Opposite St Andrew's church on the Armada Way is the
Civic Centre, 1958-62, built to designs by J. Stirling,
with a 14-story high rise office building. The viewing
platform on the 14th floor provides a breathtaking view
of the city and in clear weather it is possible to see
as far as Dartmoor.
The main church, St Andrew's was built in the second
half of the 15th century and was rebuilt in 1945-57. Sir
Martin Frobisher (d. 1594) and Admiral Blake (d. 1657)
were both laid to rest here, and there is also a
memorial tablet to William Cookworthy, who in 1768
founded the first English porcelain factory.
The Theatre Royal has been open for 21 years and during
that time staged a fantastic range of entertainment.
Opened in 1982, the Theatre Royal is the most important
theatre in the South West. It draws an audience from all
over the region and is one of the most successful
theatres in the country.
On
the Mayflower Steps, which is a gateway built in memory
of the Pilgrim Fathers, there is a mooring-place for
ships crossing over to Drake's Island. A short distance
away there is a memorial tablet commemorating the
arrival of the American aviators Alcock and Brown, who
in 1919 became the first persons to cross the Atlantic
in a seaplane.
In
the Hoe is the statue of the circumnavigator Sir Francis
Drake, holding globe and sword (1884; a copy of the
original statue by Joseph Edgar Boehms stands in a
street in Tavistock).
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The City Museum exhibits include works of old masters,
paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, a valuable collection
of porcelain and silver, Italian bronze objects and the
goblet which Sir Francis Drake was given by Elizabeth I
on his return from his three-year voyage around the
world.
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This broad boulevard is the spine of the city’s shopping
district. Walks wind along it through landscaped
gardens. Water features like this one take advantage of
the slope. Armada Way was the first pedestrian-only
shopping avenue in England.
The Royal Citadel, east of the Hoe, was built in
1566-70; its inner courtyard is graced by a statue of
George II. At the southwest corner there is an aquarium
belonging to the Marine Biological Society, which forms
part of a marine laboratory and is well worth visiting.
A road runs around the citadel, affording excellent
views, including the remains of the old town, with its
few remaining old houses.
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The war memorial on Plymouth Hoe. A poignant place for
contemplation. The Naval War Memorial contains almost
23000 names - listing the men and women who lost their
lives in both world wars are inscribed around this
impressive memorial sited near the spot where Drake was
reputed to have been playing bowls when he received news
of the Spanish Armada.
The finest views of Plymouth and Plymouth Sound are to
be had from the Hoe, a spacious park opened in 1817 and
traversed by the Promenade, with a prospect extending
over the Sound past Drake's Island as far as the famous
lighthouse on Eddystone Rock, 14mi/23km away. Plymouth
Hoe is perhaps best known for the fact that Sir Francis
Drake is believed to have played his famous game of
bowls there, just prior to his defeat of the Spanish
Armada.
At
the southern end of the Hoe the Plymouth Dome has been
open since 1989 and presents the history of the port,
from the Elizabethan era to the present day, with the
aid of the latest technology.
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The upper part of the former Smeaton Lighthouse has been
turned into a museum and viewing tower. The lighthouse
had to make way for a newer one in 1182 and was
dismantled and rebuilt stone by stone.
Plymouth Pavilions opened their doors in 1991. This
modern conference and leisure centre also contains a
swimming pool with a wave-machine, an ice rink and a
concert hall which can seat 3,000 people.
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