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Photo: Michael Chapman, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Once the place from which the British Navy was provisioned. The naval presence in Plymouth is immense: the city is home to the largest naval base in western Europe, which is open to the public on Naval Days. It's in Stonehouse, an area of Plymouth west of the Hoe. In Summer, you can get a boat there from the Barbican, or walk or get a bus. Now a bustling public space with up-market numerous cafés, bakeries and galleries, as well as private apartments. Also known as a filming location for ITV's Hornblower. Located right next to the Devil's Point park, with views over to Cornwall.
The Royal William Victualling Yard in Stonehouse, a suburb of Plymouth, England, was the major victualling depot of the Royal Navy and an important adjunct of Devonport Dockyard. It was designed by the architect Sir John Rennie and was named after King William IV. It was built between 1826 and 1835 and occupies a site of approximately 16 acres (65,000 m2) being half of Western Kings, north of Devil's Point.
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An outdoor swimming pool on the shorefront, just below the Hoe. It was constructed in the 1930s to an elegant Art Deco design and has also been featured on the BBC's Coast series. The lido is open during the summer (June, July and August, perhaps the first week or two of September) and is a fun place to swim, play in the water, or sunbathe. There are fun sessions with inflatables and a fountain — amazing on a sunny day. For a long time it was derelict and abandoned, but after demand from citizens it was renovated and reopened. You also get a fantastic view of the sound. It was featured on a Royal Mail stamp collection in 2014. Admission charge applies.
High on the Hoe, this is a landmark of Plymouth and often depicted in scenes of the city. It is a lighthouse, painted white and red, constructed on Eddystone reef in 1759 at a cost of £40,000 by the engineer John Smeaton. It was an incredible engineering achievement of its time, and has been featured on numerous TV shows including the BBC's Coast. Built of interlocking granite blocks, one of its innovations was that it was shaped like an oak tree (i.e. wider at the base) which enabled it to withstand the sea, on a rock where two previous lighthouses had been washed away. Eventually, it was found the rock it was standing on was being undermined by the sea so it was replaced by a Victorian lighthouse in the 19th century, and Smeaton's Tower was moved to Plymouth Hoe as a monument. It has since become an icon of the city. Climb up for spectacular views and for exhibits on lighthouse life; you have to get up by steep ladders, but it's worth it if you are able. It is operated by a Plymouth City Council non-profit company.
The Hoe
A large public park on the waterfront, iconic of Plymouth. According to legend, it was the scene of Sir Francis Drake's apocryphal game of bowls prior to his taking on the Spanish Armada in 1588. Today, you get a great view of the Sound from the Hoe, including Royal Navy ships which are usually present daily. Stand on the Hoe and look out to sea, to see what you can see! Plymothians and visitors come here to take in the sea, soak up the sun in summer, play football, walk their dogs, just take a walk, and generally enjoy themselves. The lighthouse Seaton's Tower provides wonderful views of the city, the Sound, and the sea, while there are many other monuments dotted around the Hoe, including monuments to the dead of the Royal Navy in all conflicts to date, a statue of Sir Francis Drake, and various others. There used to be a 'Plymouth Eye' Ferris wheel, but this has now been closed. The official residence of the Lord Mayor, 3 Elliot Terrace, also overlooks the Hoe. Armed Forces Day and other city celebrations generally have their centrepiece here on the Hoe.
The largest provincial producing theatre in the UK and one of the best attended. They have produced and co-produced West End plays in London and on Broadway, New York, as well as in Plymouth. It also plays host to the occasional Royal Shakespeare Company production and has seen Shakespeare productions from acclaimed Japanese director Yukio Ninagawa.
Focused on Royal Parade and Armada Way, has been much maligned by locals and the media. It is, however, worth stopping to have a look around you when you're in town. As the most complete example of a post-war reconstruction in the UK, this is a historically and architecturally significant district. It was planned by none other than Patrick Abercrombie, who also redesigned Hong Kong, and some of the buildings boast Thomas Tait as their architect. With a modern, almost American look, it was, in the words of Professor Jeremy Gould, 'an egalitarian grid, spacious, airy, uncomplicated, accessible and gapingly open to all... the architecture of the future: clean, bright, democratic and, most of all, optimistic.' Some of the best examples of the 1950s style are found along the main axis of Royal Parade and Armada Way, including the Royal Bank of Scotland building, the Pearl Assurance House and the former Co-Op Building at Derry's Cross.
A postwar sandstone brick church, opened in 1962. Significant as the last work of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, also responsible for Waterloo Bridge, Battersea Power Station, Liverpool Cathedral and even the red telephone box. He continued to work on the plans for the church even when hospitalised for lung cancer, and did so until his death. Today the church is well attended by young students and is worth taking note of on your way down to the Hoe.