Alison

~ Passing through Plymouth, UK ~

After checking out of our cute B and B in Hope Cove,Devon and saying goodbye to our dear friends and also Storm Eunice we headed off to Plymouth. Not before walking straight into Storm Franklin though! Below is a little video selfie on the seashore trying to get to the car.



The drive is just under an hour to Plymouth and we had planned to spend the morning there before driving onto Bath for the night. I can’t say I ever remember going to Plymouth so didn’t have any expectations. We were both pleasantly surprised by this wonderful little town so full of history and quaint cobblestoned lanes brimming with pubs and shops.

There is a dramatic looking Royal Citadel in Plymouth where we would loved to have had a wander, but we didn’t have the time to take in all the glorious detail of this gothic piece of architecture. Built in the late 1660’s to defend the coastline against marauding ships and pirates.

Above are photos of the streets and alleyways that we walked through.

Old and quirky buildings

This mural fascinated me as I could see it would have been quite stunning when first painted. It is located where the The House that Jack Built is and it is over the entrance to a wonderful selection of shops and cafes. I did some research on this mural and apparently there was one underneath this one that caused quite an outcry, showing 88 naked bodies. The mural today depicts “The Last Judgment” and “Dante’s Inferno” by an artist called Robert Lenkiewicz who has since passed away.

  • G and T anyone?
  • The Book Cupboard
  • Artistic Street names

I really enjoyed walking up and down these streets that didn’t seem to have changed for hundreds of years. The brickwork of the houses were so unusual.

As it was another dreary day we headed back to the car and drove out to look at the lighthouse and Drake’s Island.

Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse, originally built on the Eddystone reef in 1759, but was taken down in early 1880’s due to erosion. Most of the structure was moved stone by stone to where it stands today. It stands 72 feet high and is open to the public on weekends.

Looking over the wall down below stands the Tinside Lido. An art-deco style structure built in 1935. Apparently voted in the top ten of Europe’s outdoor pools. Only open during the summer months and is fully accessible to people of all needs. I have to say I was surprised about this little nugget of information as to me it looks quite derelict and in need of major renovation!

Tinside Lido
Drake’s Island
Firestone Bay

Drake’s Island currently uninhabited and has been since 1989. It was to open again in 2020 as a luxury holiday resort but due to Covid this has been put on hold. There is a wealth of knowledge about this island available at Drake’s Island. I would love to visit one day and soak up hundreds of years of history.

Plymouth is definitely a place I would come back to and maybe spend a night or two, have a walk around the Citadel and enjoy dinner in one of the many restaurants we passed by.

Off to Bath next!

25 comments

  1. You’ve whetted my appetite for a visit to Plymouth too, so I’ll be heading there sometime this summer – if all is still in life’s favour then! Loved the video, by the way. Some storm!

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    • That’s good to hear Mari, yes definitely worth a day or two there, so interesting and so much to see and do
      Thanks for your comments 😁

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  3. It’s a wonder your hat didn’t blow away! I love learning all the history of English towns. It’s so interesting. Bath is one of my favourite places so I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you did there.

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    • Thanks Carol, almost blew away. We did see a lady whose raincoat flew out of the car and over a wall, they couldn’t see where it went and we were safety inside watching and didn’t dare venture outside!

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  4. Plymouth is such an interesting and historic city to visit, shame about the terrible weather. Be good to get back when it’s dry and sunny. Enjoy Bath, a fabulous place.

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  5. Some great shots of quaint corners in this collection, let alone the woolly hat with a mind of its own! There’s a fair few Brunel creations in and around Plymouth too, the Tamar Bridge is spectacular. You found some really quaint corners hidden away though, that’s for sure.

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  6. Interesting info and photos – I spent a bit of time in Plymouth a few years ago for work reasons but never got to see this side of the city, only its newer streets and shopping areas. I had to laugh at that video 😆

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  8. Oh, that wind! Much stronger than what we experienced in London that week. Plymouth is absolutely gorgeous and after reading your article and seeing the photos, I really wish we had time to get to it.

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    • It seems like it’s often missed off people’s places to visit ..Anthony wanted to go to see the Mayflower well a replica but we couldnt find it! And didn’t have the time to look. Anyway I just loved all the streets and buildings 🙂

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