HOW IT RATES

Sir Francis Drake famously played bowls on Plymouth Hoe before sailing off to tackle the Spanish Armada. This, and the harbourside buildings that escaped the Luftwaffe, give locals a rich maritime history that lures 11.8 million tourists a year. Devonport Royal Dockyard continues the naval tradition, although it is a shadow of its former glory.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

Although very much a postindustrial city, Plymouth’s past as one of Britain’s major ports has left many reminders around the docklands. The surviving Tudor and Jacobean buildings in The Barbican are prime examples, and Smeaton’s Tower is a well-known landmark. The Royal Citadel, dating to 1665, is still in military use.

WHAT'S NEW

Manadon Park was recently built on the site of a naval engineering college. Prices from £160,000 to £800,000 (Mansbridge & Balment 01752 229292). Royal William Yard is undergoing a £25 million development to turn it from a disused naval yard into high-spec flats and offices (Urban Splash 07000 373737).

QUALITY OF LIFE

Pretty good. The Barbican Leisure Park is the city’s creative centre despite its title being more suited to a council gym. Galleries, music and movies are on offer, all by the sea.

TRAVEL

Trains to Paddington take just under three hours. Plymouth City airport runs four daily flights to Gatwick plus domestic and Channel Island services.

POPULATION

Devon’s largest city has 243,800 people, 30,000 of whom are students. There are marginally more women than men, except for the 10-24 age group, where boys outnumber girls – not the best place for a young Romeo.

SMARTEST STREETS

Mannamead has grand Victorian mansions, with Thorn Park prettily arranged around a square. The stylishly converted Millfields buildings are set in tended grounds, the centre of which is The Square, with its huge Georgian houses.

BEST RESTAURANTS

Tanners Restaurant has won prizes for its food, wine and atmosphere. Trading House does local seafood and relaxed tapas, while Cuisine Spontanée is top for fusion.

TOP NIGHTLIFE

The Duchy of Cornwall is a cosy local with farm cider and a friendly atmosphere. The Plymouth Gin Distillery would suit the discerning drinker and The Barbican’s live music and comedy venues are the Jazz Café and B-Bar.

EDUCATION

The two best state schools are Devonport High School for Boys and Devonport High School for Girls. City College Plymouth has won numerous teaching awards. The University of Plymouth is the largest in the South West. Unemploymen

WORKING LIFE

t reached 5.6% in 2006 compared with 3.2% in 1996. The move away from traditional work in fishing and the military dockyards has given the city the worst employment rate in the South West, but electronics and boatbuilding remain key industries. The university provides about 3,000 jobs.

UPSIDE

It is undergoing a huge urban redevelopment entitled Vision For Plymouth, due to be completed in 2020, and trialling the Government’s new Business Improvement District Initiative. The city is home to the UK’s largest aquarium, complete with colourful reefs and alarmingly large sand tiger sharks. The refurbished 1950s seaside lido is retro-fabulous in the summer months.

DOWNSIDE

The Atlantic weather that makes Devon green and beautiful makes Plymouth very wet. Man-made negatives are a number of eyesores, with the new Drake Circus shopping centre attracting unwanted attention when it was nominated for Channel 4’s Demolition Britain’s least favourite buildings.

£126,000

The average property price in Plymouth

3.6%

The increase in property prices in Plymouth over the past three months

186%

The increase in property prices in Plymouth over the past ten years

26,233

The number of properties owned outright in Plymouth

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