Plymouth

Plymouth, the largest city in the South West, has beautiful scenery, a wealth of attractions and a fascinating maritime history. In 1577 Francis Drake launched his circumnavigation of the globe from Plymouth and repelled the Armada a few years later, the Pilgrim Fathers set sail from here in 1620, and in 1831 Charles Darwin departed for his pioneering trip to the Galapagos Islands.

The city overlooks the English Channel and is flanked by the river Plym to the east and the river Tamar to the west. It is broken up into three main sections: the Barbican with its narrow streets and Tudor and Victorian buildings, the Hoe, with its famous promenade overlooking the Plymouth Sound, and the modern central section, flattened during the war and then rebuilt.

Smeaton's Tower on Plymouth Hoe - Copyright Thinkstock