112-661: Sutton Harbour , formerly known as Sutton Pool , is the original port of Plymouth in Devon , England . It is still a busy fishing port and marina and is bounded on one side by the historic Barbican district . It is famous as the last departure point in England of the Mayflower , the ship that carried the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World . Sutton is the original name for Plymouth, which
224-476: A 'northern corridor' including Derriford and the vacant airfield site at Roborough ; and an 'eastern corridor' including major new settlements at Sherford and Langage . Plymouth is categorized as a Small-Port City using the Southampton System for port-city classification. Plymouth has a moderated temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ) which is wetter and milder than the rest of England. This means
336-433: A French attack in 1340 burned a manor house and took some prisoners, but failed to get into the town. In 1403 the town was burned by Breton raiders . On 12 November 1439 the market town of Sutton was incorporated as a borough and formally renamed Plymouth, with a subsequent charter the following year formalising its boundaries. It was the first time a borough charter had been issued by parliament rather than directly from
448-610: A bay in the English Channel . Tributaries of the river include the rivers Inny , Ottery , Kensey and Lynher (or St Germans River ) on the Cornish side and the Deer and Tavy on the Devon side. The name Tamar (or Tamare) was mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD in his Geography . The name is said to mean "great water". The Tamar is one of several British rivers whose ancient name
560-492: A canal from there. The project however advanced no further than Gunnislake , with work ceasing in 1808. Barges of up to 30 tons could then proceed as far as Gunnislake New Bridge, bypassing the weir (above Weir Head) via a 500-yard canal to the west of the river. As the only completed work of the original project, this short canal became known as the Tamar Manure (Navigation) Canal. It had one lock allowing vessels to rise from
672-522: A commercial shipping port throughout the Industrial Revolution . After absorbing nearby settlements in 1914, the borough was awarded city status in 1928. During World War II , Plymouth suffered extensive damage in the Plymouth Blitz , leading to post-war rebuilding that significantly shaped its modern appearance. A further expansion of its boundaries in 1967 contributed to its current status as
784-411: A destroyed city centre, but Abercrombie also took the opportunity to lay out a whole hierarchy of settlements across the city of communities, neighbourhoods and districts. Central to this was a revision of transport infrastructure that prioritised the position of the railway as a gateway to the city centre and provided in the long-term for a dual carriageway road by-pass that only finally came into being in
896-500: A ditch. From here a pipe carries the water under the highway and the infant river Tamar is on its way to the sea at Plymouth." The Upper Tamar Lake and Lower Tamar Lake are two small reservoirs on the Tamar's upper course. The Lower Lake was constructed in the 1820s to feed the Bude Canal ; it is now a nature reserve. The Upper Lake was constructed in the 1970s and supplies fresh water to
1008-598: A favoured location when the Azores High pressure area extends north-eastwards towards the UK, particularly in summer. Coastal areas have average annual sunshine totals over 1,600 hours. Owing to its geographic location, rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions or with convection and is more frequent and heavier than in London and southeast England. The Atlantic depressions are more vigorous in autumn and winter and most of
1120-525: A fort (later known as Drake's Fort) in 1596; it was the site of the Citadel , established in the 1660s (see below). During the 16th century, locally produced wool was the major export commodity. Plymouth was the home port for successful maritime traders, among them Sir John Hawkins , who led England's first foray into the Atlantic slave trade , as well as Sir Francis Drake , Mayor of Plymouth in 1581–2. Crews for
1232-599: A home of Waldorf and Nancy Astor , it was given by Lady Astor to the City of Plymouth as an official residence for future Lord Mayors and is also used today for civic hospitality, as lodgings for visiting dignitaries and High Court judges and it is also available to hire for private events. The Civic Centre municipal office building in Armada Way became a listed building in June 2007 because of its quality and period features, but has become
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#17328632270091344-457: A line running at the centre of the river — where the river is tidal, it is the centre of the low water channel. This "centre of river" arrangement ends just upstream of the Tamar Bridge at Saltash , downstream of which the counties officially extend only to their respective (tidal) bank's low water mark. The river is dammed at two points of its upper course, forming two reservoirs in place of
1456-557: A noteworthy recent exception was the period of the European winter storms of 2009–10 which, in early January 2010, covered Plymouth in at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow; more on higher ground. Another notable event was the 8 inches (20 cm) of snowfall between 17 and 19 December 2010 – though only 2 inches (5.1 cm) would lie at any one time due to melting. Over the 1961–1990 period, annual snowfall accumulation averaged less than 7 cm (3 in) per year. South West England has
1568-551: A rail connection from Plymouth to London was opened, and fresh produce could be landed at the Devonport steamer quays in the evening and be on sale in London by the next morning. The growing city population created a large demand for sightseeing cruises on the river; this was a significant source of traffic from 1823, with the launch of the Cornish steam packet Sir Francis Drake , until the outbreak of World War II . Mineral traffic on
1680-742: A significant role in English history, notably in 1588 when an English fleet based here defeated the Spanish Armada , and in 1620 as the departure point for the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World . During the English Civil War , the town was held by the Parliamentarians and was besieged between 1642 and 1646. In 1690 a dockyard was established on the River Tamar for the Royal Navy and Plymouth grew as
1792-490: A single county borough of Plymouth. Collectively they were referred to as " The Three Towns ". Plymouth was granted city status on 18 October 1928. Between 1439 and 1935, Plymouth had a mayor. In 1935 the city was given the right to appoint a Lord Mayor. The city's boundaries further expanded in 1967 to include the town of Plympton and the parish of Plymstock . The 1971 Local Government White Paper proposed abolishing county boroughs, which would have left Plymouth,
1904-558: A spell on Tamara, turning her into a bubbling spring, which produced the Tamar river and flowed all the way to the sea. Tawradge awoke to find his beloved had become a river; in despair, he sought the advice of a magician, who turned him into a river (the River Torridge and the River Taw ) so that he could hope to reunite with Tamara. Tawradge was never able to find and merge with his beloved Tamara, instead turning north toward Bideford and
2016-481: A third of the council being elected each time for a four year term. The total electorate for Plymouth's Parliamentary constituencies was 190,006 in April 2019. Since May 2023 Plymouth has had a Labour majority Council. Plymouth City Council is formally twinned with: Brest , France (1963), Gdynia , Poland (1976), Novorossiysk , Russia (1990) San Sebastián , Spain (1990) and Plymouth , United States (2001). Plymouth
2128-497: A town of 250,000 people, being administered from a council based at the smaller Exeter , on the other side of the county. This led to Plymouth lobbying for the creation of a Tamarside county, to include Plymouth, Torpoint , Saltash , and the rural hinterland . The campaign was not successful, and Plymouth ceased to be a county borough on 1 April 1974 with responsibility for education, social services, highways and libraries transferred to Devon County Council . All powers returned when
2240-576: A tributary of the River Tamar for eight years. Together, the Tamar, Tavy and Lynher form the Tamar Valley National Landscape, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers around 195 km (75 sq mi) around the lower Tamar (below Launceston ) and its tributaries the Tavy and the Lynher . It was first proposed in 1963, but
2352-504: A waste product but later offering an important source of revenue as copper and tin extraction declined in profitability. The refined product was exported worldwide, in particular to the southern United States, where it was used as an insecticide in the cotton fields. In the 13th century lead and silver output from the royal mines on the Bere peninsula (between the Tamar and the Tavy ) was significant, and production continued intermittently until
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#17328632270092464-493: A wide range of exotic plants, palm trees, and yuccas can be cultivated. The annual mean high temperature is approximately 14 °C (57 °F). Due to the moderating effect of the sea and the south-westerly location, the climate is among the mildest of British cities, and one of the warmest UK cities in winter. The coldest month of February is similarly moderate, having mild mean minimum temperatures between 3 and 4 °C (37 and 39 °F). Snow usually falls in small amounts but
2576-516: Is a Site of Special Scientific Interest , because of its geology. The bulk of the city is built upon Upper Devonian slates and shales and the headlands at the entrance to Plymouth Sound are formed of Lower Devonian slates, which can withstand the power of the sea. A band of Middle Devonian limestone runs west to east from Cremyll to Plymstock including the Hoe. Local limestone may be seen in numerous buildings, walls and pavements throughout Plymouth. To
2688-594: Is a weir just downstream of the village of Gunnislake . Waterborne traffic through the Hamoaze is controlled by the Queen's Harbour Master for Plymouth, who is responsible for managing navigation along the entire tidal Tamar. The Royal Navy has one of its three main naval bases at Devonport , situated on the Hamoaze, upstream of which the river is now used largely by recreational craft. Excursions operate (April to October only) on
2800-610: Is also home to the University of Plymouth , reflecting its educational and cultural significance. Today, the city is governed locally by Plymouth City Council and is represented nationally by three Members of Parliament . Upper Palaeolithic deposits, including bones of Homo sapiens , have been found in local caves, and artefacts dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Iron Age have been found at Mount Batten , showing that it
2912-419: Is another notable structure on the Tamar, being 120 feet (37 m) high with twelve 60-foot (18 m) wide arches, of which three of the piers stand in the river, and was built between 1904 and 1907. The total length of the tidal river (which, like other tidal waters in England, has public right of navigation) is 19.2 miles (30.9 km). The normal tidal limit (noted on Ordnance Survey maps as 'NTL')
3024-532: Is assumed by some to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames . The seventh-century Ravenna Cosmography mentions a Roman settlement named Tamaris, but it is unclear to which of those towns along the Tamar this refers. Plymouth , Launceston and the Roman fort at Calstock have been variously suggested. The river (and/or land on its banks)
3136-462: Is at Horsebridge (1437), and the next oldest is Greystone Bridge near Lawhitton — this arched stone bridge was built in 1439. Gunnislake New Bridge was built in 1520 by Sir Piers Edgcumbe, the owner of Cotehele and Mount Edgcumbe. The Gunnislake bridge was a main route into south east Cornwall and the lowest bridge over the Tamar until the Tamar Bridge at Saltash was opened in 1962. The lower Tamar
3248-481: Is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a European Special Area of Conservation, and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A part of it is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape . In November 2013, South West Water was fined £50,000 after it admitted permitting the discharge of sewage from its Camels Head treatment plant into
3360-420: Is included in the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (a World Heritage Site ) due to its historic mining activities. The Tamar's source is less than 6 km (3.7 mi) from the north Cornish coast, but it flows southward across the peninsula to the south coast. The total length of the river is 61 miles (98 km). At its mouth, the Tamar flows into the Hamoaze before entering Plymouth Sound ,
3472-606: Is spanned also by the Royal Albert Bridge (built 1859), a rail bridge now adjacent to the newer Tamar Bridge. Both of these bridges are between Saltash (known as the 'Gateway to Cornwall') and Plymouth. Further downstream, crossing the Hamoaze , is the Torpoint Ferry — a chain ferry connecting Torpoint to Devonport — and at the most downstream part of the Hamoaze there is also the Cremyll Ferry . The Calstock Viaduct
Sutton Harbour - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-699: Is the final place to turn boats; it was from here that smaller craft could begin their journey on the Tamar Manure Canal . In 1794 the Tamar Manure Navigation Company was formed to extend navigation inland for a further 30 miles, to Tamerton Bridge in North Tamerton . An Act of Parliament of 1796 authorised the works, with the company empowered to improve and manage navigation on the Tamar from Morwellham Quay upstream to Boat Pool, at Blanchdown (just upstream of Gunnislake), and to construct
3696-577: The 30th-most populous built-up area in the UK and the second-largest city in the South West after Bristol , with a population in 2022 of 266,862. Plymouth's economy, historically rooted in shipbuilding and seafaring, has transitioned towards a service-based economy since the 1990s. It maintains strong maritime connections, hosting HMNB Devonport , the largest operational naval base in Western Europe, and offering ferry links to Brittany and Spain. The city
3808-457: The Baltic , in large baulks for use as pit props in the mines, and coal from Wales to supply the mine pumping engines. Tavistock was one of the three stannary towns of Devon, and large quantities of refined tin ore were exported through Morwellham from the 12th century until 1838, when the requirement to pay duty on the metal at one of the specified towns was relaxed. The opening in 1817 of
3920-577: The Bristol Channel and is still said to mourn his love, the Tamar. This legend explains why the River Torridge, which rises only 500 metres from the Tamar, veers away from the Tamar and forms a huge arc, eventually flowing to the North Devon coast. The other giant, Tavy, also awoke in despair and sought the aid of his own father, also a powerful magician. His father turned Tavy into a river as well, and
4032-502: The Bude area, as well as having some recreational use. The east bank of the Tamar was fixed as the border of Cornwall by King Athelstan in the year 936. Several villages north of Launceston , to the west of the Tamar, were transferred to Devon at some point in the eleventh century when the border was changed to follow the River Ottery westward, rather than the Tamar. The county boundary
4144-535: The Cornwall Wildlife Trust . The site was designated in 1991 for its biodiversity and varying habitats that support a large number of wader and wildfowl species, as well as the special interest of its marine biology. The site supports a nationally important wintering population of avocet and supports species such as black-tailed godwit , Eurasian whimbrel , greenshank , spotted redshank , green sandpiper and golden plover . Throughout human history
4256-455: The Council House on Armada Way in the city centre. There are no civil parishes in the city, which is an unparished area . The city forms part of the ceremonial county of Devon for the purposes of lieutenancy , but has been administratively independent from Devon County Council since it became a unitary authority in 1998. The first record of the existence of a settlement at Plymouth
4368-575: The Modernist zoned low-density garden city model advocated by Abercrombie. By 1964 over 20,000 new homes had been built, more than 13,500 of them permanent council homes and 853 built by the Admiralty . Plymouth is home to 28 parks with an average size of 45,638 square metres (491,240 sq ft). Its largest park is Central Park , with other sizeable green spaces including Victoria Park , Freedom Fields Park , Alexandra Park, Devonport Park and
4480-518: The Plymouth Blitz . He represented the seat until 1955. After serving as Secretary of State for Education and being responsible for the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act , he went on to become the leader of the Labour Party (1980–1983). The City of Plymouth is divided into 20 wards , 17 of which elect three councillors and the other three electing two councillors, making up a total council of 57. Elections are held three years out of every four, with
4592-542: The Tavistock Canal , between Tavistock and Morwellham, facilitated traffic. Later, the East Cornwall Mineral Railway provided an outlet through the quays of Calstock from the Cornish side of the valley. Other significant cargoes exported were quarried granite, and later, copper, lead and manganese ores, with their important by-product of arsenic . Arsenic was extracted from mispickel , once regarded as
Sutton Harbour - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-612: The University of Plymouth , the University of St Mark & St John , and the Arts University Plymouth . River Tamar The Tamar ( / ˈ t eɪ m ɑːr / ; Cornish : Dowr Tamar ) is a river in south west England that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A large part of the valley of the Tamar is protected as the Tamar Valley National Landscape (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ), and some
4816-413: The estuary narrows into the tidal river, some 8.4 miles (13.5 km) upstream from Plymouth Sound. Vessels of 300 tons sailed as far inland as Morwellham, 17.2 miles (27.7 km) along the river from the sea. A further stretch of 1.8 miles (2.9 km) upstream to Weir Head, near Gunnislake, is accessible to smaller boats. Weir Head is just downstream of the weir at Gunnislake (the tidal limit) and
4928-598: The modernist high rise of the Civic Centre was constructed, an architecturally significant example of mid-twentieth century civic slab-and-tower set piece. The Plymouth City Council allowed it to fall into disrepair but it was grade II listed in 2007 by English Heritage to prevent its demolition. Post-war, Devonport Dockyard was kept busy refitting aircraft carriers such as the Ark Royal and, later, nuclear submarines . New light industrial factories were constructed in
5040-648: The stannary town of Tavistock was added to the World Heritage List during the 30th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Vilnius, July 2006. The Environment Agency measures the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at
5152-411: The " Three Towns " (Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse ) at the mouth of the river offered an important market for the valley's agricultural produce, needed in particular to serve the victualling requirements of the royal dockyard , and this was always carried by boat. In 1820 or 1821 the first paddle steamer on the Tamar inaugurated a service between Calstock and Devonport to deliver foodstuffs. In 1859
5264-413: The 16th and 17th centuries. On the west pier of Sutton Harbour stands The Leviathan , a large sculpture of an imaginary sea creature, made up of the parts of various marine animals and birds. It is the work of Glossop based sculptor Brian Fell ; it is made from mild steel coated with copper paint and is 33 feet (10 metres) tall. It is known locally as "The Prawn". Originally, Plymouth's fish market
5376-444: The 1980s (forty years after being planned). The plan is the subject of Jill Craigie 's documentary The Way We Live (1946). By 1964 over 20,000 new homes had been built, transforming the dense overcrowded and unsanitary slums of the pre-war city into a low density, dispersed suburbia. Most of the city centre shops had been destroyed and those that remained were cleared to enable a zoned reconstruction according to his plan. In 1962
5488-427: The 19th century. The Johnson Matthey smelting works at Weir Quay extracted silver and lead not only from local ore, but also from ore imported by sea from Europe and from as far away as Newfoundland . Fluorspar from the lead mine tailings was exported to France for use in the manufacture of glassware. The old ferry crossings developed into the busy river quays of the 18th and 19th centuries. The development of
5600-632: The 20th century. During the First World War , Plymouth was the port of entry for many troops from around the Empire . It was developed as a facility for the manufacture of munitions . Although major units of the Royal Navy moved to the safety of Scapa Flow , Devonport was an important base for escort vessels and repairs. Flying boats operated from Mount Batten. During the Second World War, Devonport
5712-630: The Athenaeum, the Theatre Royal and Royal Hotel, and much of Union Street . Local chemist William Cookworthy established his short-lived Plymouth Porcelain venture in 1768 to exploit the deposits of china clay that he had discovered in Cornwall. He was acquainted with engineer John Smeaton , the builder of the third Eddystone Lighthouse . The 1-mile-long (2 km) Breakwater in Plymouth Sound
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#17328632270095824-507: The Crown . Mount Batten tower also dates from around this time. Throughout the 17th century, Plymouth had gradually lost its pre-eminence as a trading port. By the mid-17th century, commodities manufactured elsewhere in England cost too much to transport to Plymouth, and the city had no means of processing sugar or tobacco imports, major products from the colonies. Local sailors turning to piracy such as Henry Every became infamous, celebrated in
5936-426: The Hoe. Central Park is the home of Plymouth Argyle Football Club and a number of other leisure facilities. The Plymouth Plan 2019–2034 was published May 2019 and sets the direction for future development with a new spatial strategy which reinforces links with the wider region in west Devon and east Cornwall in its Joint Local Plan and identifies three development areas within the city: the City centre and waterfront;
6048-473: The London play The Successful Pyrate . It played a part in the Atlantic slave trade during the early 18th century, although it was relatively small. In the nearby parish of Stoke Damerel the first dockyard, HMNB Devonport , opened in 1690 on the eastern bank of the River Tamar . Further docks were built here in 1727, 1762 and 1793. The settlement that developed here was called "Dock" or "Plymouth Dock" at
6160-626: The Plymothians at Freedom Fields Park. The civil war ended as a Parliamentary win, but monarchy was restored by King Charles II in 1660, who imprisoned many of the Parliamentary heroes on Drake's Island . Construction of the Royal Citadel began in 1665, after the Restoration ; it was armed with cannon facing both out to sea and into the town, rumoured to be a reminder to residents not to oppose
6272-548: The Plymouth Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association , adjacent to the Royal Citadel . 50°22′05″N 4°07′59″W / 50.368°N 4.133°W / 50.368; -4.133 Plymouth Plymouth ( / ˈ p l ɪ m ə θ / PLIH -məth ) is a port city and unitary authority in Devon , South West England . It is located on Devon's south coast between
6384-522: The Sound is Drake's Island which is seen from Plymouth Hoe , a flat public area on top of limestone cliffs. The Unitary Authority of Plymouth is 80 square kilometres (31 sq mi). The topography rises from sea level to a height, at Roborough , of about 509 feet (155 m) above Ordnance Datum (AOD). Geologically, Plymouth has a mixture of limestone, Devonian slate , granite and Middle Devonian limestone. Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs
6496-490: The South West of England. In 1972, the first 70 berths were opened for recreational yachts ; today Sutton Harbour has 420. The Marina is managed by Sutton Harbour Holdings PLC. The National Marine Aquarium is the largest marine aquarium in the United Kingdom, with around 400 marine species, including a deep tank holding 2.5 million litres (550,000 Imperial gallons ) of water. The aquarium opened in 1998, replacing one at
6608-478: The Tamar crossings. In medieval times the transport of goods to supply the Benedictine abbey at Tavistock , four miles by track from the river port of Morwellham, was significant. Sea sand from the coast was imported to spread on farmland, until in the 18th century a dressing of lime was found to be more beneficial. Large quantities of limestone and coal were then imported to burn in the numerous limekilns on
6720-463: The Tamar was an important river for shipping copper from ports such as Morwellham Quay , Calstock and New Quay (Devon) to south Wales where it would be smelted. The valley forms district A10i of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape . The river has long been famous for the quality of its salmon whilst the valley was known nationally for the high quality, and early, soft fruit and market gardens sheltered by its steeply winding slopes. There
6832-629: The Tavy river as far as Lydford , and burned Ordwulf 's monastery at Tavistock . During the English Civil War , Cornwall was entirely loyal to King Charles I and the Royalist cause. However, Devon was primarily Parliamentarian ; thus the River Tamar became the site of many battles, such as the Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge on 20 July 1664. Each side of the Tamar understood that if they were either to invade or to defend themselves, they had to have control of
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#17328632270096944-453: The banks of the river. A traditional Cornish tale claims that the devil would never dare to cross the River Tamar into Cornwall for fear of ending up as a pasty filling. Though unusual landscape features are often named after the devil (e.g. devil's frying pan) it used to be said that the devil never came to Cornwall: he once reached Torpoint and immediately noticed that various kinds of pie were customary; he feared that devilly pie might be
7056-411: The bomb-damaged city was published; it called for demolition of the few remaining pre-War buildings in the city centre to make way for their replacement with wide, parallel, modern boulevards aligned east–west linked by a north–south avenue (Armada Way) linking the railway station with the vista of Plymouth Hoe. A peripheral road system connecting the historic Barbican on the east and Union Street to
7168-422: The border follows the river (from source to sea) currently exist, all of which are upstream of the confluence of the River Deer , in the upper course of the Tamar. Part of the Cornish civil parish of North Tamerton extends east across the river, whilst parts of the Devon civil parishes of Bridgerule and Pancrasweek extend west across the Tamar. Where the border does follow the Tamar, it is defined as being along
7280-463: The borough of Plymouth", but generally known as the corporation or town council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, both Plymouth and neighbouring Devonport were considered large enough to provide their own county-level services and so they were made county boroughs , independent from Devon County Council . In 1914 the county boroughs of Plymouth and Devonport and the adjoining urban district of East Stonehouse were merged to form
7392-444: The centre of a controversy as the council planned for its demolition estimating that it could cost £40m to refurbish it, resulting in possible job losses. Plymouth lies between the River Plym to the east and the River Tamar to the west; both rivers flow into the natural harbour of Plymouth Sound . Since 1967, the unitary authority of Plymouth has included the, once independent, towns of Plympton and Plymstock which lie along
7504-412: The city became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998 under recommendations of the Banham Commission . In the Parliament of the United Kingdom , Plymouth is represented by the three constituencies of Plymouth Moor View , Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and South West Devon . Prior to Brexit in 2020 it was represented within the European Parliament as South West England . In 1919, Nancy Astor
7616-407: The east of the River Plym. The River Tamar forms the county boundary between Devon and Cornwall and its estuary forms the Hamoaze on which is sited Devonport Dockyard . The River Plym, which flows off Dartmoor to the north-east, forms a smaller estuary to the east of the city called Cattewater . Plymouth Sound is protected from the sea by the Plymouth Breakwater , in use since 1814. In
7728-399: The east, Boringdon Camp and Maristow Camp to the north. The settlement of Plympton , further up the River Plym than the current Plymouth, was also an early trading port. (See Plympton for the derivation of the name Plym .) As the river silted up in the early 11th century, mariners and merchants were forced to settle downriver, at the current day Barbican near the river mouth. At
7840-435: The entire region was the dockyard. The Three Towns conurbation of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport enjoyed some prosperity during the late 18th and early 19th century and were enriched by a series of neo-classical urban developments designed by London architect John Foulston . Foulston was important for both Devonport and Plymouth and was responsible for several grand public buildings, many now destroyed, including
7952-405: The export of bricks and granite along this short navigation proved profitable for many years. The navigation from Launceston to Tamerton was completed in 1826 as part of a separate project, the Bude Canal . The Tamar Manure Navigation ceased functioning in 1929 and the company was wound up in 1942. In 997 according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , raiding Vikings travelled up the Tamar and then
8064-579: The first English failed settlement attempt at Roanoke Colony in North America departed in 1587 under Sir Walter Raleigh 's and Drake's leadership; returning bearing maize, tobacco and potatoes . In 1588, according to legend, Drake insisted on completing his game of bowls on the Hoe before engaging the Spanish Armada . In 1620 the Pilgrims set sail for the New World from Plymouth, establishing Plymouth Colony –
8176-438: The fishing fleet and coastal trading vessels . Lock gates were added to the harbour entrance in 1993. The Barbican is the historic district on the western and northern sides of Sutton Harbour and takes its name from a 15th century fortification which once guarded the harbour mouth. The Barbican claims to have the largest concentration of cobbled streets in England and has more than 100 listed buildings , many dating back to
8288-451: The giants on a dance, but never let them touch her, instead darting out of reach whenever they came too close. Tamara's father, who had been out looking for her, located her just as the giants finally caught up with her near Morwenstow . He flew into a rage and used a spell to put Tavy and Tawradge into a deep sleep. This infuriated Tamara, who subsequently refused to return to the underworld with her father. He became even more enraged and cast
8400-605: The heat of the Earth's core, which gave rise to ores containing tin , copper , tungsten , lead and other minerals in the Valley. The medieval estate of Cotehele , owned by the Edgcumbe family, was a significant producer of silver for the Royal Mint . During the industrial revolution, there was significant mining activity near the river, between Gunnislake and Weir Quay. During this period,
8512-525: The hydroid Cordylophora caspia . The Tamar is one of a few estuaries where zonation of rocky habitats (intertidal and subtidal) can be observed along an estuarine gradient. The Tamar–Tavy Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covering the tidal estuaries of the River Tamar and the River Tavy . Part of the Tamar estuary also forms the Tamar Estuary Nature Reserve, owned by
8624-463: The monarch. In the late fifteenth century, Plymouth Castle , a "castle quadrate", was constructed close to the area now known as The Barbican; it included four round towers, one at each corner, as featured on the city coat of arms. The castle served to protect Sutton Pool , which is where the fleet was based in Plymouth prior to the establishment of Plymouth Dockyard . In 1512, an Act of Parliament
8736-467: The most significant imports to Plymouth from the Americas and Europe during the latter half of the 19th century included maize, wheat, barley, sugar cane, guano , sodium nitrate and phosphate . Aside from the dockyard in the town of Devonport, industries in Plymouth such as the gasworks, the railways and tramways, and a number of small chemical works had begun to develop in the 19th century, continuing into
8848-540: The natural river: at Upper Tamar Lake the border follows the line of the river as it was prior to the construction of the reservoir (therefore now within the lake), whilst at the older Lower Tamar Lake the border was re-aligned along a (now disused) re-routing of the river to the reservoir's west side, placing the lake in Devon. List of crossings of the River Tamar The river has 22 road crossings, including some medieval stone bridges. The oldest bridge still extant
8960-476: The newly zoned industrial sector, attracting rapid growth of the urban population. The army had substantially left the city by 1971, after barracks were pulled down in the 1960s, but the city remains home to 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery and also 42 Commando of the Royal Marines . As a unitary authority there is only one tier of local government covering Plymouth. Plymouth City Council meets at
9072-549: The next kind so returned to Devon. This legend is set to music in the traditional Cornish folk song Fish and Tin and Copper . The legend behind the name involves a nymph by the name of Tamara, who lived in the underworld. Tamara wanted to wander freely in the mortal world, against the advice of her parents. One day, wandering in Dartmoor , she happened to meet two giants called Tavy and Torridge (or Tawradge). Both giants became smitten with Tamara and vied for her affections. Tamara led
9184-520: The north and northeast of the city is the granite mass of Dartmoor; the granite was mined and exported via Plymouth. Rocks brought down the Tamar from Dartmoor include ores containing tin, copper, tungsten , lead and other minerals. There is evidence that the middle Devonian limestone belt at the south edge of Plymouth and in Plymstock was quarried at West Hoe, Cattedown and Radford. On 27 April 1944 Sir Patrick Abercrombie's Plan for Plymouth to rebuild
9296-476: The outside world only through the port of Calstock, was extended to the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway at Bere Alston . Tourist and market traffic on the river, using purpose-built or converted steamers, remained substantial until the Devonport piers were closed and the ships requisitioned on the outbreak of war in 1939. Rocks around the edge of Dartmoor were mineralised by fluids driven by
9408-400: The parish of Bridgerule to Devon and part of the parish of North Tamerton to Cornwall — these latter transfers created two of the present-day 'exceptions' to the river boundary. The modern administrative border between Devon and Cornwall more closely follows the Tamar and Hamoaze than the 'historic' county border (of the 11th to 19th centuries). Only three 'exceptions' to the rule that
9520-483: The quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. According to Ordnance Survey mapping, the source of the Tamar is at Woolley Moor, approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from the north Cornish coast, at 50°55′06″N 4°27′48″W / 50.9184°N 4.4633°W / 50.9184; -4.4633 . The location of
9632-476: The rain which falls in those seasons in the south-west is from this source. Average annual rainfall is around 980 millimetres (39 in). November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west. Typically, the warmest day of the year (1971–2000) will achieve a temperature of 28.6 °C (83 °F), although in July 2022
9744-413: The reconstruction plan for London. This initially included plans to expand the city into south east Cornwall , but these were abandoned after opposition from Cornwall County Council . Between 1951 and 1957 over 1000 homes were completed every year, mostly using innovative prefabricated systems of just three main types. The Plan for Plymouth was, on the one hand, a template for the rapid reassembly of
9856-516: The river between Plymouth and Calstock ; excursions used to operate as far as Morwellham Quay , but were suspended indefinitely in 2016. A passenger ferry also operates April to October between Cotehele Quay and Calstock. A typical Tamar vessel was a sailing barge , built on the open river bank, of up to 60 tons, with a peaked, gaff-rigged mainsail and a fore staysail . The Tamar was navigable by seagoing ships of up to 400 register tons as far inland as Weir Quay , near Bere Alston , where
9968-483: The river diminished towards the end of the 19th century, after the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway reached Tavistock in 1859 (so making the Tavistock Canal to Morwellham redundant for transport, although it remains in use as a source of hydropower ) and as the copper and tin mines became exhausted. The decline accelerated from 1894, when the East Cornwall Mineral Railway , until then linked to
10080-403: The river quays; the lime had to be made locally as it was not slaked before application, and was too chemically reactive for transport by water after burning. Later, street sweepings and other refuse from Plymouth and Devonport , together with bones for the newly discovered bone fertiliser , were carried inland to manure the fields. Other regular imports were timber from British Columbia and
10192-417: The rivers Plym and Tamar , about 36 miles (58 km) southwest of Exeter and 193 miles (311 km) southwest of London. It is the most populous city in Devon. Plymouth's history extends back to the Bronze Age , evolving from a trading post at Mount Batten into the thriving market town of Sutton, which was formally re-named as Plymouth in 1439 when it was made a borough . The settlement has played
10304-755: The second English colony in what is now the United States. In 1625, the town Mayor estimated that African slavers captured that summer about 1,000 villagers from the area, to be sold in Africa. During the English Civil War Plymouth sided with the Parliamentarians and was besieged for almost four years by the Royalists . The last major attack by the Royalists was by Sir Richard Grenville leading thousands of soldiers towards Plymouth, but they were defeated by
10416-403: The spring is a "high windswept plateau largely devoid of farmland, and inhabited by stunted trees and wiry undergrowth." The exact source of the river is difficult to pinpoint, because it arises "from a boggy morass . . . behind a hedge near some willow trees at Woolley Barrows . . . A small square stone culvert drains the first tentative trickle of water away from the bog, through a hedge and into
10528-584: The temperature reached 33.9 °C (93.0 °F), the site record. On average, 4.25 days of the year will report a maximum temperature of 25.1 °C (77 °F) or above. During the winter half of the year, the coldest night will typically fall to −4.1 °C (25 °F) although in January 1979 the temperature fell to −8.8 °C (16 °F). Typically, 18.6 nights of the year will register an air frost. Source 3: Time and Date (dewpoints, between 1985-2015) There are three universities based in Plymouth,
10640-575: The tidal Tamar to the water level above the weir. A salmon ladder bypassed the lock. The navigable route along the Tamar and the Manure Canal that was managed by the company (from Morwellham Quay upstream to Blanchdown) was known as the Tamar Manure Navigation and was 3.0 miles (4.8 km) in length. The import of fertilizer (at the time of the construction of the canal all types of which were typically referred to as "manure") and coal and
10752-573: The time this village was called Sutton, meaning south town in Old English . The name Plym Mouth , meaning "mouth of the River Plym" was first mentioned in a Pipe Roll of 1211. Plympton Priory owned land at Sutton and secured a charter from Henry III in 1254 granting the priory the right to hold a weekly market and annual fair at Sutton, making it a market town . During the Hundred Years' War
10864-403: The time, and a new town, separate from Plymouth, grew up. In 1712 there were 318 men employed and by 1733 the population had grown to 3,000 people. Before the latter half of the 18th century, grain, timber and then coal were Plymouth's main imports. During this time the real source of wealth was from the neighbouring town of Plymouth Dock (renamed in 1824 to Devonport) and the major employer in
10976-563: The valley has been almost continuously exploited for its rich mineral and metal deposits including silver, tin, lead and arsenic leaving a unique archaeological landscape which forms a significant part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. Remains include wheal or engine houses, deep and open cast mines dating from the Bronze Age through to the medieval and modern era, the export docks at Morwellham Quay were once an international centre of trade in copper, lead and arsenic. The valley, with
11088-521: The west determines the principal form of the city centre, even following pedestrianisation of the shopping centre in the late 1980s, and continues to inform the present 'Vision for Plymouth' developed by a team led by Barcelona-based architect David MacKay in 2003 which calls for revivification of the city centre with mixed-use and residential. In suburban areas, post-War prefabs had already begun to appear by 1946, and over 1,000 permanent council houses were built each year from 1951 to 1957 according to
11200-403: Was designed by John Rennie to protect the fleet moving in and out of Devonport; work started in 1812. Numerous technical difficulties and repeated storm damage meant that it was not completed until 1841, twenty years after Rennie's death. In the 1860s, a ring of Palmerston forts was constructed around the outskirts of Devonport, to protect the dockyard from attack from any direction. Some of
11312-522: Was elected the first-ever female member of parliament to take office in the British Houses of Parliament for the constituency of Plymouth Sutton . She was elected to the seat vacated by her husband Waldorf Astor on his elevation to the peerage. Lady Astor was a vibrantly active campaigner for her resident constituents. In 1945, Plymouth-born Michael Foot was elected Labour MP for the constituency of Plymouth Devonport which had been heavily damaged in
11424-631: Was granted the dignity of Lord Mayor by King George V in 1935. The position is elected each year by a group of six councillors. It is traditional that the position of the Lord Mayor alternates between the Conservative Party and the Labour Party annually and that the Lord Mayor chooses the Deputy Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor's official residence is 3 Elliot Terrace, located on the Hoe . Once
11536-482: Was in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Sudtone (Sutton), Saxon for south farm, located at the present-day Barbican . From Saxon times, it was in the hundred of Roborough . Sutton became a market town in 1254 and a borough in 1439, when it was formally renamed Plymouth. Plymouth was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836, governed by a corporate body officially called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of
11648-472: Was largely due to Plymouth's status as a major port. Charles Church was hit by incendiary bombs and partially destroyed in 1941 during the Blitz, but has not been demolished. It has been designated as an official permanent monument to the bombing of Plymouth during World War II. The redevelopment of the city was planned by Sir Patrick Abercrombie in his 1943 Plan for Plymouth whilst simultaneously working on
11760-451: Was not designated until 1995. The highest point in the AONB is Kit Hill , 334 metres above sea level. The Tamar Discovery Trail is a 35-mile hiking route following the course of the Tamar through the valley. The Plymouth Sound and Estuaries are a Special Area of Conservation . Rocky reefs in low salinity estuarine conditions far inland on the Tamar are very unusual and support species such as
11872-543: Was on the quayside at The Barbican; a purpose-built market building was opened there in 1892. In 1995, a new building was opened on the other side of Sutton Harbour. The turnover of the market has increased from £250,000 a year in 1995 to £19.4 million in 2015. The market now sells 6,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish annually, and is the second largest fish market in England. Around 40 fishing boats unload their catch at Sutton Harbour daily, but up to 70 per cent of fish sold in Plymouth arrives by road from other fishing ports in
11984-534: Was one of few principal trading ports of pre-Roman Britannia dominating continental trade with Armorica . An unidentified settlement named TAMARI OSTIA (mouth/estuaries of the Tamar) is listed in Ptolemy's Geographia and is presumed to be located in the area of the modern city. An ancient promontory fort was located at Rame Head at the mouth of Plymouth Sound with ancient hillforts located at Lyneham Warren to
12096-434: Was originally settled in about 700 AD and is recorded in the Domesday Book as Sudtone , meaning "south settlement" in the Old English language . In 1588, the harbour was the base for the English fleet that sailed to challenge the Spanish Armada . Although the Royal Navy moved most of its operations to Devonport in the 18th century and larger commercial shipping moved to Millbay Docks, Sutton Harbour continued in use by
12208-405: Was passed to further fortify Plymouth. The work included defensive walls at the entrance to Sutton Pool (across which a chain was extended in times of danger). Defences on St Nicholas Island also date from this time, and a string of six artillery blockhouses were built, including one on Fishers Nose at the south-eastern corner of the Hoe. This location was further strengthened by the building of
12320-482: Was restored to the Tamar in 1966, when the civil parishes of North Petherwin and Werrington were transferred from Devon to Cornwall. The Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844 ensured parishes were entirely within one county. It transferred a part of the Rame Peninsula (on the west side of the Hamoaze ) from Devon to Cornwall (namely, parts of the parishes of Maker and St John ). The Act also transferred part of
12432-612: Was the headquarters of Western Approaches Command until 1941, and Sunderland flying boats were operated by the Royal Australian Air Force . It was an important embarkation point for US troops for D-Day . The city was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe , in a series of 59 raids known as the Plymouth Blitz . Although the dockyards were the principal targets, much of the city centre and over 3,700 houses were completely destroyed and more than 1,000 civilians lost their lives. This
12544-452: Was the speedy Tamar, which divides The Cornish and the Devonish confines; Through both whose borders swiftly downe it glides. And, meeting Plim, to Plimmouth thence declines: And Dart, nigh chockt with sands of tinny mines; From "Rivers of England" by Edmund Spenser The Alliterative Morte Arthure states that the mortal combat of King Arthur and Mordred took place close to
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