Tales of 200-year-old naval yard told on trail
Europe's largest collection of Grade I listed military buildings, Royal William Yard at Stonehouse, Plymouth, was built 200 years ago to keep sailors fed, watered and clothed.
The free, self-guided discovery trail has been designed to take visitors through the archives, sharing plans, pictures and stories that illustrate 200 years of history.
To mark the launch of the history trail on Saturday, a day of heritage crafts and themed activities has been planned.
More news stories for Devon
Listen to the latest news for Devon
The activities include clay tile making, a stitching workshop and a ships biscuit making session.
The trail features stories about the yard, including the brewhouse which had been designed to supply beer for the Royal Navy.
In the year it was finished, beer was removed from the sailors' daily rations and replaced by rum which meant the building never fulfilled its original purpose.
The trail also tells the story of the Mills Bakery which could transform 1,000 massive sacks of flour into ship's biscuits in one week.
Two 40-horsepower steam engines powered the millstones – but this was not without danger and the bakery caught fire twice.
Organisers said the trail would remain open all day, every day, indefinitely.
Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.
Giant wicker shark to raise conservation awareness
Tonne of litter recovered from Devon beach
Related internet links
Royal William Yard
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Autistic student achieves dream of going to university
A neurodivergent young woman who once doubted she could cope in a classroom is heading to university, with the dream of caring for children with additional needs. Carriad Lewis, 22, has secured a place to study early years education at Cardiff Metropolitan University after completing her Level 3 qualification in children's care, play, learning and development. Ms Lewis, from Tonyrefail, once believed she would be unable to cope in the classroom. Diagnosed with autism at 20, she struggled through school with social interaction and communication, and the idea of returning to a classroom felt overwhelming. Ms Lewis said: 'Starting college was a really big step for me, especially with my autism. 'I've always found social situations and new environments difficult, so the idea of stepping into a classroom full of people I didn't know was really daunting. 'I was nervous about whether I'd be understood or if I'd be able to cope with the demands of the course.' Despite her fears, Ms Lewis was determined to push beyond her comfort zone and praised the teachers at Coleg y Cymoedd, who she described as 'patient and kind'. 'For the first time, I felt like I didn't have to mask who I was,' she said, 'I could just be myself while learning and growing. 'That experience has given me the confidence to take the next step, and now I'm really excited to go to university and do something to make a difference for other children.' Now, Ms Lewis is looking ahead to university. She said: 'When my cousin was diagnosed with autism, it really cemented my belief that I could help others who face similar challenges. 'I want to create a nursery where all children – especially those with additional needs – feel seen, supported and safe. 'I know what it's like to grow up feeling different and misunderstood. 'I want to be the person I needed when I was younger.' Ms Lewis is not the only student at Coleg y Cymoedd who has overcome adversity to achieve their dreams of going to university. Keira Swain, 18, an aspiring filmmaker from Mountain Ash, who struggled following the death of her mother, did not think university would be an option for her. Ms Swain said: 'My mum passed away just as I was due to start college and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through. 'At first, I didn't want to focus on it, so I threw myself into work as a distraction. 'But underneath it all, I was really struggling. 'I didn't think I had a future, let alone one at university.' Ms Swain said her tutors noticed her struggles and encouraged her to accept support. She said: 'I realised I could use what I'd been through to push myself harder and achieve my goals. 'I wanted to do well for my mum – to make her proud.' Ms Swain went on to thrive in her studies and is now going to study film at Aberystwyth University. Oliver Edmunds, 18, used the grief he had after losing his father as motivation for launching his own fitness brand. The Caerphilly teenager, who was 10 years old when his father died, used the gym to help him get through difficult moments. Having completed his Level 3 BTec business course at Coleg, he is preparing to launch OE Fitness, with the aim of helping others find the same mental wellbeing he did. Mr Edmunds said: 'Fitness changed everything for me. 'The gym helped me get through the hardest moments of my life and I don't know where I'd be without it. 'I think my life would look very different if my friend hadn't suggested I go with him for a session all those years ago. 'It gave me purpose, discipline, and helped me to build a support network. 'It had a really positive impact on my mental health, I now want to help others find that same strength.' Mr Edmunds was inspired to create his own business having watched his father run his own guitar shop and wants to follow in his footsteps. He said: 'After he passed away, it became even more important to me to create something meaningful and a way to honour his memory. 'Starting my own business in fitness just felt like the right fit for me.' Mr Edmunds added: 'I built a strong support network in college and I'm in the position I am today because of that. 'Without the advice and encouragement I received, I don't think I'd have had the confidence to pursue this path. 'They helped me believe in the idea and in myself.'
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Russian expansionism
Cookie Choices for EU, Swiss & UK Residents We and our 919 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting I Accept enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. Selecting Reject All or withdrawing your consent will disable them. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Manage Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage . Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy. If you click 'I accept,' in addition to processing data using cookies and similar technologies for the purposes to the right, you also agree we may process the profile information you provide and your interactions with our surveys and other interactive content for personalized advertising. If you are an EU, Swiss, or UK resident and you do not accept, we will process cookies and associated data for strictly necessary purposes and process non-cookie data as set forth in our If you click 'I accept,' in addition to processing data using cookies and similar technologies for the purposes to the right, you also agree we may process the profile information you provide and your interactions with our surveys and other interactive content for personalized you are an EU, Swiss, or UK resident and you do not accept, we will process cookies and associated data for strictly necessary purposes and process non-cookie data as set forth in our Privacy Policy (consistent with law and, if applicable, other choices you have made).
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Firefighters put out majority of large heath fire
A large heath fire that spready rapidly in windy conditions now has just two remaining areas where crews are on site purely to monitor any possible flare-ups. The fire at Holt Heath, north of Wimborne in Dorset, is believed to have been started deliberately on Saturday morning and has burnt about 69 hectares (170 acres) of land. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said its progress tackling the fire was "very positive news". A major incident had beeen declared due to the size of the blaze with appliances and specialist support from other parts of the country called in to help. The heathland, cared for by the National Trust, is home to all six native UK reptiles. Rangers from the trust along with volunteers from Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Birds of BARI and Dorset Heaths have been combing the charred ground searching for survivors. National Trust Purbeck ranger, Emma Finlinson said: "At first, we were only finding burnt and dead reptiles, which was really heart-wrenching. "However, when we found the first live ones, it was really joyous. Being able to do something positive - even if only something small in comparison to the devastation of the fire - feels really worthwhile." They have managed to save about 30 reptiles to date, including a sand lizard - the rarest lizard in the UK - a grass snake, slow worms and common lizards found sheltering in tiny pockets of vegetation. The survivors have been released into areas unaffected by the fire. The fire service said the cause of the fire at Holt Heath was currently unknown. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Crews travel across country to fight heath fire Team 'devastated' by heath fire loss of wildlife Heath fire started deliberately, fire service says Related Links Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority
