Friday, September 01, 2006

City Beside the Sea

This photo was taken recently on one of my trips, this time to Plymouth in the south-west of the UK. I decided to take a day trip back to the city I lived in for over ten years and where I went to university. The pic above is of Plymouth Hoe. On the right you can just see the sea and at the top of the photo is the Royal Citadel. It was built in 1665 over the earlier Plymouth Fort as a defense against a threatened Dutch invasion. It has been regularly strengthened over the years, particularly during the 1750's when it was equipped with 113 guns, and is still in use today by the military. Plymouth is a city with a long Naval tradition and there is still a strong Naval presence there today. Below is a photo taken from the Hoe where you can see more of the sea as it enters the harbour.

Of course, Plymouth is where the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from on their trip to settle in America and you can still see the Mayflower Steps, or at least the place where the steps were, which is where they boarded the ship. Plymouth Hoe was also the place where Sir Francis Drake was reputedly playing bowls when the Spanish Armada sailed into view. The photo below is taken looking the opposite way to West Hoe. You can just make out the Tinside Pool which was recently refurbished and like the rest of the Hoe, was originally constructed by the Victorians. You can also make out a light house to the far right of the picture which is called Smeatons Tower. From 1759 to 1882 it stood as the fourth Eddystone lighthouse, built on a dangerous reef fourteen miles south of its present spot. It was the first traditional stone lighthouse ever to be built on a wave-swept rock.

Plymouth Hoe is a wonderful spot to visit. It is often full of tourists in the summer but when I lived there I liked to get up early and have a cup of tea from a cafe nearby and watch the tide turn and the fishing boats come and go.

7 comments:

MaR said...

Wonderful place. But wait: do you get a cup of tea from a cafe??? (just kidding!)

Roxie, Sammy, Andy and Shermie said...

I love your descriptions. One of these days I hope to go to the UK and see all of these places.

The Dachsies Mom

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I loved seeing these photographs! I've not been to Plymouth but to see some of it is really amazing. And you lived here for ten years. Wow!
The details you share are always so very interesting...Thanks for the little glimpse of this famous place.

Zeus said...

I like the fact that if I were teaching my class about Plymouth and the Pilgrims, I could reference this blog to show them actual pictures of the place as it exists now. This is wonderful, and I always appreciate these photos and descriptions.

- Marina, a.k.a the human pet

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I just found out that the young man Bill Hunt, that I wrote about for 9/11 was actually born in Plymouth, Mass. I rwad this about two days after I visited you. I was familiar with Plymouth Rock and all that, but had not realized that Plymouth, Mass. was named for Plymouth, Englamd. And then, I read about "Plymouth" twice in two days....

OldLady Of The Hills said...

About George:
He is probably 30 years old, approximately....I've had him 20 years and he was small when I got him...not teeny tiny, but smaller than he is now.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Thanks for your comment, my dear...I was amazed at the reaction to George's Flower/Seed Pictures...
I LOVE all these pictures, as you no doubt have gathered! (lol) Glad you like them, too.