British Walking Federation

PLYMOUTH  HISTORICAL TRAIL PT 074
ORGANISED BY THAMES VALLEY WALKING CLUB

CONTACT :  Ron Smith, 15 Haroldsleigh Avenue, Crownhill, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 3AW             Tel: 01752 700795
DISTANCE:  20km
ENTRY FEE:  £1.00 per walker (Cheques made payable to Thames Valley Walking Club)
AWARD:  Cloth badge at £2.00 each
START VENUE:   Mayflower Steps, The Barbican, Plymouth   (Map 201 GR SX483543)
DIRECTIONS TO START: Follow signs into Plymouth towards the Barbican.  The Mayflower Steps can be found in the harbour.
CAR PARKING:  There are a number of car parks close to the start of the walk, however it is recommended if coming to Plymouth by car to use the park and ride system. Take a bus to the City centre, from where the start of the walk is approximately five to ten minutes away. Park and ride is sign posted on entry to Plymouth.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:  Bus and train service within 1km of start.
TERRAIN: Urban areas, roads and coastal paths
REFRESHMENTS:   There are numerous pubs, cafes, shops etc along the route so refreshments are not a problem.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION (Updated 23 Jan 10)

From Mayflower steps cross road to ‘mine’. Cross again (left) & turn right into New Street (Plymouth’s oldest street) past the Liberty Tudor House. Take alleyway on right (White Lane).  Turn left on Southside Street, then turn right to the quay.  Turn left along the quayside, then just through black bollards turn left into Parade Ope to T junction.  Turn right on Southside Street to T junction.  Cross road & turn left on pavement, turn first right into St Andrews Street.  At right bend turn left down the side of the Merchants House then turn right towards church.  At the top of Finewell Street turn right and then left up St Andrews Street & straight ahead to cross dual carriageway.  Turn right & take the second exit from the roundabout (Exeter Street).  Continue ahead to church on the roundabout (A memorial to the people of Plymouth who died in the blitz of Plymouth).  Bear left around corner & cross dual carriageway towards Police Station.  On other side, turn right & follow pavement past subway entrances.  Turn right across road and continue straight on into Ebrington Street.  Take fourth left into Gasking Street uphill round right bend and continue uphill to traffic lights.  Straight on along Lipson Road 400m.  Opposite Chaddlewood Avenue ascend steps on left into park.  Take left fork, then right fork, straight on to left of shelter then bear left to memorial.  (You are now at Plymouth’s Civil War Memorial at Freedom Fields, the site of a civil war battle.)

Q1:  Who was the mayor in 1643?

Behind the memorial go towards house with sign ‘Queens Gate Villas’ & continue past it to main road.  Turn left on Queens Road.  Continue along Kensington Road round left bend & turn left past telephone box.  (The square stone building you pass on your right was a Victorian prison.)  At road junction, turn right passing fire station on right & at house no. 3 just before traffic lights cross road carefully & turn right on pavement. At junction, bear left uphill. Cross road at bus stop to green pole. (This is the only remaining tram stop in Plymouth.) Turn right & go back downhill. Continue straight ahead at traffic lights past Mutley Baptist Church on your left to reach Hyde Park public house on your right.  Bear left & continue ahead on Hyde Park Road but look for plaque 9 feet up on school wall on other side of road.

Q2:  What was the name of the house that stood here?

At Gabriels Church, turn left (Peverell Terrace). At T-junction turn right and at bottom of hill turn left between stone pillars into park.  Straight on up tarmac avenue past football stadium on your left.  Straight on over concrete road through car park to main road.  Turn left and cross to right side of road before main junction.  At traffic lights continue ahead across Wolseley Road, straight on along Milehouse Road & continue ahead to reach traffic lights. Cross Ford Hill & continue straight on up Packington Street & ahead to reach Trig Pillar.

Q3:  What is the number on the Trig Pillar?

(This fort is one of a series around Plymouth to protect the city from a possible French invasion.) Follow the ramparts around to reach the fort entrance & exit to road.  Turn left on road & at junction with Devonport Road turn left, then turn right into Church Street.  Continue straight ahead at cross roads into Underhill Road. At T junction turn right over railway then turn left. Follow road to bottom of hill.  Turn left to traffic lights.  Turn right into Molesworth Road, then turn right into Edgcumbe Avenue.  (At gate in corner of fence on left look across playing fields. The buildings were the Royal Naval Hospital, before being closed. The stone steps in front of you was a military hospital (now a school). The fields between the two was a tidal creek linked to the River Tamar. During Victorian wars, wounded servicemen would be brought from ships anchored in the river up the creek to their respective hospitals.) Continue ahead keeping fence on left to reach main road.  Turn left and continue over bridge (Below is the site of what was Devonport’s main railway station.)  At traffic lights continue ahead & turn next left into Raglan Road. Continue ahead through bollards, passing gatehouse on right. Continue ahead (Madden Road) to reach main road. Cross road & turn right. At bus stop bear left past Shakespeare public house.   (The imposing building ahead was Devonport’s town hall until its amalgamation with Plymouth.)  Turn left into George Street.  Continue ahead & turn right into Clowance Street. Continue ahead to T junction.  Turn left & continue to waterfront & small stone pier.  (To your right is a ships wooden figurehead locally known as ‘King Billy’. It was King William who reigned during the completion of the Victualling Yard, which is the large stone building across the water to your left and which was names after him. The large shed behind Billy was used for the building and refitting of wooden warships.)  Retrace your steps back up the hill to second gap in wall on right at end of brick road surface.  Go through gap & follow path. Continue to reach gate in wall on left.  (The statue above is of ‘Scott of the Antarctic’ – a local hero.)  Continue ahead along path to reach pavement & continue to reach roundabout.  Turn right & at roundabout, turn right into Durnford Street.

(The coat of arms on the wall is that of Stonehouse, which was once a separate town to both Plymouth & Devonport.) Continue straight ahead to reach the Royal Marine Barracks.  Turn right into Durnford Street OPE & at cross roads turn left. Go ahead over next cross roads to reach the Victualling Yard Gate.

Q4:  What year was the gate completed?

Straight on to right of Butchers Arms. Go round right hand bend on Admiralty Road& ahead between poles on path. After 2^nd gun emplacement on left, go up steps on right to take in views. Go down any steps behind you & turn right through car park & retrace steps but at bend continue on road past toilets.  Continue past the blue gates of Nazareth House on right & straight on past St Pauls Church into Durnford Street.  Continue past Royal Marine Barracks & take next right.  Continue ahead to roundabout & straight on to smaller roundabout.  Bear right to pass behind Duke of Cornwall Hotel up Citadel Road.  Turn first right into Prospect Place. As road narrows continue ahead past concrete bollard on what becomes a footpath.  At road continue ahead & at Elliot Street turn right onto Plymouth Hoe.  Head towards lighthouse in front of you.  (With your back to the tower, cross the Hoe to the largest memorial. Standing just in front of the memorial, you will see a bowling green on your left. It was here that Drake was reputed to have played bowls whilst the Armada sailed up the channel. Take time out to look at the magnificent memorials.)  Continue along the Hoe to the telephone box at the end & go down steps, cross road, turn right then at corner of wall on left turn left.

Q5:  To whom or what is the memorial in front of you dedicated?

Retrace steps continuing straight on past the end of the Hoe & round right bend.  As road bears left, continue straight ahead past Citadel Gateway on right. As road turns right, continue ahead down dead end, then use steps ahead signed Barbican.

Q6:  To your right at bottom of steps, to whom is the 10 Sqn RAAF Memorial plaque dedicated?

Turn downhill with harbour on right to Mayflower Steps and the end of the walk.

When you have completed this trail please use the  Permanent Trail Entry Form

The organisers are not liable for accidents, thefts and/or damage to property.  Every effort will be made by the organisers to make this a safe, enjoyable and memorable event.

This trail is registered until 31 December 2010.