Plymouth Hoe

No visit to Plymouth is complete without a ramble around Plymouth Hoe. It has fantastic views of the English Channel and coastline and is a pleasant place to spend any day of the week. There are numerous bars, cafes, and restaurants along the waterfront. Guests can enjoy delicious food and enjoy the view of the natural harbour and Drake's Island along the way.
The picture opposite is Smeaton's Tower, and it has become one of the most iconic landmarks and a centrepiece of The Hoe. Standing approximately 70 feet tall, it is 2 thirds of its original size.
It was originally built on Eddystone Reef in 1759 by John Smeaton. However, it was moved here sometime during the late 1800's and was disassembled brick by brick and brought here and reassembled. It was because the sea's waters made the rocks it had stood on unstable.

* I thought that it looked a bit short*

In my travels today, I spent some time at Plymouth Hoe, and I have chosen a few pictures from the day to share with you.

It is quite a long post, so make yourself a cup of coffee and take some time to read it all.

Sir Francis Drake’s Memorial

Local hero and explorer's memorial statue can be seen here.

Perhaps one of the most entertaining but true tales is that of Sir Francis Drake, an explorer and a local hero.
He received bad news of the Spanish invasion while playing bowls on the 20th of July 1588 and was insistent that he remained playing his game of bowls undisturbed.

Anyhow, he waited and when his fleet set sail, they won the battle saving England from invasion.
When Sir Francis Drake made his last voyage in October 1578, he was accompanied by five ships on a mission to the West Indies. However, it was a complete disaster. By the time he reached the Pacific Ocean, the Spanish were waiting for him and only his ship was remained afloat, which was his flagship, the Pelican.

This ship had since been renamed the Golden Hind.
Drake died on 28 January 1596 off the coast of Portobelo, Panama from an infection of the intestines known today medically as dysentery.

Basically he died of "the shits", poor man.

* Even the birds crap on him *

The Promenade

Plymouth Hoe Promenade consists of a lower road that overlooks the sea and an upper area where Smeaton's tower can be found, as well as many memorials.
From the top, you have 180 degree views; one direction, you have Ocean views, and if you look back on yourself, you have Plymouth Town.

Here you can enjoy delicious food from many different restaurants, cafes, and bars located along the waterfront, or simply just stroll along to sightsee.

* It seems very high up *

Belvedere Memorial

Alright Mr President, we have a Big White House thing too!

😝 Nener nener.

Originally constructed as a lookout point in 1891, this building now houses a significant portion of the Plymouth branch war memorials.

Walking along the promenade it is nearly impossible to miss this dazzling white terraced building with its manicured memorial gardens. This building was also given another name.
The Belvedere Wedding Cake.
It is also a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the sights, eating a packed lunch while looking out to Drakes Island.

Burma Memorial

OK enough of memorials, there are a awful lot of them here and for good reason too, but this will be the last.

Two of my family members were killed during WW2 in Burma, my grandfather and great-uncle so this memorial means a lot to me.

The headstone reads: Burma Star Association Plymouth Branch – in memory of those who gave their lives in the Burma Campaign 1941-45. These words are taken from a memorial at Kohima – when you go home, tell them of us and say for your tomorrow, we gave our today.
Unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Cordon Draper and Rear Admiral M. N. Lucey.

* Salutes you all *

Ok, on with the fun stuff!

Drake's Island

For almost 600 years or so, Drake’s Island has provided fortified protection for the city and ports of Plymouth.
As a small island located just 600 meters from the world famous Hoe, the island is rich and varied in history, dating back hundreds of years.
It was originally called St Nicholas Island and was home to a chapel as well as a military barracks during its history. For many years, Drake's Island was closed to the public.

However, now that it is open to the public, it can be used for guided tours and special events for the general public.

There is a short ferry ride from the Barbican landing stage that will take you to the island.

* I'd live there on my own *

Way Down

Walking along the promenade I came to a corner of the High Wall.

Well, I decided to look over, and I don't mind telling you, my life flashed before my eyes as it did at Devil's Point.
But I wanted to show you how far down it was. So I leaned over and held onto my phone like a fat kid with ice cream.
I also held my knees tightly against the wall to keep me stable and shaking like a leaf, just as the wind picked up.

Yup. Looks pretty high up and deep to me.
There was a sign there saying "No Dive bombing or Tombstoning."

Tombstoning. I had no idea what that was, so I had to check Wikipedia.

Basically it means stepping off in a straight, upright vertical posture.
Why would anyone be that silly?

I couldn't even try that if I wanted to, my head would make me act all stupid and I'd end up tombstoning backwards onto concrete. Embarrassing...😂

* Edges back slowly *

Fun place to explore

Walking a bit further along the promenade I spotted this gorgeous area, so I had to visit and explore it.

It sure looked like a long walk down, but I was determined to have a look.
Besides, there was the lovely smell of cheeseburgers and chips wafting from that area. Despite restraining myself from fast foods and averaging 10,000 steps a day for exercise, it's like window shopping. You can look, but not touch.
Anyhow, I found the many steps to be somewhat tedious and thought about zipping down while straddling the hand rails.

It would have been a great idea and a lot easier to get down if only there weren't knobby bits on the rails. 😱
Finally, I got on flat ground and started exploring.

Life on the edge

As I rounded a corner, I saw these people not using the steps provided.
Then it dawned on me, if I had only walked further along at the top, I could have wrapped the rope around me and abseiled down in no time at all.

I stood and watched for a while and to be honest, I was sweating just watching him.
A few times he had lost his footing and I was about to offer my assistance and try and catch him, but then I thought no! You got yourself into that mess, plus he was only about 8 feet up the rock face at most.

So I said my thank you for the photo and goodbyes and made my way around the walkway to yet another surprise.

Rocks and sand

Heading closer to the water's edge, there is an area that has clear water and sand flanked on both sides by sharp jagged rocks.

Now these are sure to puncture your inflatable dingy if you weren't careful.

I thought they looked beautiful but deadly at the same time. You can see how well the Hoe was protected from invading ships when water covered the rocks just below the surface.
I sure would not want to tackle these unless I was fishing, which seemed a suitable spot to do so.

* No doubt my future fishing spot *

Come in, the waters freezing

Seriously, What the hell ?? Am I seeing things?

Let me remind you that it is February 2023.
The water is as cold as a polar bears backside in December and these guys are going for a swim?

I did hear a slight scream of discomfort from the guy in the light blue shorts. This was either because his wedding tackle shrunk by 2 thirds, or maybe the fact he stood on something sharp, who knows?
The guy in black, well he was shaking like a couple of jelly doughnuts at a Weight Watchers meeting.

They say it's healthy for circulation, but I'm fine with keeping my blood flowing by walking.
I shook my head in disbelief and kept walking.

Seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up.

Ferry Tours

This was just a quick snap I took of a ferry returning to The Barbican.

It is one of many small ferries that will take you around past Cattewater, The Hoe and Drake's Island etc.
As mentioned before, you can hop onto one of these ferries from the landing stage at the Barbican.
Prices may vary depending on the time of year, but not too expensive.

* Times up, I'm taking you lot back *

Promenade Café

By the time I reached the upper end of the promenade where the lighthouse was, my feet were really hurting from all the walking that day.

I had to stop for a break as I still had to walk home.
So I stopped here for a hot coffee and a short sit down for a break. I could not resist stopping by this beautiful old building dating back to 1887 when it was erected.

The staff were friendly and it seemed like the most delicious cup of coffee ever!
All I needed was a deep foot massage, but I was afraid to remove my socks.
I was about to turn right and head towards the town centre when I spotted another area I really needed to capture.

* Time for cuppa? *

Beatles Bums

This spot marks where John, Paul, George and Ringo sat posing for a picture that later became world famous.
Their photo shoot was taken on Tuesday 12th December 1967 by music photographer David Redfern.
The Fab Four were in the city to pose for photographers while filming "The Magical Mystery Tour".
On the grass, holes were dug up and filled with sand so they could sit on it. This created a mould of their backsides.
Today you can sit in the exact same spot and in the same position and create your own Beatles memorabilia.

There is a display at the site showing the beetles sitting on the ground. I touched the mould with my hand without giving it much thought.

I felt Ringo's Ass! 😒

* All you need is love Da da dada da *

Skate Sailing

This apparently is called skate sailing, and I've never seen this before. As you can see there was plenty of space on the top promenade for this guy to do his thing, which is used a lot by skateboarders and pushbikes.
I watched in amazement as he flew along flipping the sail to catch the wind, all while turning too.

One of the guys with him asked if I would like a go, which I promptly declined, I know what would have happened, if the wind had picked up drastically.

I would have shot off, probably across the grass uncontrollably and down the embankment to the long drop onto the road beneath. All while screaming for help and looking a complete twat!

I had to take a snap I thought it was pretty cool!

Proper bloody execution

Plymouth's dark and disturbing past reveals a dirty secret: a public execution by firing squad witnessed by a staggering 50,000 people.

Over 200 years ago, three men were marched out from their cells in the Citadel and onto the Hoe, carrying the coffins that would later bear their bodies. This event, the last public execution of its kind in Plymouth, was attended by around 10,000 military personnel and 40,000 civilians.

The three Marines, who hailed from Stonehouse Barracks, were found guilty of mutiny and were allegedly shot by the men who testified against them. The men were subjected to a full procession, accompanied by a military band, before they were lined up and shot in a way that would inflict the most pain possible.

During the first round of firing, there were twelve shots in total. Lee appeared to have been spared, as all the bullets went through his belly, leaving him winded and slumped forward. The other two Marines died instantly. The reserve line of men then stepped forward and fired, hitting Lee in the head. He fell onto his coffin, writhing in agony and twitching. The officer in charge then quickly put a pistol to his head.

It took eight balls in total to kill Mr Lee.

This cross marks the spot where they were executed.

Heading home

Who would have thought it would turn out to be so unexpected?
Turning 180 degrees from looking at all the spectacular views of the ocean and sights to seeing the hustle and bustle of city life.
I was heading home, just 10 minutes away through Plymouth city centre for a well-deserved rest.
It had been a totally amazing day with occasional light drizzle and a few blustery episodes, but it had been mostly overcast and dry.

My feet were really suffering at this point. I had walked miles in the past few days exploring Millbay Docks, Devils Point and now Plymouth Hoe.