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Photo: john spivey, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The oldest part of Plymouth. The main street is called New Street but used to be called Rag Street. This is the historic heart of Plymouth with lots of art galleries, restaurants, shops and holiday homes. There are also great pubs and bars and just to walk around it you can feel a great atmosphere, even more so if you are drinking outside on a summer evening. Some more of Sense and Sensibility was filmed here. If you are a fan of art, the Barbican has several specialty shops, craft work shops and art galleries. Many local artists have won global reputations, including Beryl Cook, Lee Woods, Brian Pollard and the late Robert Lenkiewicz.
The Barbican is an area on the western and northern sides of Sutton Harbour, the original harbour of Plymouth in Devon, England. It was one of the few parts of the city to escape most of the destruction of The Blitz during the Second World War and the preceding era of slum clearance following the Public Health Act 1848. Two or three streets still retain some of the architecture of a historic fishing port. The Barbican has the largest concentration of cobbled streets in Britain and contains 100 listed buildings. The area is centred around the connecting roads Southside Street and The Barbican, with most businesses located on or very near to these streets.
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On the Barbican for more information.
This is where Plymouth Gin is produced. Today it is the only remaining gin distillery in Plymouth, in what was once a Dominican Order monastery built in 1431. The current distillery has been in operation since 1793 (the brand/distillery is owned by multinational drinks giant Pernod Ricard). The distillery is open to visitors every day for tours, and is thought to be the last place where the Pilgrim Fathers stayed before leaving for America. It is known for having good displays. It can also be enjoyed by people who don't drink alcohol; though you of course get to taste the gin produced there too! Surprisingly popular with families.
A 20th-century commemorative feature built close to the site where the Pilgrim Fathers left aboard the repaired Mayflower, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to live in North America. Today boat trips leave from there for tours of Plymouth Sound, although the original site is believed to be where the Admiral McBride public house now stands. (Although the Mayflower Steps still are where tourists stand and look). On shore, opposite the steps, is a building which houses an exhibition about the Pilgrim Fathers and the Mayflower, and the city's Tourist Information Centre.
A historic building tucked away down one of the city's oldest streets: the Merchant's House is Plymouth’s finest surviving example of a 16th/17th-century residence. During the 17th century it was home to three Plymouth mayors including privateer William Parker, a friend of Sir Francis Drake.
Britain's largest aquarium and the deepest in Europe. You'll find it located near the historical Barbican area, which includes Britain's oldest bakery (Jacka's), and the Mayflower Steps from where the Pilgrim Fathers left for the New World in 1621. It's great for families too. You can reach it from the Mayflower Steps/Barbican by crossing the bridge across the lock that gives access to the marina. The bridge swings to let boats pass, which is fun to watch. An admission charge applies though with unlimited entry for 1 year. The aquarium also has an excellent fish restaurant outside, where you can eat in or take away.
Plymouth's synagogue is the oldest remaining Ashkenazi house of worship in an English-speaking country. Contains the only surviving 'full-blooded' Baroque Ark in the UK, impressive at two storeys high. The synagogue also has some beautiful stained-glass windows.