Salisbury Wiltshire to Plymouth Devon🚉: 8.5.1999

Salisbury to Plymouth: 8.5.1999

Day-3 BritRail🇬🇧 - checked out of Clovelly Hotel, stone throw from the station and took the “8:30 am” South Western🚉 3-coach Class 159 DMU 159-102 train calling at Tisbury, Sherborne, Crewkern and Honiton.

Change at Exeter St Davids to Great Western #Intercity125 Mainline from London Paddington and experience top speed of 125 mph along the coastal line of the English Channel to Plymouth with inland stops at Newton Abbot and Totnes.

Hop off the train and head to the Armada Way shopping centre, pass the ‘Armada Dial’, the flagpole in the Civic Square unveiled by King George VI in 1947, the Guildhall, and the pedestrian subway crossing under the Royal Parade featuring mural art.

Checked in at the ideally located 'Clearwinds' B&B on 99 Citadel Road and headed to the Plymouth Hoe, 10-minute walk away starting at Plymouth Dome with stunning views of the Plymouth Sound. The Dome opened in 1989 with variety of themed galleries covering Plymouth's historic past of ships and people that braved the high seas and shaped the world. A metal wall plaque next to the entrance was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

The 72-foot Smeaton's Tower, one of the world's most famous lighthouses rises in the middle of the Hoe. It was originally built on the treacherous Eddystone reef, 14 miles out at sea off Plymouth in 1759. Two thirds of it was taken down in the early 1880's and moved to its current position when the rock on which it was built began to break up. The base is still present and can be seen on a clear day. The foundation stone of the reconstructed tower was laid on 20 October 1882 by Prince Alfred Duke of Edinburgh and offers fantastic views from its lantern room.

The statue of Sir Francis Drake erected in 1884 stands on the Promenade overlooking the Hoe near where he was famously playing bowls when he sighted the Spanish Armada.

There are several war memorials at the Promenade facing the Plymouth Sound:
The Plymouth Naval Memorial commemorates 7,251 sailors of WWI and 15,933 of WWII featuring a central obelisk, with names of the dead arranged according to the year of death. Those for WWI are on panels fixed to the obelisk's base; those for WWII are on panels in the surrounding wall.

Next to it is The Armada Memorial built in 1888 to celebrate 300 years of defeat of the Spanish Armada. On top of it stands 11-foot bronze statue of Britannia with a lion by her side. At the base of the plinth are a number of cannons and stacks of cannon balls.

Close to it stands the Royal Air Force and Allied Air Forces monument, dedicated to all the men and women who served during WWII. A statue of an airman stands proudly on a plinth overlooking Plymouth Sound. On the front of the plinth is a brass plaque with an inscription honouring the 134,000 airmen.

Follow the South West Coast footpath on the seafront with panoramic views of The Breakwater, Drakes Island, Mount Edgecumbe and the Royal Citadel along Madeira Road to Sutton Harbour in the Barbican area, to the Mayflower Steps flanked by the British and American flags, where on 6 September 1620, puritans seeking religious freedom walked down to the quayside and boarded the Mayflower before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to settle in America. From the mini-balcony between the Doric columns you can enjoy fantastic views of the boats in the harbour and out across the sea.

The “Leviathan” sea monster (iconic metal sculpture landmark aka the Barbican Prawn) comes to view as you walk northwest along the quayside on the cobbled Barbican in the background of the National Marine Aquarium as you head into the Old Town with plenty of cafes, ancient inns, restaurants and antique shops.

Turn left into New Street, right into White Lane, left into Southside Street, past the Dolphin Hotel, Barbican Fish Bar, Cap’n Jaspers Café with its signature mural art at Sutton Harbour, and back on Southside Street to the ‘House that Jack Built’ with a myriad of gift shops.

Further up is Black Friars Distillery (Plymouth Gin Distillery) established in 1793, the oldest gin distillery in England, once a medieval Dominican Order monastery built in 1431.

In front of a small garden along Notte Street by Armada Way is the anchor of HMS Ark Royal, former flagship of the Royal Navy, presented to the City of Plymouth by the Admiral of the Fleet in April 1980. In the background is the Guildhall, Crown and County Courts. The entrance and walls of the Armada Way subway under the Royal Parade are lined by mosaic artwork on ceramic tiles depicting key events & characters from Plymouth history.

Proceed on the Royal Parade to Theatre Royal at Derrrys Cross Roundabout, pass Drake Odeon Cinema and turn left into Millbay Road, pass Plymouth Pavilions and stroll up West Hoe to Walker Terrace with stunning views of the Plymouth Sound to Clearwinds B&B on Citadel Road, a steal at 12🇬🇧 Pounds per night👌