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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Plymouth
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(254,000 in 1991)
City, port and naval dockyard on the south coast of Devon, between the mouths of the rivers Tamar and Plym. The original town grew up in Anglo-Saxon times round Sutton Harbour, where the fishing boats still land their catches on the Barbican. Plymouth's importance began with the development in the 15–16C of larger ships for exploration and war; Plymouth Sound, an inlet of the English Channel with Plymouth at its head, was the perfect place to shelter a fleet of sailing ships, relatively safe but ready for action. It was here that the English fleet awaited the arrival of the *Armada, and it is on the Hoe – Plymouth's level hilltop overlooking the Sound – that *Drake is supposed to have played his famous game of *bowls. The *Pilgrim Fathers set sail across the Atlantic from the Barbican in 1620.
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A royal dockyard was established at Devonport to the west, on the Tamar, in 1690. It remains in operation and the adjacent area of the Tamar estuary, known as the Hamoaze, is used as a harbour for British naval vessels. For this reason Plymouth was heavily bombed in World War II. The present city centre is entirely modern, designed around two main thoroughfares, Armada Way and Royal Parade.
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