Plymouth sits on the south coast of Devon in England, centred on the sweeping inlet of Plymouth Sound where the River Plym meets the sea and the River Tamar forms the border with Cornwall. It’s famously maritime: an historic port and naval centre with the large dockyard at Devonport, the Mayflower Steps marking the Pilgrims’ 1620 departure, and atmospheric waterfront quarters such as the cobbled Barbican and the wide, windswept public space of the Hoe.
The city blends a strong defence and maritime economy with education and marine research around the University of Plymouth, a lively cultural scene of theatres, festivals and galleries, and ongoing waterfront regeneration. Heavily bombed in the Second World War and largely rebuilt afterwards, Plymouth now has a mixed urban fabric, a growing student population and a reputation for seafood, outdoor activities and easy access to nearby moorland like Dartmoor.