Plymouth : The Ocean City
words/images © Gilly Pickup
Eclectic blend of bustling city and traditional seaside town, Plymouth is steeped in maritime history. It was the starting point for numerous seafaring adventures including Drake's circumnavigation of the world on the Golden Hind and the epic voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers, who sailed to the New World in 1620 on tiny ship The Mayflower.
The area known as The Barbican, one of the few parts of the city to escape most of the destruction of The Blitz during the Second World War, is a maze of cobbled streets lined with Tudor buildings, many now converted into galleries, restaurants and craft shops. Awash with character, it is a great place for ferreting around in. This is where to see the Mayflower Steps, flanked by British and American flags, marking the final English departure point of the Pilgrim Fathers.
While in The Barbican, visit Blackfriars Distillery, where Plymouth Gin has been made according to the original recipe since 1793. The building dates back to the 1400s and the Refectory, with its hull-shaped timber roof, is one of Plymouth’s oldest buildings. It has been a monastery, debtors’ prison and a billet for Hueguenot refugees and is reputed to be where the Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night before sailing to the New World. Daily tours include a free gin and tonic in the historic bar.
Eclectic blend of bustling city and traditional seaside town, Plymouth is steeped in maritime history. It was the starting point for numerous seafaring adventures including Drake's circumnavigation of the world on the Golden Hind and the epic voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers, who sailed to the New World in 1620 on tiny ship The Mayflower.
The area known as The Barbican, one of the few parts of the city to escape most of the destruction of The Blitz during the Second World War, is a maze of cobbled streets lined with Tudor buildings, many now converted into galleries, restaurants and craft shops. Awash with character, it is a great place for ferreting around in. This is where to see the Mayflower Steps, flanked by British and American flags, marking the final English departure point of the Pilgrim Fathers.
While in The Barbican, visit Blackfriars Distillery, where Plymouth Gin has been made according to the original recipe since 1793. The building dates back to the 1400s and the Refectory, with its hull-shaped timber roof, is one of Plymouth’s oldest buildings. It has been a monastery, debtors’ prison and a billet for Hueguenot refugees and is reputed to be where the Pilgrim Fathers spent their last night before sailing to the New World. Daily tours include a free gin and tonic in the historic bar.
