Plymouth, England - Britain's Ocean City

We were in Plymouth just long enough to have a quick wander and some lunch, (refer my last post), so I was keen to make the most of our short visit.  Fortunately we were dropped off at the boat harbour beside the Barbican, the most historic part of Plymouth. 

 

The Barbican is a quaint, ancient set of streets containing 200 listed buildings, many dating from Tudor and Jacobean times, my kind of place.  The cobble stone streets now offer cafes, galleries and shops and also the Plymouth Gin Company, the oldest gin distillery in England.  Plymouth Gin is housed in a building which dates back to the 1400s and it is said that the Mayflower Fathers spent their last night there before setting sail on The Mayflower to the new world. It became a gin distillery in 1793, well after the Puritan abstainers stayed there. I would have loved to tour the building but time didn't allow, instead I poked my nose in the door to soak up the atmosphere, if not a little whiff of gin! 

   The main street was fairly busy so I decided to head up into the back streets which were deserted.  It was like stepping back in time and I kept thinking "Boy, if these buildings could talk what tales they'd have".  By the mid 19th century the Barbican was long past its heyday and was a rat infested, overcrowded, squalid and disease ridden slum.  Plymouth City Council wanted to clear it and build new housing on the site but fortunately a group of enthusiastic conservationists stepped in and worked hard to ensure its preservation.  They formed what is now the Barbican Trust and set about restoring and cleaning the historic buildings.  Their hard work has provided Plymouth with a jewel in its crown, now a charming  precinct of antique shops, art galleries and tea shops.              

                                          

I enjoyed my stroll around the Barbican but with time running out before continuing our bus tour I headed back down to the boat harbour to view the Mayflower steps.  Actually, the steps are no longer there, however, a granite block marks the approximate spot it is believed they were.

Of particular interest to me, as a New Zealander, were the plaques commemorating the ships that sailed from Plymouth to New Zealand carrying very early colonists including several that went to settle a city in New Zealand they named New Plymouth.

So there you have it.  A fleeting look at Plymouth which has so much more to offer than I had time to see, a town full of naval history with museums, a citadel and as the place Sir Walter Raleigh rallied the navy, led by Sir Francis Drake which set off to successfully defend England from the Spanish Armada. Nevertheless I liked what I saw. It is known as Britain's Ocean city due to its coastal location, large harbour and fresh, salty air. It was a great place for me to ponder history, have a wander and lunch and give thanks to those conservationists who despite opposition stuck to their guns.