From Wikitravel

Plymouth[1], largest city on England's south coast and the most extensive naval base in western Europe.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 Get out

Understand

The city is located between the mouths of the rivers Tamar and Plym in what is widely regarded as one of the world's most impressive natural harbours. Plymouth is a unitary authority responsible for its own decision-making within the historic county of Devon. The area was first recorded in the Domesday book as "Sudtone" (1086; later Sutton) and together with the towns of Devonport and Stonehouse amalgamated in 1914 to form the modern Plymouth.

The Royal Dockyard was built in the area, on the banks of the River Tamar, in 1690. Plymouth has a long and historic seafaring tradition, not least the launch of the English fleet from the Hoe (Plymouth's waterfront) to fend off the Spanish Armada (1588). It was in 1620 that the Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for the New World, eventually setting up Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.

Tourism is an important aspect of Plymouth's economy. Nearly 12 million people visit Plymouth every year. As well as all the attractions of a modern city, Plymouth is a popular launchpad to other notable areas including the beaches and footpaths of the Devon and Cornwall coastline and the brooding landscape of nearby Dartmoor.

Get in

Plymouth Airport offers domestic flights as well as flights to Dublin and Cork.

Plymouth's principal access route is the A38 dual carriage way which connects to the M5 in a northerly direction, and into the heart of Cornwall in a westerly direction. The A386 connects Plymouth to Tavistock, Okehampton, the A30, and North Devon.

Plymouth is on a main line rail route connecting to London, Bristol and the North of England. The railway also goes here from Cornwall. If visiting from outside the West Country by rail, the train will take you along one of the most scenic railways in Britain (between Exeter and Newton Abbot).

Brittany Ferries operate a service to Plymouth, from Santander and Roscoff.

Get around

• A regular bus service covers most of Plymouth, however, the town center is quite compact, and the waterfront (the Barican and the Hoe) are within easy walking range from the center.

See

• The National Marine Aquarium [2] is Britain's foremost aquarium and the deepest in Europe. You'll find it located near the historical Barbican area, which includes Britain's oldest bakery (Jacka's), and the Mayflower Steps from where the Pilgrim Fathers left for the New World in 1621.
• Plymouth Hoe, the scene of Sir Francis Drake's apocryphal game of bowls prior to his taking on the Spanish Armada in 1588.
• Saltram House, once home of the artist Sir Joshua Reynolds
• The Royal William Yard, 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.
• Plymouth Theatre Royal is 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 itself. It also plays host to the occasional Royal Shakespeare Company production and has seen Shakespeare productions from acclaimed Japanese director Yukio Ninagawa.

Do

The Mayflower Steps is the site where the Pilgrim Fathers departed from, aboard the Mayflower, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to colonise North America. Today boat trips leave from there for tours of Plymouth Sound, although the original site is believed to be where the Admiral McBride public house now stands.

Buy

Plymouth's city centre area is home to hundreds of shops, including several department stores in close proximity to each other (Debenhams, House of Fraser, Derry's) as well as a new covered shopping centre due to open in October 2006. The shopping centre, called Drake Circus, will include innovative new stores from Marks and Spencer, Boots, and Virgin Megastores, who will expand their existing presences in the city. Brand new retailers to the area include fashion chain Zara, cutting-edge shoe shop Sole Trader, and cult youth fashion brand Bershka, only the third such store in the United Kingdom.

Eat

For a city of its size, Plymouth does not have many fine restaurants, though it is home to the Tanners Restaurant run by brothers James and Chris Tanner. James is a well-known chef on British television. There are many good restaurants in the wider area. Among them: The Horn of Plenty at Gulworthy (20 miles), near Tavistock; the New Carved Angel at Dartmouth (35 miles) which was recently voted the top restaurant in Britain; and the Gidleigh Park Hotel at Chagford.

As with any major city, there are plenty of takeaway and fast food retailers within easy distance of most parts of Plymouth. Naturally, any visitor to the Westcountry should try a traditional pasty, a meat and potato mix wrapped in pastry. Try Ivor Dewdney's pasties to eat like the locals have done for over seventy years, or try the wonderfully entitled Oggy Oggy Pasty Company.

• Tanners Restaurant [3] Prysten House, Finewell Street, Tel 01752 252001. Probably the best restaurant in Plymouth.
• Cafe India in Stoke Village is a highly regarded Indian restaurant in Plymouth.
• Platters on the Barbican Very reliable seafood dishes.

Drink

• The Dolphin public house on the Plymouth Barbican
• The Millbridge Inn in Millbridge, Plymouth
• The China House at Cattedown

Sleep

Get out

• For somewhere really scenic try Noss Mayo (30 min drive from Plymouth), a small fishing village with a couple of well-sited pubs near the quay.
• Try taking a boat from the Barbican in Plymouth to Cawsand, a small village in Cornwall (30 minutes). Cawsand has a small stony beach and nice pubs and cafes. From there you can walk through the beautiful Mount Edgcombe country park (about 3-4 miles) and take the Cremyl ferry back to Plymouth. A fantastic day out on a nice day.
• Try the beautiful coastal walk from Polperro to Looe (or vice versa).
• The cathedral cities of Truro, in Cornwall, and Exeter (40 min drive from Plymouth) are worth a visit.
• About a 20 minute drive North will take you into Dartmoor National Park, where some fantastic views and walks are to be had. A good first stop would be in Princetown where the tourist information office will give you details on some recommended walks close by.

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