to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
Plymouth has taken a deep dive into its maritime heritage to inspire its special sea-themed Christmas gift guide.
Known as Britain’s Ocean City, the port’s artisans are embracing all things connected with the sea, producing a fabulous haul of goodies from original art works to sumptuous chocolates infused with local Plymouth gin and rum.
Available online and for personal shoppers, the sea-sonal gifts are a great opportunity to share a little bit of Plymouth’s magic with friends and loved ones. Or just indulge yourself…
For art lovers, Megan Hall’s quirky designs sum up the joy of being in and around the sea. Inspired by nature and her connection to water, Megan of Flotsam Prints creates original linocut prints and paint carvings that strive to depict the emotions she feels at the time of inspiration.
Based in Alma Yard, Plymouth, she frequently uses her outdoor swimming adventures as her muse, taking her colour palette directly out of the landscape. Blues, greens and dusky hues are prominent throughout and lend themselves well to her beautifully simple and effective designs.
Her work ranges from greeting cards from £3.25 to original prints from £20 to £105 and paint carvings from £220 up to £840.
Textile fans will be impressed by the gorgeous designs produced by Hannah Wisdom, especially her Hoe Hoe Hoe Christmas cushion, price £30, of Santa’s sleigh soaring above Plymouth Hoe’s iconic Smeaton’s Tower.
With a studio in Plymouth and a gallery shop at Mountbatten, Western Hangar, textile artist Hannah creates her artworks by sewing recycled fabric scraps onto old admiralty sea charts. Her work celebrates the city’s marine wildlife, customs and heritage and is intrinsically connected to the sea – her design Seahorses at Drakes Island was created to celebrate the seahorses living in the waters around the island in Plymouth Sound.
As well as her original artworks and prints, she prints her designs onto a range of gift items such as cushions, tea towels, notebooks, coasters and placements.
For stocking fillers pop into the south west’s major new museum, art gallery and archive The Box, Plymouth or shop online, for wooden sealife magnets by local artist Grace Ellis. Handmade in Plymouth, and priced just £3 each, choose from seal, crab, seagull and lighthouse designs.
Or pick a perfect print from the Box’s collections which include snowy and seasonal scenes of the Ocean City. Each order is printed on 250gsm Image Impact paper with delivery direct to your door ready to be framed.
And for something glassy and unique, see Ian Nicholls’ glass sail sculptures, ranging from £50 to £80 or as a set of three for £175. Handmade at his Plymouth Glass Gallery, they are produced in various colours.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without chocolate and a visit to Domea Favour chocolate shop in Royal William Yard is an unmissable sweet treat. Celebrating the best of local produce, Domea Favour’s chocolatier Nick Kittle makes fresh choccies that include world-famous Plymouth Gin and Plymouth’s Honky Tonk Rum.
He has also created advent calendars with a luxury handmade chocolate behind each door and an array of stocking fillers including bespoke “Nice List” chocolate bars which can be personalised. Other gifts include a range of chocolate bars, created for wine lovers, to provide the perfect pairing for a tipple – think apple, raspberry and elderflower with sparkling wine, or raspberry and liquorice with Pinot Noir.
It’s a festive feast of sea-sonal gifts fit for Father Christmas himself as he passes Plymouth on the Big Day.
Plymouth is easily accessible by train with a wide range of services running from a variety of locations within England. Although some services may require a change or two.
Travelling from London takes around 3 hours with Great Western Railway, if you're coming from the north, the trip from Manchester can take 5 hours 15 minutes.
Alternatively, the recently renovated Night Riviera Sleeper service runs Monday – Friday and Sunday evenings. Visit gwr.com/sleeper for more details on times and how to book.
We recommend using GWR.com to search for the fastest and best route for your journey, and book in advance for the best price.
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