Plymouth Hoe and Sea Front

We had a lovely 24 hours in Plymouth this weekend (see my other blog Creative Serendipity http://creativeserendipity-gmg.blogspot.com/  for more on that). 


We particularly enjoyed a Sunday morning walk around Plymouth Hoe. The Hoe is where Sir Francis Drake is supposed to have played bowls as he waited for news of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

We loved that the open air 1930's lido, Tinside Pool, has been renovated and is open free of charge each summer.

Looking west towards Drakes Island- the small island just to the left of the shore line in this picture. This island is fascinating and would make a great setting for a story. It is now privately owned but has fortifications from the second world war including underground rooms and tunnels apparently.

Drakes Island

That's Cornwall shrouded in hazy light in the distance.










The architecture just says English seaside town to me. 










Plymouth Marina is a welcome continuation of the maritime history of the city.

The Tower on the right of this picture is Mount Batten Tower, an old artilliary fort dating from about 1652 which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It sits above a watersports centre now. As in so many places in Britain old sits next to new.

John with an authentic cannon

 dating from the Crimean War.

I mostly took photos of the scenery in Plymouth but if you see a cannon you always put someone in the photo with it!

This is Smeaton's Tower, probably the most iconic image of a lighthouse on the mainland. This photo to me captures the mood of storms and threatening seas. Maybe there's another story in this one too...












Cornwall is divided from the rest of England by the Tamar Bridge which is side by side with the Brunel Railway Bridge.







Through the increasing drizzle I took this photo of Cornwall from across the River Tamar in Devon. I've included it because we often get this cross between a thick mist and a fine rain like drizzle that we call mizzle in Cornwall. When the mizzle descends it often stays for the day and this is all you can get of a view when that happens. If you look through the mizzle you can see the Combe Viaduct in Saltash.


I'll be posting my photos of the Mayflower Steps later as they deserve a post of their own...


So until next time
Gillian