Plymouth ~ PL1

Plymouth is in Devon and is the third largest city in southern England. It lies on the rivers Plym and the Tamar that forms the natural boarder with the neighbouring county of Cornwall. The city stands on the edge of Dartmoor and is surrounded by some of the most wild and beautiful rugged countryside in the south west of England. Its history goes back over a millennium to Saxon times. Thanks to its magnificent natural deep sea harbour, it has always been linked to seafaring and maritime exploration, trade and warfare. There are 13th century records of Plymouth cargoes leaving the then primitive quayside of Sutton and its pre-eminence as an important port grew steadily over the following centuries = particularly during the 100 years Anglo/French war and subsequent European conflicts. The city is synonymous with the greats of English seafaring. Hawkins, Drake and Raleigh all sailed out from Plymouth. The area known as Plymouth Hoe is the site of the legendary game of bowls that Sir Francis Drake insisted on completing before sailing to defeat the Spanish Armada. The city is one of the last naval dockyards in Britain and is still the largest military naval base in Western Europe. Despite receiving major bomb damage during the last war, the city still shows some excellent examples of its heritage , especially in the Barbican area, where surviving architecture bears witness to Plymouth's great history. With the demise of the shipping industry, the city now relies heavily on its thriving tourism and service provision.

Places of Interest

The Barbican - historic harbour side site of cobbled, narrow streets and interesting buildings including the Plymouth Gin Distillery.

The Hoe - an elevated park and esplanade high above the Plymouth Sound, with a Francis Drake memorial statue.

The Eddystone Lighthouse 14 miles south of the city

The Plymouth Dome exhibiting a history of the city

Dartmoor National Park

Living in Plymouth - Education, Shopping and Travel Link

Plymouth is a unitary authority and its LEA administers 2 nursery schools, 18 junior and infant schools, 60 primaries and 17 secondary schools. Plymouth has its own University and actively promotes an excellent range of adult education as well as funding a first class Sports Development Unit. There are numerous leisure opportunities in the area, with water based activities naturally being the most commonly available.

Shopping in Plymouth is of a good standard with a number of major department stores as well as the usual range of high street retail outlets. Specialist and interesting small antique shops can be found in the Barbican area.

Communication links are good with Plymouth being on the main road routes to the West Country. There is a main line station linking it to Bristol and London is attainable in a few hours. It has its own City Airport and is conveniently close to Exeter and Bristol International Airport. The city also has a ferry port with links to France and Spain.

Estate and Letting Agents for Plymouth PL1