Tours and walks taking place throughout Plymouth History Festival 2013

There are many walks and tours on offer during Plymouth History Festival 2013:

Plymouth Synagogue Tour
2, 7, 11, 22 & 28 May: Enjoy a guided tour of the Plymouth Synagogue, the oldest Ashkenazi Synagogue in the English speaking world still in regular use, and find out more about its history from the 1700s onwards. Admission is free although donations are welcomed. Dates: 2 May 10am-11am; 7 May 2pm-3pm; 11 May 3pm-4pm; 22 May 6pm-7pm; 28 May 11am-noon. There is no need to book in advance but if you require wheelchair access please call 07753 267616.

National Trust Saltram House Taster Tours
2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 May: Enjoy a brief themed tour led by one of the National Trust Guides. Please note the house opens at 12pm. Free to National Trust members or normal admission applies. Bookings can be made on the day at 11am in reception. For more information please contact 01752 333500 or email saltram@nationaltrust.org.uk.

City Centre Heritage Trees Tour
3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 May: Join Tree Warden, Andrew Young from the Plymouth Tree Partnership, as he leads a guided tour through the city centre looking at Plymouth’s heritage through the lives of its trees. Come and find out about these stalwarts of living history. Noon-1pm each day. Admission is free and there is no need to book, meet at the Sundial, Armada Way, Plymouth.

National Trust Saltram House Whole House Tours
3 May: Enjoy a full house tour during the afternoon led by one of the National Trust Guides. Free to National Trust members or normal admission applies. Please note the house is closed to the general public on this date. Bookings can be made on the day at 11am in reception. For more information please contact 01752 333500 or email saltram@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Smeaton’s Tower and the Hoe Walk and Talk
5 May: Join Nigel Overton, City and Maritime Heritage Curator, for a guided walk and talk where you’ll find out more about our landmark lighthouse and the unique landscape that surrounds it.  2.30pm to 4pm. Admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 304774.

South Stonehouse Stroll
6 May: Join Nigel Overton, City and Maritime Heritage Curator, for a wander along the waterfront from Admiral’s Hard to Firestone Bay and Devil’s Point. 6.30pm-9pm, admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 873136 or fishermed@hotmail.co.uk

Saltram House: Forgotten Stables’ Tours
7, 14, 21 and 28 May: Enjoy a brief tour led by one of the National Trust Guides. Free to National Trust members or normal admission applies. 1.30pm-2pm and 2.30pm-3pm. Bookings can be made on the day at 11am in reception. For more information please contact 01752 333500 or email saltram@nationaltrust.org.uk

Saltram House: Explore the Garden Buildings’ Tours
7, 14, 21 and 28 May:Enjoy a brief tour led by one of the National Trust Guides. Free to National Trust members or normal admission applies. 1pm-1.4pm and 2pm-2.45pm, bBookings can be made on the day at 11am in reception. For more information please contact 01752 333500 or email saltram@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Plymstock Village Guided Walk
8 & 23 May: Explore the ancient heart of Plymstock Village including a visit to the church and a look at other historic buildings. Graham Naylor will provide a full commentary with archive photographs to help you understand how Plymstock looked until the mid 2oth Century. 10am-12.30ppm, admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 305909 or graham.naylor@plymouth.gov.uk.

40 Years in Plymouth? Behind the scenes tour of the Marjon Archive
8 & 15 May: Take a behind the scenes tour of the Marjon Archive, which includes items dating back 175 years to the 1800s. Find out more about its celebrations marking 40 years in the City and learn about the ‘Advance Post’ – an important group of students who came to Plymouth before this. 2pm-4pm, admission is free but advance booking is essential on gfewings@marjon.ac.uk

Naval Heritage Centre Tour, Devonport 
9, 14 & 30 May: Explore the Galleries of the Naval Heritage Centre with our experienced guides. Discover some of the many trades of ‘the Yardies’, be overawed by the Figureheads and Model Ships and ‘drive’ a Periscope; find out more about the impact of the Royal Navy on Plymouth and Devonport as well as details of some important Naval actions. Admission is free although donations are welcomed. 2pm-4pm, booking is recommended on 01752 554200 or DevonportNavalHeritage@gmail.com

Royal Naval Hospital Walk and Talk
12 May: Join the Millfields’ resident historian, Geoffrey Sloggett to view surviving buildings, appreciate the architecture and learn more about Plymouth’s former Royal Naval Hospital site, which celebrated its 250th anniversary last year. 2.30m-4pm and 5pm-6.30pm, admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 304774.

Elliot Terrace: Behind the Scenes Tour
13 May: Take part in a guided tour of 3 Elliot Terrace, the official residence of Plymouth’s Lord Mayor and former home of Waldorf and Nancy Astor, by one of the Lord Mayor’s official Macebearers (not suitable for children under 10 or those with disabilities). 10.30am-noon and 2pm-3.30pm. Admission is free but advance booking is required on 01752 308699 or 01752 304489.

History – Gossip Well Told at South West Image Bank, The Barbican
11 May: Enjoy a behind the scenes tour of this specialist photographic archive and gallery (not suitable for children / limited disabled access). 11am-noon, 1pm-2pm and 3pm-4pm, Admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 665445 or colette@southwestimagebank.com

Palmerston Forts Walk
13 May: Take part in a guided walk along the line of the Palmerston Forts towards Crownhill Fort, including a visit to the interior of Woodlands Fort. Local CityBus services 29, 43 and 43B from Plymouth City Centre will drop you off on Crownhill Road, adjacent to our meeting point. The walk will finish at Woodlands Fort where bus services back to the City Centre or St Budeaux can be caught. Please note: only 50% of Woodlands Fort is wheelchair/pushchair friendly. 9.45am-12.30pm, admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 305940 or walkswithhistory@gmail.com.

Visit to Royal Marines Barracks, East Stonehouse
15 May: Join us for a visit to see around the Royal Marines Barracks in East Stonehouse, home of the Royal Marines in Plymouth. Places on this tour are only available to current registered users of the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office and places can only be booked in person at the Record Office.

Plymouth Central Library: Behind the Scenes Tour
16 May: See behind the scenes at the City’s biggest library and the former St Luke’s Church on Tavistock Place. 10am-noon and 2pm-4pm. Admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 305903 or library@plymouth.gov.uk.

Royal Citadel Tour
18 May: Take a tour of Plymouth’s impressive Royal Citadel, which was built in the late 1660s, including a seeing inside the chapel and walking along the Citadel walls. Free admission to members of the Historical Association. £5 for non-members. 10.30am-noon. Advance booking is essential on 01503 230106 or a.cousins345@btinternet.com.

Plymouth and West Devon Record Office: Behind the Scenes Tour
20 May: Come and get a fascinating insight into the City’s archive collections, which cover over 900 years of history. 9.30am-10.30am, 11am-noon and 1pm-2pm. Admission is free but advance booking is essential. Please call 01752 305940 and quote ‘History Festival Tour’.

Plympton History Walk
20 May: Take part in a guided walk from Plympton St Maurice to Plympton St Mary visiting the Guildhall and Plympton St Mary Church along the way. Local CityBus service 51A will drop you off on Longcause, just a minutes’ walk from our meeting point. Parking is also available on George Lane. 9.45am-1pm. Admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 305940 or walkswithhistory@gmail.com.

North Prospect History Walk and Talk
21 May: Learn more about the history of the North Prospect area of the City with the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office’s Learning Officer, Tony Davey. The North Prospect estate has a really interesting past, having initially been built during the 1920s to house the Officers who returned from the First World War. Following a period of decline in the 1970s, the area is now being transformed with a large-scale regeneration programme. Admission to the event is free and there is no need to book in advance. Meet on the grass area opposite the junction of Seagrave Road and North Prospect Road for an 11am start.

Radford History Walk and Talk
22 May: Join local historian and Vice-Chairman of the Plymstock Forum, Brian Steele on this guided walk through the historic Radford park and arboretum. This area is full of historic events which include Tudor pirates and civil war cavaliers and much more. The walk visits some of the locations of important events in the history of Plymstock. Admission is free and there is no need to book. Meet at the Beckly Centre, Mayers Way, Raford Dip, Hooe Road. Plymstock for a 1pm start.

Plympton St Maurice Walk
25 May: Plympton St. Maurice is a picturesque little village tucked away on the outskirts of Plymouth – one of two parishes within Plympton (the other is Plympton St. Mary). It is the birthplace of famous 18th century artist Sir Joshua Reynolds, the place where other famous artists such as Sir Charles Eastlake, Samuel Prout and Benjamin Robert Haydon were educated. It also has a Norman castle and conservation area. Take a walk and talk with our local guide and find out more. 10.30am-12.30pm. Admission is free but booking is essential on 01752 337416 or 01752 342100 or info@plymptoncivicsociety.org.uk.

Plympton Priory and St. Mary’s Church Tour
23 & 25 May: Take a guided tour of Plympton Priory and St. Mary’s Church which have a long and interesting past with local historian, John Boulden. Admission is free but booking is essential on 01752 337416 or 01752 342100 or info@plymptoncivicsociety.org.uk

LGBT History Tour
25 May: Discover more about a previously hidden aspect of Plymouth’s history with a family-friendly walk around city centre sites that have relevance to the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. 11am-noon, admission is free but advance booking is essential on plymlgbtarchive@yahoo.co.uk.

Metta Catharina Coastal Walk
26 & 30 May, Mount Edgcumbe House and Gardens, Cremyll, Torpoint: Ever wanted to find out about what lies beneath the sea in Plymouth Sound? This coastal walk around the grounds of Mount Edgcumbe will tell the stories of the shipwrecks lying off shore, including the Metta Catharina von Flensburg. 2pm-3.30pm both dates, meet at the Mount Edgcumbe Orangery. Admission is free and there is no need to book in advance.

Royal William Yard Walk and Talk
26 May: Join Nigel Overton, City and Maritime Heritage Curator, for a guided walk and talk where you’ll find out more about the history of our former Royal Naval supplies yard. 2.30pm-4pm, admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 304774.

Three Towns Guided Bus Tours
28 & 30 May: Enjoy a guided bus tour highlighting the heritage of the City’s three original towns of Plymouth, Devonport and East Stonehouse. The route will go from the City Centre, through the Barbican, to the Royal William Yard, over Stonehouse Bridge through Devonport to the Torpoint Ferry/Pottery Quay and back again. 11am-12.30pm an 1pm-2.30pm, admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 304774.

Sutton Harbour Arrivals and Departures Walk and Talk
29 May: Join Nigel Overton, City and Maritime Heritage Curator, for a guided walk and talk where you’ll find out more about the historic arrivals and departures connected to the City. You can then spend some time looking around the Mayflower exhibition at the Barbican Tourist Information Centre. Standard admission applies. 11am-12.30pm and 2pm-3.30pm. Advance booking is essential on 01752 304774.

Council House Tour
29 May:Take a guided tour of the Council Chambers and the Lord Mayor’s Parlour inside the Council House, which was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II just over 50 years ago. 10.15am-12.30pm. Admission is free but advance booking is essential on 01752 305940 or walkswithhistory@gmail.com.

For all outdoor events please dress appropriately for the weather and remember sun cream if it’s hot. For walks, please make sure you wear good, supportive footwear.

For more information and events visit http://plymhistoryfest.wordpress.com