Gazing
24 hours in Plymouth – the furthest
you can travel in one day by coach
from Gloucester’s new bus station
Major Laurence Roche
On a blustery weekend, I began
my visit at Plymouth Hoe, with its
impressive memorials to the Royal
Navy – from the Elizabethan explorer
Sir Francis Drake to the larger
monuments to modern conflict. shops selling fudge, but a walk along
Southside Street reveals a number of
interesting art galleries and gift shops.
Plus, you can’t miss the numerous
historic pubs, festooned with Navy
flags and wooden plaques.
Then, to escape the wind, I climb
old Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse, a
good spot to observe the dog walkers
being blown around below, as I enjoy
360-degree views of arguably the
most picturesque part of the city. I was further reminded of the city’s
long history with a visit to Plymouth
Gin Distillery, the oldest working
distillery in England. It is housed in
a medieval hall said to be where the
Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night
in England before setting sail to the
New World. Today they’d probably be
offered a long martini, in what is now a
relaxed cocktail bar.
Plymouth
CLAR
E
PLAC
N O T T E STRE E T
Plymouth
Gin
CITAD
Duke of Cornwall
Hotel
HOE
Royal William
Yard
RO
A
D
BA
R
PROMENADE
AD
IFF RO
Plymouth
Hoe
Royal
Citadel
CL
THE
EL ROAD
E CRESCE NT
CITADEL ROA
D
L
TH
D
MIL
Y
BA
A
RO
UNION STREET
For another district with eclectic, local
shops head to the cobbled streets
of The Barbican. Of course, there’s
the usual British seaside offering of
Drake
Circus
ROYAL PARADE
I walk to Royal William Yard, itself a
former navy victualling yard, and the
largest collection of grade II listed
buildings in Europe.
The attractive docklands are now filled
with restaurants and a few boutique
shops, so is a good place to stop
for food. Even the former home of
1st Raiding Squadron Royal Marines
during the 1982 Falklands war has
since been converted into a popular
noodle restaurant. I’d recommend the
‘Ocean Studios’ which has a lovely
bakery.
ENCE
To plan your own trip to Plymouth
www.visitplymouth.co.uk.
And for details of buses from
Gloucester to Plymouth visit
www.nationalexpress.com
And Plymouth’s military history is
never far from the surface today, with
large parts of the city hastily rebuilt
after some mid-century Luftwaffe
town-planning.
I then head next door for food. The
Barbican Kitchen is situated inside
the distillery, and is run by the Tanner
brothers who are local celebrity chefs.
I do however make it to Harbourside
Fish & Chips just before catching my
bus back to Gloucester. Enjoying my
takeaway as I walk around The Royal
Citadel I reflect that the only enemies
in sight today are the ever-present
seagulls eyeing up my chips.
Plymouth is littered with proud
memories of its illustrious naval past.
During a brisk ten-minute walk along
the seafront, I chance upon a sign
commemorating Napoleon being kept
prisoner on a boat in the harbour, and
another marking the first sighting of
the Spanish armada in 1588.
The following morning, I didn’t make
it to Drakes Circus, but the friendly
staff at Plymouth tourist office had
been keen to point out to me that
many of the outlets in the shopping
centre offer generous military
discounts.
MA
DE
IR
A ROA
Smeaton’s
Tower
D
Harbourside
Fish and Chips
PLYMOUTH SOUND
the imjin SUMMER 2019
19