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Plymouth: A beautiful place to study

From stunning countryside and beaches to a vibrant and thriving city life, Plymouth has a lot to offer...
<p dir="ltr">Situated on the coast of Devon in the South West of England, Plymouth is Britain’s Ocean City. With a beautiful waterfront and harbour that includes a lovingly restored 1935 Art Deco lido, and plenty of stunning surrounding countryside and beaches, Plymouth is a thriving city that offers a wealth of inspiration from its naturally idyllic setting and vibrant culture.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Plymouth is a unique seaside city that increasingly embraces creativity from its streets to its cultural landmarks. Plymouth College of Art sits in the heart of the Cultural Quarter in the city’s centre, only a stone's throw from <a href="https://www.theboxplymouth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Box</a>, the £40 million rebuilt home of Plymouth’s museum and city archives with seven large-scale permanent galleries, including collections from the South West Film and Television Archive. Plymouth is also home to the biggest immersive 3D dome in Europe at the newly opened <a href="https://realideas.org/our-spaces/market-hall/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Market Hall</a>, as well as one of the UK’s largest regional producing theatres, <a href="https://theatreroyal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Theatre Royal</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Plymouth College of Art is also the location of two independent creative organisations: <a href="https://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/visit/the-gallery">MIRROR</a> and <a href="https://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/visit/plymouth-arts-cinema">Plymouth Arts Cinema</a>. <a href="https://mirrorplymouth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIRROR</a> is our onsite art gallery that plays host to major exhibitions and artists, including British Art Show 7, with British Art Show 9 set to return to Plymouth in 2022. <a href="https://plymouthartscinema.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plymouth Arts Cinema</a> is the city’s only independent cinema, boasting a 118 seat auditorium with state of the art sound and cinema screen with an extensive programme of arthouse, foreign language and modern classic films.</p>
The Box

The Box

<p dir="ltr">A short walk from our Tavistock Place campus and on the doorstep of our Pre-Degree campus is the historical <a href="https://www.barbicanwaterfront.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barbican</a>, Plymouth’s old port and fishmarket. Full of narrow cobbled streets, Elizabethan houses, independent shops, art galleries, cafes and restaurants, you can also tuck into award-winning fish and chips and visit the UK’s largest aquarium, the <a href="https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Marine Aquarium</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just round the corner is <a href="https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/explore/areas-to-visit/the-hoe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Hoe</a>, home to the city’s most famous landmark, the <a href="https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/smeatons-tower-p258003" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Smeaton’s Tower</a> lighthouse. With unbeatable scenic views across Plymouth Sound, it’s the perfect place to spend a sunny day, enjoying a picnic on the grass, skating on the Promenade or taking a dip in the art deco <a href="https://www.everyoneactive.com/centre/tinside-lido/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tinside Lido</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Plymouth is surrounded by miles of natural sandy beaches, with spots for peace and quiet and fun-filled water activities, from rock pooling and swimming to surfing and paddleboarding.</p> <p dir="ltr">Take a short ferry ride on the <a href="https://www.plymouthboattrips.co.uk/ferries/cremyll-ferry/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cremyll Ferry</a> over to <a href="https://www.mountedgcumbe.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mount Edgcumbe</a> which not only sits next to the Barn Pool Beach, but also boasts 7 acres of gardens, a stately House and numerous trails around the estate which you can enjoy by foot or by bike.</p>

Explore the stunning scenery a stone's throw away from the Plymouth College of Art campus.

<p dir="ltr">Closest to the city are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4ItimYYOF4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bovisand</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KMDeIDson4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wembury</a>, which you can access by car or by bus. Wembury is a National Trust owned beach, which is just as beautiful on a misty winter’s day as it is in the heat of summer, with lots of rockpools. Bovisand Beach is a sheltered bay of golden sand with cliffs either side, with a large expanse of flat sand when the tide is out, perfect for fun days out and games.</p> <p dir="ltr">Only a <a href="https://www.plymouthboattrips.co.uk/ferries/cawsand-ferry/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">half hour boat trip from the Barbican</a> you can find the Cornish smuggler villages of <a href="https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/kingsand-beach-p2877183" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kingsand</a> and <a href="https://www.visitcornwall.com/beaches/toilets-nearby/south-coast/cawsand/cawsand-beach" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cawsand</a>, with secluded beaches, exciting walks and friendly locals who man the pubs and cafes.</p>
Royal William Yard

The historic Royal William Yard

<p dir="ltr">For those more adventurous, you can visit <a href="https://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/things-to-do/bigbury-on-sea-beach-p232883" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bigbury on Sea</a>, a little further out of the city on the South Hams coast. Based on the beach is the <a href="https://discoverysurf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Discovery Surf School</a> where you can learn to surf, rent kayaks or paddle boards or simply borrow a wetsuit and take a dip.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wild swimming has also become more popular in recent years, with Plymouth boasting lots of great locations to choose from, only a short walk from the city centre. Wade into the <a href="https://royalwilliamyard.com/relax-and-play/swim-in-the-tidal-pool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Firestone Bay tidal pool</a>, a shallow pool great for beginners, which is also accessible from the historic <a href="https://royalwilliamyard.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal William Yard</a>, or brave the waves on <a href="https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-west-england/devon/plymouth-hoe-east.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plymouth Hoe’s east side beach</a>, a sand-less suntrap perfect for a paddle. Check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/plymouth_swim_collective/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@plymouth_swim_collective</a> on Insta for tips on open water swimming and inspiration for places to take a dip.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Plymouth is surrounded by incredible woodlands, creeks, moors and parks, where you can experience the natural beauty of Dartmoor National Park, explore the valleys along the River Plym and wander the rooms and grounds of stately home Saltram House.</p> <p dir="ltr">A short bus ride out of the city centre, <a href="https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dartmoor National Park</a> is a vast 368 square mile parkland with wild, open moors, deep river valleys and ancient woodlands. Home to the famously haunted Wistman’s Woods, a remote high altitude lichen covered oak forest, Dartmoor has a reputation for ethereal beauty. Walk and find natural pools and unique landscapes of tors and flatlands, find out about the history, folklore and Neolithic monuments and explore its rare and diverse wildlife including the famous Dartmoor ponies.</p>
Graduate Nicholas White stands at the top of a tor in Dartmoor looking through the lens of a large 5x4 film camera as the rich golden light of the morning sun brings the moorland to life around him.

Graduate Nicholas White at the top of a tor in Dartmoor

<p dir="ltr">The River Plym runs from Dartmoor all the way out to Plymouth Sound, with <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/plymbridge-woods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plymbridge Woods</a> situated a bus ride away in the suburb of Plympton. Cycle or walk the <a href="http://www.drakestrail.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Drake’s Trail</a> where you can see deer, ducks and a falcon if you’re lucky as well as enjoy the natural fauna and flora that decorates the area’s industrial past of canals, railway cottage ruins and viaducts.</p> <p dir="ltr">Within a bus ride and a short walk is <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saltram</a>, a National Trust stately home and grounds where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Saltram House is full of Georgian collections and ornate interiors, nestled in an estuary complete with woodlands and open green spaces. A very accessible venue with trails for cyclists and hikers as well as mobility scooters to hire so everyone can make the most of the beautiful scenery.</p> <p dir="ltr">Less than an hour’s drive away, the <a href="https://www.edenproject.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eden Project</a> is the world’s largest indoor rainforest, within massive biospheres huddled inside a clay pit crater just outside of St Austell. When the complex isn’t being used as a venue for the <a href="https://www.edensessions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eden Sessions</a>, you can explore the depths of the rainforest or the Mediterranean in the biomes, learn about plants and ecosystems while visiting the 70-tonne egg art installation <em>The Seed</em> by Peter Randall-Page and even fly over the site on England’s longest and fastest zip wire.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">We love the city of Plymouth, but there’s so much more to it than meets the eye. Immerse yourself with inspiration in a buzzing city by the sea. <a href="https://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/open-days">Book an Open Day</a> and make a weekend of it - if you can find the time to squeeze it all in!<br /></p>