Short Breaks in Plymouth
The historic city of Plymouth lies on the south west coast of England and is a popular place with tourists. It has a rich maritime history stretching back to Roman times and was the port where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the 'New World' establishing the 'Plymouth Colony' in what is now the USA.
To the west of the city lies the River Tamar, to the east the River Plym. The two rivers converge to form Plymouth Sound, a natural harbour. This is also the location of the famous Plymouth Hoe with impressive views of the Sound, Smeeton's Tower lighthouse and the Royal Citadel originally built in the mid-17th century. There are plenty of shopping opportunities in the city such as the large Drake Circus shopping centre.
The old harbour area of the city is now known as the Barbican. Largely untouched during the Blitz the waterfront still has examples of some lovely old buildings. There are also many cobbled streets to walk down and attractions to enjoy such as the selection of art galleries, the Mayflower Steps commemorating the Pilgrims voyage, the National Marine Aquarium - one of the largest aquariums in the country and the Plymouth Gin Distillery which has been producing gin since the late 1700s!