Bovisand Lodge Estate
Bovisand
Near Plymouth
PL9 0AA
www.bovisand-apartments.co.uk

Sailing

Local Area

Local Activities

The Heritage Apartments are only five minutes drive from the Mount Batten Centre located two miles away, where you can arrange almost any water sport including diving. From here it only takes 4 minutes by water taxi to the Barbican in Plymouth, where boat trips around the Sound and up the River Tamar to the Naval Dockyards can be arranged. Within one mile is the Staddon Heights golf club with panoramic views of Plymouth Sound, open to non-residents. The nearest riding stables are at Wembury, five miles away and there are beautiful trails along the coastal path for leisurely walks.

Plymouth City Centre by road is only six miles away; here you will find a wide variety of excellent tourist attractions including the Plymouth Pavilions with a fabulous leisure pool and ice rink and The Theatre Royal where regularly London West End Shows start their life. If you are feeling adventurous, try the dry ski slope or toboggan run, open all year round.

 

Take the water taxi to the Barbican from the Mount Batten Centre – save the hassle of finding car parks! Here you will find an assortment of cobbled streets with small rustic shops and fashionable restaurants and bars. Arrive here early in the morning and see the fishing fleet come in, and purchase fresh fish from the quay-side. From here it’s only a short stroll to the National Marine Aquarium and Plymouth Gin Factory which arranges regular factory tours, or take a boat trips around the Sound or up to Calstock past the Royal Naval dockyard.

From the Barbican it is only minutes to the famous Plymouth Hoe, where Sir Francis Drake played his game of ‘Bowls’ whilst the Spanish Armada approached. Take in the panoramic views of Plymouth Sound, Drakes Island and the Cornish Coast and see the impressive war memorial to fallen servicemen of both world wars.

 

Places to visit in Plymouth:

In the Surrounding Area:

Other links:

 Note: Bovisand Lodge Estate is not responsible for linked sites.

Historical facts

Bovisand Lodge was built as a home and headquarters to Joseph Whidbey, the Superintendent Engineer of the Plymouth Breakwater. In 1690 the Admiralty decided to make Plymouth its major base in the South West and from then on the shipping increased but unfortunately so did the shipwrecks due to the weather conditions, In 1804, on one day alone ten ships were wrecked in the Cattewater.

By 1806 the war against France was placing Britain in a precarious position and only the Royal Navy stood between the French and potential defeat. It was realised that only a breakwater could turn Plymouth Sound into a safe haven for the fleet from the prevailing weather. Finally the decision was taken to build the Breakwater, which became known as The Great National Undertaking. John Rennie was appointed as the designer (his most popular work was the building of London Bridge) and he appointed his old friend Joseph Whidbey as his main engineer.

The free standing Breakwater, the first of its kind took over four million tons of rock and thirty years in the making. It was one of the greatest engineering feats of its time and even today Plymouth has to thank these great men in securing the prosperity of the city by protecting the national fleet.

Whidbey himself was able to watch the development of the breakwater from Bovisand Lodge and in the mornings he could gallop down to Bovisand harbour and be taken out to his work by boat.