
| Pleasure boat, and fishing boat |
|  | Plymouth was held by the Parliamentarians for four years during the civil war, while the rest of Devon and Cornwall were Royalist. The first English factory to make Chinese porcelain was established in Plymouth in 1768. Among the sprincipal points of interest on the Hoe are the old Royal Citadel (17th Century), still in use as a regular Army Barracks, the upper part of Smeaton's lighthouse brought here from the Eddystone Reef, some 15 miles from Plymouth, and Armada memorial, and a naval war memorial.
Cross-channel ferries leave the docks at Millbay, bound for Roscoff, France, and Santander, Northern Spain.
If you are travelling to Plymouth, click here to see the current weather:
Plymouth Weather Forecast |
Plymouth was badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War, and was largely rebuilt during the 1960's. As a teenager passing through here in the early 1960's I remember seeing some of the old buildings being demolished. Unfortunately, the planners of the day really go it wrong, in my view, and Plymouth was rebuilt in a most unfortunate manner. There just doesn't seem to be much character in the main shopping area of George Street and Cornwall Street, Armada Way and so on. New buildings of a better architectural style, such as the National Marine Aquarium on the Barbican, are now emerging, but there is yet another 'plan' to rebuild parts of the City centre. Some quite modern buildings, including the Plymouth Pavilions (about 10 years old), are now being looked at for demolition. The object of much of this is to open up the waterfront for the tourists. Let's hope they make a better job of it this time round! | | |
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 Comments for Geoff_Wright about Plymouth | | | | |
simbac2001 Mon Apr 16, 2007 18:18 UTC
Fantistic documentary of plymouth...I must visit there sometime in the near future | hunterV Wed Aug 9, 2006 05:05 UTC
Hello, Geoff! I've heard a lot about this famous place and you've been there! Better to see once than to hear a thousand times! Seeing is believing! Well done! | nhcram Thu Sep 30, 2004 21:16 UTC
Spent a lovely day here once but forgot where the car was and by the time we found it we got a PARKING TICKET!!! Must visit the Eden Project next year. Great tips | Joan40 Fri Jun 11, 2004 22:42 UTC
Hi - been to the Eden Project (2003) but it was March so the dome with the grapes was pretty sparse, but the place itself was great. Just looked at your Plymouth pics - good place but I shan't be returning (you'll know why if you read my home page) hehehe |
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