Blighty 2025 - Britain's Ocean City

We made the second of two trips to Plymouth yesterday, on family business.

It's 180 miles from Shipton-under-Wychwood to our location in north Plymouth. The city is labelled "Britain's Ocean City", positioned as it is on the Western Approaches to the English Channel, with its historic, deep-water harbour. Google said three hours, and if you discount the stops we made (Sedgemoor Services being almost exactly half way), then that was pretty accurate. On both trips, the traffic was heavy, but moving, which was a relief given our limited time.

This trip, outside of family business, Emma and I took Charlie to Plymouth Hoe to visit Smeaton's Tower, the fourth Eddystone Lighthouse, dismantled from its sea-bound perch on the Eddystone Rocks, thirteen miles south, and rebuilt on The Hoe. It's Plymouth's own iconic monument, and one that I know well from my childhood, so it was quite a pleasure to take my step-daughter and grandson there, even if the original one penny admission charge had increased somewhat.

The Hoe commands a brilliant view of Plymouth Sound, the Breakwater, and the English Channel beyond. It helped that the weather was good, and all the nautical activity out in the Sound all added to the ambience. There were lots of young people strewn about on the grass (this is a burgeoning University town) enjoying the sunshine, and of course tourist types like us.

Rather than type out stuff about Smeaton's Tower, if you have time you can read about it here.

I discovered that the tower is now looked after by "The Box", Plymouth's own museum trust. I was able to negotiate some concessionary prices for admission, and listened avidly as the young man issuing the tickets gave us a safety talk, which was welcome given that lighthouses are not roomy and have an awful lot of steps.

We made or way up the granite spiral stairs, which became narrower as the tower itself narrowed, then tackled the series of four ladders, or more like four really steep sets of stairs, that took you up through the various levels. Halfway up a young woman was stationed to answer questions and, more probably, to give support to people panicking as they made their way down the steep steps. She was friendly and helpful, so top marks to The Box. 

The lighthouse was built in 1759, so the light room wasn't equipped with a big lamp or a rotating lens, just two great big cast-iron rings onto which had been fastened candles; quite the contrast to the modern, working lighthouse at Portland Bill. The view from within the light was excellent, but given the fine weather, it was very hot in there, so we ventured out onto the balcony that goes all the way around the top of the light. It may have been sunny, but it was windy out there, and even though there was a sturdy and high railing all the way around, stood holding my camera with two hands, my normally good head for heights was betraying me. It was fine when I held the railing, or pressed back against the wall, but just standing there, hands-free as it were, and I was starting to get a bit wobbly. Still, I got some photos, and a glorious view of Plymouth. Just for good measure, we could see the modern-day Eddystone Lighthouse, out on the horizon, and could just make out the original base of the very tower we were standing on, still anchored to the Eddystone Rocks. Nice.

The rest of the visit was with the family, and we eventually started home nearer 7pm than the 5pm we'd planned on. Again, it was a good run, although I have to raise a proper grumble about the fact that many of the food outlets at Motorway Service Stations close far too early in the evening. I know staff have to be paid, but there was a lot of business going begging at only a little past 8pm.

It was a long day, but we arrived home safely, and were reminded just how far north we are here compared with our home in Canada as it wasn't completely dark at 10:30pm. English summers, eh?