Plymouth Sutton Harbour areaClick on a photo for a large version. |
Sutton Harbour is the oldest of several harbours in Plymouth. It is used as a marina, and there is a fish market, so is also used by fishing boats. The Barbican (oldest part of Plymouth) is next to it, and it has pubs and restaurants next to the harbour.
Also known as the Barbican Prawn, this metal sculpture is in fact an amalgamation of local marine life from the past and present. Its head is that of an angler fish attached to an upper body consisting of a lobster’s carapace (shell) with accompanying claws and the lower body and towering fin of a John Dory. The creature stands with cormorant feet upon a pole, which its plesiosaurus tail curls around.
The Mayflower Steps are where the Pilgrim Fathers are believed to have finally left England aboard the Mayflower on 6 September 1620, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to settle in North America. The traditional site of their disembarkation in North America is Plymouth Rock. The steps today consist of a commemorative portico with Doric columns of Portland stone that was built in 1934, and a small platform over the water with a brushed steel rail and a shelf with nautical bronze artwork and historical information. It is on a small pier that is believed to have been built in the 18th or 19th centuries. So nothing actually dates back to the time of the Pilgrim Fathers!
The entrance to the harbour has a moving bridge. You can normally cross, but sometimes it is closed to let a boat through. It is possible to walk right round the harbour. The trickiest part of the walk is the eastern end of the moving bridge. The fish market is closed to the public, so you need to walk round the National Maritime Museum, but then there is a collection of paths and roads next to the harbour.
The Mayflower Museum, set over three floors explores the story of the voyage of the Pilgrims and their journey aboard the Mayflower to the New World. It costs money to enter. The tourist information centre is on the ground floor. There is a good view of the harbour, including the national Maritime Museum, from the Mayflower Museum.
© Jo Edkins 2023