Plymouth history

Plymouth history

A short history of Plymouth

The coastal city of Plymouth is steeped in an intriguing wealth of history going back to the Bronze Age, when its first settlement grew at Mount Batten. This settlement continued to grow as a trading post for the Roman Empire, until the more prosperous village of Sutton, the current Plymouth, surpassed it.

From the Plymouth Hoe, on which as legend has it, Sir Francis Drake finished his game of bowls before defeating the Spanish Armada; to the Barbican’s Mayflowers Steps, where the Pilgrim Fathers eventually departed bound for the United States. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for the New World and established Plymouth Colony — the second English settlement in what is now the United States of America. During the English Civil War the town was held by the Parliamentarians and was besieged between 1642 and 1646.

Throughout the Industrial Revolution Plymouth grew as a major shipping port, handling imports and passengers from the Americas and the construction of ships for the Royal Navy. The county boroughs of Plymouth and Devonport, and the urban district of East Stonehouse were merged to form a single county borough of Plymouth collectively referred to as The Three Towns. The city's naval importance later led to its targeting and partial destruction during World War II, an act known as the Plymouth Blitz. After the war the city centre was completely rebuilt.

Today the city is home to over 250,000 people, making it the 15th most populous city in England.