Getting to know the Hoe ...

We have been here a few days now, and are gradually getting familiar with Plymouth. We are on the Hoe, where Drake "purportedly" (not "supposedly or possibly" mark you!) played bowls in 1588, before sailing out to meet, greet and beat (!) the Spanish Armada. Out to sea there is Drakes Island, and far out on the horizon if the weather is clear it is possible to see Eddystone Lighthouse. The original model of this is actually on the Hoe (known as Smeaton's Tower), we can also see this from our side windows. This one originally stood on the Eddystone rocks, built in 1759 and was later dismantled in 1877 and moved stone by stone to the Hoe. The Tower overlooks Tinside Pool, which is a 1930's lido, sitting on the shoreline at the base of the cliff. Hmm, I wonder if people still use it nowadays??!

We can also see the Citadel from the flat, which was built in 1665 as a defense against Dutch invasion which never happened (until Simon came to help us move in!!). It is still used by the military (Royal Artillery), and indeed my father worked there whilst he was stationed in Plymouth when in the Army, and my sister Angela was also christened there.