Historic England: Plymouth

This illustrated history portrays one of England’s finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Plymouth’s past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites.

The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover subjects from Bronze Age burials and medieval churches to cinemas and seaside resorts.

Plymouth’s location on Devon’s south coast, at the natural harbour created by the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar, has shaped its history as one of England’s most important ports. It was the home of the famous Elizabethan privateers Drake and Hawkins and at the heart of the developing Atlantic trade. The neighbouring town of Devonport, now merged with Plymouth, also became an important naval dockyard and shipbuilding centre and its strategic significance drew repeated aerial attacks during the Second World War so that by the end of the war much of the centre of Plymouth had been destroyed. The city was rebuilt afterwards in the post-war style of modern town planning, expanding to take over outlying towns, and today it is a major city in south-west England. This book will help you to discover Plymouth’s remarkable history.