Hidden Plymouth
Plymouth has a wealth of history few other cities share. The large natural harbour of Plymouth Sound made it the perfect location for the Royal Navy at the height of the British Empire, indeed today Devonport dockyard is still the largest naval base in Western Europe.
Sir Francis Drake, Charles Darwin, James Cook, Scott of the Antarctic, and the Pilgrim Fathers all sailed from Plymouth to establish their place in history. There are 31 other places in the world named after Plymouth. Yet for all this, little remains of that history.
The extensive bombing during world war 2 has resulted in a history that is hidden and hard to find. There are small remnants of history rather than large landmarks, but for me that is the cities charm. Discovering small subtle remnants that require your effort to seek out only adds to the reward. Plymouth isn’t a city that shouts about itself, but look closely and you can discover deep historical associations to the places and people of the city.
I am no historian, only an interested amateur, this publication attempts to introduce you to some of Plymouth’s hidden gems via a series of routes, explaining what I can discover about the places on the way. My hope is that you will discover the small wonders of this subtle city by the sea.
