The Devon Maritime City of Plymouth
Plymouth is very different from Devon’s other historic city of Exeter. Sitting on the sea, it’s known for its famous lighthouse, and the Tamar Bridge, which is a short drive to take you over to the smaller county of Cornwall.
Read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
Home to a large naval base and the oldest gin distillery in England, this is where the Mayflower departed for North America, with the Pilgrim Fathers aboard (which is why there is a town called Plymouth in New England).
Although some beautiful buildings remained, this city (like Coventry) was heavily bombed during the Second World War, so many of the buildings did not survived, or exist today as historic wrecks.
The History of Smeaton’s Tower
This lighthouse is known worldwide, standing on Plymouth Hoe. It has a unique tree-trunk design and is actually the second, rebuilt due to erosion on Eddystone Rocks.
Designed by John Smeaton (who built many lighthouses), this is made from Portland Stone. You can climb the 93 steps, for fantastic views.
Taking the Tamar Bridge to Cornwall
This short bridge takes passengers from Devon to Cornwall and back again. Opened in 1859, it crosses the River Tamar, to reach Saltash, the nearest Cornish town to Devon.
