Heritage Trails and Walks

About us

Take a walk down memory lane and explore Plymouth’s heritage. Visit some of our historic sites, places of interest and parks and discover some fascinating facts.

Devonport Heritage Trail

Visit Devonport, formally known as Plymouth Dock and originally one of the "Three Towns" (along with Plymouth and East Stonehouse) which links many historic and cultural points of interest.

Spilt into four sections, this four mile walk, starting in Stonehouse, passes by the newly restored Guildhall, the Devonport Column and the Egyptian House before making its way into Devonport Park.

Find out more on the Devonport heritage trail page and download the trail leaflets!

Laira Heritage Trail

Stroll along the Plym Estuary and find out more about the interesting history of the area by visiting the 13 plaques that have been installed along the river.

The Trail route starts on the eastern side of Laira Bridge and finishes about a kilometre north of the entrance to Blagdon’s Meadow.

For more information about the plaques and the history of Laira click here.

Blagdon’s Meadow

Situated just off Embankment Road this grassland is a designated County Wildlife Site. Home to several Devon Notable species including; sea couch, prickly lettuce, bee orchid, round-leaved cranesbill, common broomrape and autumn lady's-tresses. The site also has Southern marsh orchid.

A number of new features have been added to the meadow including a natural stone Devon bank, cycle parking and a viewing area on the waterside complete with heavy-duty granite benches.

Download the natural history of Blagdon’s Meadow and Around and About Blagdon’s Meadow information sheets, here.

Saltash Passage History Detective

Saltash Passage is situated on the Plymouth side of the River Tamar in St Budeaux, opposite Saltash. The name derives from the ferry route between Saltash and Plymouth that operated until crossings ceased in 1961. The area is full of intriguing history that you can learn about with the History Detective quiz.

Plymouth’s Historical Plaques

Spend hours, or even days, seeking out the many plaques we have situated all over the city. Plaques include Sir Francis Drake, Scott of the Antarctic, The Pilgrims and Lawrence of Arabia as well as ‘Old’ Custom House, Royal Naval Hospital and Prysten House.

You can browse our online catalogue of Plymouth plaques by theme. Or why not use Google Map to see where they are located?

Plotting Plymouth’s Past with Boundary Stones

Boundary stones, milestones and other markers add great interest to the local heritage landscape. There are now estimated to have been nearly 1,000 stones in the Plymouth area. However, many stones and markers have been lost through redevelopment.

Download the postcards to view milestones and waymarkers, military and miscellaneous markers and town and parish boundaries.