Barbican, Plymouth

The Barbican waterfront.

The Barbican is the name now given to the western and northern sides of Plymouth's old harbour area and one of the few parts of the original city to escape most of the bombs of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Two or three streets still retain some of the architecture and charm of an old fishing town and port. The area is generally regarded by Plymothians as being very roughly equivalent to the location and size of the medieval walled town of 'Sutton'. The name 'Barbican' is the technical name for a fortified gate and in the present case is believed to have derived from the 'Castle Barbican' which served as the watergate and townside entrance of the late medieval fortress which, prior to the building of the present Citadel after the Restoration, stood guarding the entrance to the Cattewater which is the outer estuary of the River Plym and the sea access to Sutton Pool,the commercial and fishing harbour. Once tidal, the harbour was twenty years ago enclosed by a lock, designed both to provide not just a constant adequate depth of water for fishing and pleasure craft but also, reduce the increasing risk and significant damage being caused to low lying business and residential property by ever higher spring tides, particularly in severe and exascerbating weather conditions.

For centuries home to Plymouth's fish market (now relocated to the other side of the harbour) and still home to many fishermen, The Barbican contains a variety of shops and businesses - including sweet shops, retail art galleries, the Barbican Theatre, numerous bars and budget eating places, the Plymouth Gin Distillery, the Dolphin Inn public house, Cap'n Jaspers burger bar and a gypsy fortune teller named Acora.

Other places of interest include the National Marine Aquarium, (technically in Coxside) one of the largest aquariums in Britain, which boasts one of the deepest tanks in Europe; the Elizabethan House, an old house built in the early 16th century, now used as a museum; the Mayflower Steps near where the Pilgrims finally set off in the Mayflower for the New World in 1620, which is described in the nearby visitors' centre; and the studio gallery of the late painter and eccentric Robert Lenkiewicz, who lived and worked on the Barbican for many years deriving much of his inspiration from the local community.

Unfortunately from early evening and all day at weekends the area has become a zone attracting vast numbers of predominantly young heavy drinkers whom council and police have tried to contain using 'designated area and dispersal zone' orders. Large numbers of uniformed police and 'riot vans' are a routine sight. The previously idyllic cobbled promenade of the Parade, shown above, has now been completely filled by the long and dominant feature referred to by locals as the 'chav pens', dispiriting decked glass-sided enclosures with large square umbrellas and infra-red heaters providing huge all weather space for raucous drinkers who smoke.

The Barbican has a great deal of underground culture, from live music to Stone Soup Story Tellers evenings and festivals.

Recent years have highlighted the conflict between these different aspects of the area, as developments have began around the adjacent Sutton Pool area. This has mostly involved the building of modern style waterfront flats and hotels which has been at the expense of opportunities to develop a Plymouth version of Bristol's Arnolfini or other uses in the arts and has prevented the realisation of David Mackay's plan for a seafront 'gateway' from Sutton Pool into the city centre via redevelopment of Bretonside Bus Station. There has been adverse comment about the recent extension of the many marina pontoons severely limiting the area of open water.

Fifteen years ago the Victorian fish market at the eastern end of Southside St was closed and the modern fish market opened across Sutton Harbour at Coxside. This has been very successful and the auctions are some of the busiest on the south coast. Any visitor to the Barbican is likely to see activity around the market quay as many large trawlers and many more small fishing boats arrive to offload their catches.

Much historical research and outreach work is done by the Old Plymouth Society and many of the oldest surviving buildings were restored and are still owned and maintained by the Plymouth Barbican Association. Great swathes of very old and significant buildings were demolished during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries.

External links

• A local's photos of the Barbican

• Barbican Visitors' Guide
• Plymouth City Council Barbican Photo Archive
• National Marine Aquarium Website
• Dispersal Orders