New Country Inn & Smithaleigh Hotel

Cornish cream and...

by Pierre_Rouss

Cornish cream and scones.
'Good' cornish cream can only be found, guess where, yes in Cornwall. Scones is probably the only thing cornish cream is good with. Oh, oh! I will get a lot of grief for the above comments, but I don't care much for cornish cream. Sorry.

Best Singapore Noodles In Town!

by johngayton about New Dragon House

From the outside this looks just like any other Chinese takeaway and at first sight the interior with its formica serving counter and cheap plastic seating serves to reinforce the impression. However once you've noticed the Hi-tech computerised system linked to the hands-free telephones you realise that this little place is geared up to do some serious business.

And serious business it does do, especially at weekends. Not surprising really as the food is excellent, the menu extensive (well over 100 choices of main course), service is swift and the staff are friendly - even the kitchen guys when they pop out the side door for their fag breaks say "Hi" to customers. Well I've kinda given the game away with the title. It really is good with big juicy prawns, slivers of duck and pork, plenty of vegetable noodles and a sauce with a spicy kick. At under a fiver this is exactly what Singapore Noodles should be.

And the Cantonese spicy sweet and sour chicken is pretty good too.

Plymouth Citadel

by Maeniel

This huge fortification is what a lot of the locals think of as being the dividing point between the Hoe and the barbican regions of the waterfront. it is a massive structure that cannot be missed so long as you are on the sea-front..

It is possible to enter the Citadel, but only on guided tours as a part of National Heritage. This runs on Tuesdays, May to September from 2.30pm (Costs £3). At other times it is not possible to enter it as it is still in use by the Military (The 29 Commando Royal Artillery Regiment), but it is still worth a visit. There are numerous monuments surrounding it, attesting to the valour of the armed forces of Great Britain in WWII and other conflicts. By walking past it you go past some of the best spots for seeing the view over the Ocean as well.

I recommend a vist to the Main Gate on Hoe Road, as this is a piece of stunning piece of architechture. Just remember that it is still in use though...

A very historical building, the details of which are outlined in the website below.

The Royal Citadel

by Geoff_Wright

The Royal Citadel was built on the site of the old 14th century castle of which nothing now remains but the fragment of a bastion at the foot of Lambhay Street. The Citadel is still in use as a barracks, and was built by Charles the Second as 'a menace to the rebellious townsmen' who for more than three years held the city for the Parliament in the English Civil War See my travelogue for another older view of this famous site

Plymouth and The Barbican

by Geoff_Wright

The city of Plymouth, Devonshire, is situated on the Plymouth sound, an inlet of the English Channel. Situated on a peninsula between the estuaried of the Plym and Tamar Rivers, Plymouth is an important port and naval base. The southern waterfront and adjacent promenade are known as the Hoe. Foodstuffs and raw materials are imported and manufactures of many kinds exported. Other items traded include fish and kaolin (china clay), and granite and marble were also exported. (I'm not certain if this trade has now ceased). The Royal Maries Barracks and Naval Dockyard (1691) are located in Plymouth. In 1588 the port was the rendezvous of the anti-Armada fleet. From here Drake, Hawkins, Raleigh, and several later explorers set forth.

Plymouth was held by the Parliamentarians for four years during the civil war, while the rest of Devon and Cornwall were Royalist. The first English factory to make Chinese porcelain was established in Plymouth in 1768. Among the sprincipal points of interest on the Hoe are the old Royal Citadel (17th Century), still in use as a regular Army Barracks, the upper part of Smeaton's lighthouse brought here from the Eddystone Reef, some 15 miles from Plymouth, and Armada memorial, and a naval war memorial.

Cross-channel ferries leave the docks at Millbay, bound for Roscoff, France, and Santander, Northern Spain.

If you are travelling to Plymouth, click here to see the current weather:
Plymouth Weather Forecast

Plymouth was badly damaged by bombing during the Second World War, and was largely rebuilt during the 1960's. As a teenager passing through here in the early 1960's I remember seeing some of the old buildings being demolished. Unfortunately, the planners of the day really go it wrong, in my view, and Plymouth was rebuilt in a most unfortunate manner. There just doesn't seem to be much character in the main shopping area of George Street and Cornwall Street, Armada Way and so on. New buildings of a better architectural style, such as the National Marine Aquarium on the Barbican, are now emerging, but there is yet another 'plan' to rebuild parts of the City centre. Some quite modern buildings, including the Plymouth Pavilions (about 10 years old), are now being looked at for demolition. The object of much of this is to open up the waterfront for the tourists. Let's hope they make a better job of it this time round!