.

On the left is the commemorative plaque to the Pilgrim Fathers on the MayflowerSteps. It is this very spot where the Pilgrim Fathers left Britain to board their ships for America in 1620

Here you'll find many of the city's best shops, restaurants, and sites of interest. The atmosphere is authentic old England and you will find many interesting places to visit here.

In New Street you can visit the Elizabethan House. The Elizabethan House originally dates back to 1584 and features an array of authentic period furniture ranging from the 16th to the 19th century. It also houses the seafaring history of a former sea captain.

Plymouth Dry Gin, Black Friars Distillery in the Barbican has been distilling fine liquor since 1793. The building was originally a 14th century monastery. Tours include an audiovisual display and exhibition. Gin was bought in bulk by the naval authorities in Devonport.

The cocktail 'Pink Gin' was actually invented as a means to get sailors to drink Angostura bitters to curb the malnourishment that was rife on long voyages in those days. Thus, pink gin became a staple drink of the Royal Navy, and Plymouth Pink Gin became world renowned.

Across from the Barbican is the National Marine Aquarium in Rope Walk. This award-winning family attraction boasts one of the largest underwater displays in Europe. Here, you'll find more than 3,000 animals, ranging from sharks to seahorses.

Plymouth Hoe and Sir Francis Drake. This area, particularly from Smeatons lighthouse, provides visitors with a majestic view of Plymouth Sound. It was here that Sir Francis Drake spent some leisure time before defeating the Spanish Armada. A statue of Drake is among the interesting sights at the Hoe.

Smeatons Tower was constructed in 1759 on the infamous Eddystone Reef some 20 miles out to sea from Plymouth. Previous lighthouses there had been destroyed by the sea or burnt down. Smeatons stood the test well but was moved to the Hoe in 1852 when its foundations started to collapse.

Between Plymouth and Tavistock is Buckland Abbey. In the 1570's, this 13th century church was converted into a residence for Sir Richard Grenville. Sir Francis Drake purchased the home in 1581. Today, Buckland Abbey serves as the Drake, Naval, and West Country Folk Museum and displays a variety of artefacts.

Dartmoor National Park. Englands' last remaining wilderness.

When walking on Dartmoor treat the Moor as the unspoilt wilderness it is. Wear proper clothing and footwear, take waterproofs, a map and a compass. Tell someone you can trust your route and expected return time before you set out. Check the weather forecast. Close gates behind you. Dont leave litter. Keeps dogs on a lead. Granite Tors, impassable bogs and mires, wide open moorland and superb vistas, and of course home of the Dartmoor pony. Unspoilt villages, thatched cottages by the dozen, a delight to the eye. In the heart of the Moor, Widecombe, with its famous fair, held in October each year.

Dartmoor abounds with myths and legends. It is reputedly the haunt of pixies, a headless horseman, a mysterious pack of 'spectral hounds', and a large black dog. During the Great Thunderstorm of 1638, Dartmoor was even said to have been visited by the Devil. Many landmarks have ancient legends and ghost stories associated with them, such as Jay's Grave, the ancient burial site at Childe's Tomb, and a rockpile called Bowerman's Nose.

A few stories have emerged in recent decades, such as the 'hairy hands', that are said to attack travellers on the B3212 near Two Bridges. Several motorists have claimed that the hands materialised in front of them, grasped the wheel and forced their vehicle off the road - although others believe that the loss of control is more likely to have been the result of subsidence of the road surface.

Dartmoor has inspired a number of artists and writers, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Eden Phillpotts, Beatrice Chase, Agatha Christie and the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould.

High on the moor is Princetown, home of Dartmoor Prison, built by prisoners captured during the Napoleonic War.

A 30 minute drive will bring you to the Tamar Valley near Cotehele House. The Tamar Valley is a wonderful part of South East Cornwall and is certainly worth exploring - on foot, cycle or by train. The unique nature of the area, together with the River Tamar itself, has created a very special landscape. So much so that the Tamar Valley was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of only 41 in England and Wales. The River Tamar has been the official border between Cornwall and Devon since Saxon times.

There are many many more places to visit in and around Plymouth and Dartmoor. The above are suggestions, but do look at the tourist brochures and the National Trust guides for there are so many places of interest to visit.