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Destination Plymouth

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  • Smeatons Tower
    Smeatons Tower
  • Plymouth Gin
    Plymouth Gin

Welcome to Britain’s Ocean City

Steeped in seafaring history, Plymouth is a stunning city in a beautiful waterfront setting.  Sandwiched between the rugged landscape of Dartmoor National Park and the incredible South West coastline, there’s something for every traveller to enjoy.

Whether you’re looking for family fun, history and culture, or simply a breath of fresh air, we’d be pleased to welcome you. Delve into our heritage, exploring the fascinating history of a city shaped by its past, or dive headfirst into a mouth-watering dining experience at one of our many fantastic restaurants.

If shopping is what you’re after, indulge in some retail therapy with top-brand names in Drake Circus, our large indoor mall, browse independent retailers and the 150 stall Plymouth Market in the West End of the city centre.

If you’re a history lover Plymouth has plenty to offer.  Stroll along The Barbican and Sutton Harbour, Plymouth’s historic heart and take in Plymouth as it would have looked when the Pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower. Visit the Mayflower Steps to see where they departed for the New World in 1620 and pay a visit to the Mayflower Museum to learn more about their journey.

The Barbican is also the home of Plymouth Gin and the historic Black Friars Distillery – the oldest working distillery in England! A visit to Plymouth wouldn’t be complete without a tour to learn about the city’s favourite tipple and you can even distil your own.

Take some time to enjoy one of the most impressive city parks in the country, Plymouth Hoe, with its wide open aspect and beautiful views over Plymouth Sound. Climb the 93 steps of red-and-white striped Smeaton’s Tower, which now stands proudly on the Hoe, offering incredible views of the city and beyond.

Plymouth also makes an amazing stage, whether it’s to celebrate our military roots at Armed Forces Day or to enjoy music, art or theatre. Enjoy spectacular events, with everything from the British Firework Championships every August, to a show at one of the UK’s largest regional theatres.

Top Five Facts about Plymouth

  1. Don’t miss the Mayflower Steps where the Pilgrims set sail for America in 1620 – they eventually landed in ‘New Plymouth’ and over 20 million Americans are believed to be descended from these travellers.
  2. Plymouth was named the ‘coolest little city by the sea’ by GQ Magazine.
  3. Plymouth is home to the world famous Plymouth Gin – the origins of the very first Martini. Brewed in the Black Friars distillery Plymouth Gin has been produced on the Barbican since 1793.
  4. Home to the British Firework Championships, Plymouth’s amazing natural amphitheatre of Plymouth Sound offers two fantastic nights of open air pyrotechnic theatre every August.
  5. Royal William Yard is considered to be one of the most important groups of historic military buildings in Britain, it is also the largest collection of Grade 1 listed military buildings in Europe. It is now a thriving hub for many Plymouth retailers, cafes, restaurants and events.
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Port Information
Passenger Facilities
Contacts & Further Info
Time zone:

GMT

Operational hours:

24hr 7 days a week

Berth enquiries & reservations:

Adrian Buss, ABP Plymouth adrian.buss@abports.co.uk

Lat & Long:

North 50 36 81 West 04 14 94

Prevailing weather:

South Westerly

Anchorage position:

Plymouth Sound various locations

Distance to landing stage:

1.4nm

Berth information :

West Wharf

Vessel length:

205m

Vessel width:

Unrestricted

Air draft restrictions:

None

Vessel draft:

8m but can be increased depending on the tidal cycle

Depth on berth:

9m

Largest cruise ship:

Brilliance of the Seas

VTS channel:

14

Max ship dimension:

300m

Pilotage:

Complusory

Tugs:

2 Tugs ( 1 x 18T BP 1 x 20T BP) others available with 24hrs notice

Security facilities:

ISPS compliant

Gangway:

ISPS compliant

Fresh water:

Yes

Power supply:

Yes

Hot works/painting/lifeboats:

Permitted but permit to work required from Port Office

Waste handling:

Yes

Terminal building:

Yes

Currency exchange:

Yes

Internet access:

No dedicated wi-fi

Telephones:

Yes

Mailbox:

800m from terminal

Taxi rank:

Yes

Distance to railway station:

1.75 miles / 2.8kms

Distance to airport:

48 miles / 77kms

Banks & ATMS:

In City Centre 1 mile from the terminal

Restaurant / cafe:

Yes

Name :

Glen Gardner, Destination Plymouth
Adrian Buss, ABP Plymouth

Tel no:

Glen Gardner: 00 44 (0)7957 454393
Adrian Buss: 00 44 (0)7843 976935

Email:

cruise@destinationplymouth.org.uk
adrian.buss@abports.co.uk

Websites :

www.visitplymouth.co.uk

www.mayflower400UK.org
www.abports.co.uk/Our_Locations/Short_Sea_Ports/Plymouth

Social media:

www.facebook.com/visitplymouth www.twitter.com/visitplymouth www.instagram.com/visitplymouth
www.twitter.com/abports21

Address:

Millbay Docks, Plymouth, Devon PL1 3EF

Experience Destination Plymouth

The centrepiece of Plymouth Hoe, Smeaton’s Tower has become one of the South West’s most iconic landmarks. The lighthouse was originally built on the Eddystone reef in 1759, but was taken down in the early 1880s when it was discovered that the sea was undermining the rock it was standing on. Approximately two thirds of the structure was moved stone by stone to its current home on the Hoe. Now standing at 72 foot high, Smeaton’s Tower offers fantastic views of Plymouth Sound and the city from its lantern room which, along with the rest of the building, has been painstakingly restored to its original glory. Smeaton’s Tower

Smeaton’s Tower

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Black Friars Distillery, the working home of Plymouth Gin since 1793, is the oldest working gin distillery in England. The tour options include a classic Plymouth Gin Distillery Tour, an enhanced Gin Connoisseur’s Tour with dedicated tasting of a number of gins and a much-appreciated opportunity to actually distill your own gin. Plymouth Gin Distillery

Plymouth Gin Distillery

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This 865 acre park is the earliest landscaped park in Cornwall. The former home of the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe, it offers a great way for visitors to soak up the incredible views of Plymouth Sound in the grounds of the famous historic house with Grade I gardens. In 2020 and beyond Mount Edgcumbe will be offering a bespoke ‘Mayflower’ Tour of the House based around the Tudor residence that existed in 1620 as the Mayflower set sail. Visitors can dress in Mayflower Pilgrim Clothing in a house built 73 years before the Pilgrims set sail. Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park

Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park

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Regular ferry services run to a variety of destinations including Royal William Yard, Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park, and the quaint fishing and smuggling villages of Cawsand and Kingsand, surrounded by secluded beaches and coastal walks. Plymouth Boat Trips also offers spectacular sight-seeing cruises. The daily, one-hour ‘Mayflower Heritage & Plymouth Harbour Cruise’ takes you from the place where the Pilgrims set sail on their intrepid journey to America, passing Plymouth Hoe, where Drake awaited the Spanish Armada, and on to the warships and submarines of the Royal Naval Dockyard. Plymouth Boat Trips

Plymouth Boat Trips

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Tour Grade 1 listed Royal William Yard, former Royal Naval victualling building which now boasts cafés, bars and restaurants including Le Vignoble which offers wine tasting and over 250 different wines, champagnes and liqueurs from all over the world. Ocean Studios hosts exhibition space for local artists. The stairway between the Royal William Yard and Devil’s Point on the South West Coast Path, provides dramatic views across the River Tamar. Boat trips or bicycle access also possible. Royal William Yard

Royal William Yard

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The best retail experience in Devon and Cornwall - big name brands sit alongside hundreds of independent shops and a plethora of cafes and restaurants. Award-winning Drake Circus shopping mall and a vibrant City Market all add up to a great shopping experience. A short walk from the city centre is The Barbican and Sutton Harbour with its quaint cobbled streets, picturesque harbour, independent shops, galleries and waterside cafe scene, Shopping

Shopping

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Home to the deepest tank in the UK with over 2 million litres of water in its Atlantic Ocean exhibit. Over 4,000 marine animals can be seen including sharks, jellyfish and Friday, the Green Turtle! The Aquarium also run boat trips, with a team of Marine Biologists and an Ocean Conservationist. National Marine Aquarium

National Marine Aquarium

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Although structurally altered over the years, the Steps themselves may be taken as the approximate location from which the Mayflower Pilgrims embarked upon “The Mayflower” for the final time, in 1620. Discover more about the Pilgrims voyage at the Mayflower Museum opposite the Mayflower Steps. Mayflower Steps and Mayflower Museum

Mayflower Steps and Mayflower Museum

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A major new cultural and heritage attraction set to open in Plymouth’s city centre in spring 2020. The Museum and Art Gallery, former Central Library and St Luke’s Church buildings are being transformed into a venue and visitor experience fit for the 21st century. A series of large-scale galleries will highlight the city’s fine art, decorative art, natural history, human history, film, photography and archive collections. Additional galleries will be dedicated to a changing programme of exciting temporary exhibitions. One of its first exhibitions will be ‘Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy’. The Box

The Box

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Nestled on the cobbled streets of the historic Barbican, the Elizabethan House and hidden Elizabethan Gardens offer a rare glimpse of history. One of Plymouth’s most historic properties, it is a rare surviving example of its time and still retains many of its original features. Currently undergoing restoration the house will re-open in 2020 with an immersive museum experience transporting visitors back to Elizabethan Plymouth. A short walk leads to the Elizabethan Gardens, a delightful little tranquil oasis. Elizabethan House and Elizabethan Garden

Elizabethan House and Elizabethan Garden

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