Welcome to Plymouth, the largest city in the Westcounty famous for its history, especially its maritime links from the fine county of Cornwall
Geographically Plymouth is way down in the south west on the border between Devon and Cornwall on the south coast. Of course that means it is in Cornwall though locals deny this and Exeter people claim this, hence the title. The river Tamar passes through Plymouth to its mouth and estuary and this is the border line between the counties. It is the largest city in Devon in terms of population close to 200,000 people. Despite that Exeter is the capital of Devon as it has the administration and county council buildings, while Plymouth is the industrial city. Getting there is easy, though is a long drive from any part of the county, about five hours from London. By car the main road into Plymouth is the A38. Just get onto the M5 motorway and keep going south towards the south west. Past Exeter the motorway turns into the A38 and branches in two one to Torquay and other to Plymouth. It is easily signposted and good roads all the way. The A38 leads into the city and beyond branching for the city center and ring road for other parts. Plymouth station is also on the main London and Edinburgh lines. The airport is in decline as it is
surrounded by housing and cannot expand though provides internal flights.
Plymouth also has a large naval history with Devonport dock providing jobs. This has recently been in the news as a nuclear submarine has docked there adding to the economy but at a potentially huge cost. Plymouth also has a reputation for being an area of high unemployment as these old industries decline. Tourism is the most prosperous industry now taking over from others. Things such as the Barbican and Marine Aquarium have been built in an attempt to revive the place and recently it has grown as a retail and shopping district.
The main high street is a fully pedestrian only zone and has all the usual shops and brand names. They have a Disney shop as well and a few specialist stores. There is one street with literally seven banks and building societies in a row and that is all there is on the street, that amuses me and there are several fast food outlets in and around the city center. The water front and docks are within walking distance. Nothing too outrageous there are plenty of nice stores and spacious though standard city shopping and CBD zone. Lots of concrete though they have tried with greenery to make it look a little nicer it is still pretty gray. Provides basic needs and is good source for shoppaholics out there. Some pubs in the city center no recommendations from me as I am not an expert and there are plenty of nice restaurants around if you look not too far away.
The hard truth is that Plymouth is not that nicer place to look at. Much of this is due to heavy bombing during the war and quick rebuilding making it a concrete jungle and some very deprived areas. There are poor places where jobs are scarce and the result is not pretty. In the war like Exeter Plymouth was bombed. Exeter had no strategically importance just in revenge for the Nuremberg raids they tried to take out a nice city and the cathedral. They missed the cathedral, but took many lives. Plymouth was bombed even more intensely because of its importance as a dock and navy backing. Unfortunately civilians got in the way, and huge area of the city was totally destroyed. The rebuilding was done with speed not beauty in mind and the result is not too nice to look at. Many streets just look alike and buildings are basically ugly.
One of the nicest areas of Plymouth is the waterfront and the barbican area as well as the Hoe. It has been recently renovated at a large cost and as a result looks much nicer. It is geared towards tourists with lots of shops around there, and there are plenty of places to eat around the area. On the waterfront is the new National Marine Aquarium. A decent place if you like staring at fish for a few hours is your sort of thing. I was not too impressed by this as it was a bit boring though is a nice building and seems popular and if you are visiting is worth a visit. The Hoe is also worth a visit, again towards tourists there are signs saying what happened and is pretty interesting and nice to look at. Generally around the waterfront it is nice to have a look around to see what is happening, providing the weather is nice. Fishing still goes on and there are plenty of boats. The Barbican is full of the arts, crafts and nice cafes around to wander and is generally very pretty. The Plymouth Done is good for an educational view, it describes the history of the city, though is more entertaining than many museums. Sir Francis Drake had to finish a game of bowls on the Hoe before fighting the Spanish departing from Plymouth and it was also the starting point of the Pilgrim fathers on their way to America aboard the Mayflower, just parts of the history around Plymouth. It is a fine place for history and a sense it can still be found despite having to re-build after the war.
Accommodation varies in Plymouth, and should be able to suit whatever you want and need. There are some top four and five star hotels around that are great services though I have not stayed in any. There are also middle of the road places and lots of things for people on a cheaper budget. Also plenty of warm and friendly guest houses and bed and breakfasts around. The nightlife in Plymouth is interesting. To compare it to other large cities like London or Birmingham would be unfair, but compared to the surroundings it is a hive of activity. Basically it is able to draw from all areas, tourists and the countryside so is good with a selection of clubs again in scales and prices. Plymouth also has a University, once a polytechnic and is now building a decent reputation for itself. As a result there are a fair number of students in the city and things can be geared towards them. Many places offer student discounts and so on, the nightlife reflects this. Slightly out of town is the Warmer Village, basically a large entertainments complex full of cinemas, food and other things. Great fun for me, and if that sort of thing could be for you then well worth a visit, one of the best in the region.
Sports and Entertainments are good in Plymouth and are getting better. Plymouth Pavilions is one of the best examples of this, a top quality entertainment place purposely built. It hosts conferences and concerts as well as a fun swimming pool and an ice rink. There are also other full size 25m pools and gyms in the city and the surrounding area. The theater Royal is also worth a look to see what is on. Next season Plymouth will also have a second division football team. Of course they deny they are Cornish and of course the rest of Devon says they are in response. They aren’t really, though the football team gets support from all over Cornwall, and that is a pretty big audience. Mostly born out of jealously it is an insult and a cheap pun for the title. Plymouth Argyle look certain for automatic promotion, though by this time next year they could be coming straight back down. They have a new 18,000 stadium after the redevelopment of Home Park which stage two of its redevelopment should be completed this summer. The city council have come under a lot of pressure as they paid in full for the ground and now after a budget deficit are having to adjust elsewhere like education and especially old peoples homes and pensions. The new ground does look great though and they are a good side. I hope the Plymouth Exeter football rivalry does not become a fiction event though it could become that. The ground is right on the A38, a pretty spectacular site and good luck to them. Well there you have it, Plymouth. I think I have managed to keep my Exeter prejudices out of here, pretty good going for me. Seriously it is not the nicest place to visit for sight seeing though there are some attractions, especially the waterfront. Not always the nicest to look at, though investments are there. Nice enough place and a center for some much nicer areas such as Cornwall and the South cost of Devon and worth a look if you are down.
(Oh sorry for the rating below, they don’t make much sense. I have visited Plymouth so many times many of them don’t apply and I got confused a few times. Chris)
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Great op but Plymouth is in Devon. Cornwall officially starts half way along the Tamar Bridge. Julie X
craiggy_boy 10.03.2002 19:41
I've never been to Plymouth, only Torquay and that was quite nice. Good rounded review Chris - Craig
kleft 10.03.2002 11:59
I've actually been there once for a day, while living in Exeter, and thought the place was.....well......unique, to say the least. I doubt I'll be back there soon. Sorry, people of Plymouth. R :)
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Advantages: Locality of beaches, great to eat and drink. Good base to explore Devon and Cornwall Disadvantages: Long drive from most of the country, bad city centre
intel 08.08.2001 ·
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Review of Plymouth in General
Advantages: ICE CREAM FACTORY, reasonably priced kids meals, good deals. Disadvantages: Quite expensive, can only visit salad bar once, pasta not very nice.
hays298 18.10.2005 (18.10.2005)
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Review of Pizza Hut, Devon
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