11 Best Sights in Plymouth, The West Country

Consisting of a museum, galleries, and an archive, the Box opened in 2020 as Plymouth's state-of-the-art exhibition space dedicated to all cultural and historical aspects of the city. Local themes are explored in the linked Port of Plymouth gallery and the 100 Journeys gallery, which focuses on the city's long relationship with the sea and the various voyages that began from Plymouth (including those of Sir Francis Drake, Captain Cook, and various slave-traders). Both are designed to engage visitors of all ages. More than 3,000 natural history specimens are displayed in the Mammoth gallery, while, upstairs, the Media Lab provides visual images from the past. This level is also the best place to view the 14 giant wooden ship figureheads dating from the 1800s that are suspended above the café area, each with its own story told via interactive touchscreens. The art collection, including works by artists associated with the West Country such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Stanhope Forbes, and Barbara Hepworth, is currently dispersed throughout the museum, and there are regular temporary exhibitions upstairs and in the annex, a deconsecrated church.

By the harbor you can visit the Mayflower Steps, marking where the Pilgrims embarked in 1620. The actual steps no longer exist, but a granite block, the Mayflower Stone, marks the approximate spot, and there is a commemorative portico with Doric columns of Portland stone. Local historians believe that the true site is roughly where a Victorian pub, the Admiral MacBride, now stands. The Pilgrims had originally sailed from Southampton but had to stop in Plymouth because of damage from a storm.

At the Black Friars Distillery, Plymouth's most famous export, gin, has been distilled since 1793. You can purchase bottles of sloe gin, damson liqueur, fruit cup, or the fiery "Navy Strength" gin that traditionally was issued to the Royal Navy. Learn the full story on walking tours around the distillery, ending with a sampling in the wood-paneled Refectory Cocktail Lounge. The building originally housed a friary and was where the Pilgrims spent their last night on English soil in 1620.

East of the Royal Citadel is the Barbican, the oldest surviving section of Plymouth. Here Tudor houses and warehouses rise from a maze of narrow streets leading down to the fishing harbor and marina. Many of these buildings have become antiques shops, art shops, and cafés. It's well worth a stroll for the atmosphere.

In the heart of the Barbican section, this former sea captain's home dating from 1599 offers a fascinating insight into how Plymouth residents lived over 350 years ago. The three floors of the timber-frame house are filled with items connected to the people who inhabited the house, including 17th-century furnishings, 18th-century wigs (the house once belonged to a wig-maker), and tea sets. You'll also see a reconstructed kitchen and a spiral staircase built around a ship's mast.

From the Hoe, a wide, grassy esplanade with crisscrossing walkways high above the city, you can take in a magnificent view of the inlets, bays, and harbors that make up Plymouth Sound.

On three floors, this interactive exhibition narrates the story of Plymouth, from its beginnings as a fishing and trading port to the modern industrial city it is today. Along the way, you'll take in the stories of various expeditions that embarked from here to the New World, including the Mayflower itself. Great harbor views can be enjoyed from the top-floor balcony, and the city's tourist office is also in this building.

This excellent aquarium—the U.K.'s largest—on the town's harbor presents aqueous environments, from a freshwater stream to the Great Barrier Reef and the Biozone. Don't miss the chance to walk beneath sharks in the Atlantic Ocean tank, alongside clownfish, angelfish, and cleaner wrasses in the Biozone. Feeding times are fun for the kids, and Waves Café, with its harbor views, makes a good spot for a rest and refreshment. Tickets, which are valid for one year, should be booked ahead at peak times.

This huge citadel was built by Charles II in 1666 and still operates as a military center. Tours of the installation are conducted by Armada Tours and must be booked via Eventbrite ( www.eventbrite.co.uk) at least 24 hours ahead of time. Meet at the Commando Memorial on Lambhay Hill to the north of the Citadel at 2 pm; tours last about two hours. Note that children under seven are not allowed, photo ID is required, and photography is not permitted. There is no parking on-site and no toilet facilities.

An exquisite 18th-century home with many of its original furnishings, Saltram was built around the remains of a late-Tudor mansion. Its jewel is one of Britain's grandest neoclassical rooms—a vast, double-cube salon designed by Robert Adam and hung with paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, who was born nearby in 1723. Fine plasterwork adorns many rooms, and three have original Chinese wallpaper. The outstanding garden includes rare trees and shrubs, and there's a cafeteria and a tearoom. Saltram is 3½ miles east of Plymouth city center; if you're driving, it's best to use "Romilly Gardens" rather than the postal code for satnav (GPS) purposes.

This lighthouse, transferred here at the end of the 19th century from its original site 14 miles out to sea, provides a sweeping vista over Plymouth Sound and the city as far as Dartmoor. Brace yourself for the 93 steps to the top. The lighthouse is occasionally closed for special events, and open on selected dates in October; check the website for information.