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Drake's Island

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66: 405: 193: 232: 47: 840: 240: 426:, which, despite having announced in 1956 that it was no longer needed for defence purposes, did not finally vacate the island until 1963, when Plymouth City Council obtained a lease from the Crown with the aim of establishing a youth adventure training centre there. This centre was opened in 1964, the year in which a mains water supply finally reached the island. 73: 472:
secured in April 2017, details were released showing how the Grade II-listed Island House, barracks block and ablutions building could be linked to form a £10 million-plus hotel and spa complex containing 25 bedrooms. In October 2018, the island was put up for sale for £6 million. It was purchased by
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On 1 May 1987 the island got its first telephone line, using a cable attached to the mains water pipe. The telephone number was Plymouth 63393. The warden had previously used the Ministry of Defence system. Drake's Island Adventure Centre, under the custody of the Mayflower Centre Trust, operated
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who used Plymouth as his home port. Even well into the 19th century, maps and other references continued to refer to the island as St Nicholas's Island and it is only in about the last 100 years that this name has slipped into disuse and the name Drake's Island has been adopted.
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the world, and in 1583 Drake was made governor of the island. From 1549 the island began to be fortified as a defence against the French and Spanish, with barracks for 300 men being built on the island in the late 16th century.
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On 15 March 2020, the island received its first public visitors since 1989 when a one-off public tour was held to raise money for St Luke's Hospice. Drake's Island featured in an episode of the
590: 341:, was moved to Drake's Island from Guernsey, where he had been imprisoned since 1662. Like Lilburne, he never regained his liberty, dying on Drake's Island in the winter of 1683. 369: 501: 139: 372:
recommended a huge programme of new fortifications to defend Plymouth. On Drake's Island, the existing battery at the centre of the island was to be replaced by five
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and the island adopted the same name. From the latter part of the 16th century the island was occasionally referred to as Drake's Island after Sir
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Morgan Phillips. Phillips plans to open the island to the public with a museum and heritage centre, thirty years after previously closing.
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became the main armament in 1901; the original muzzle loaders were dumped under a pile of earth. Finally, in 1942, a modern twin
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until 31 March 1989, when the Mayflower Trust surrendered their lease to the Crown and sold off the boats and sports equipment.
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radio mast. In May 2005 the island attracted British media attention when one of the empty buildings on the island was
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first broadcast on 17 December 2020. Regular guided tours have been held on the island since summer 2020.
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By 2014 the island contained derelict military barracks and buildings from the Napoleonic era, and an
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turned down a planning application from McCauley to build a hotel and leisure complex complete with
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died imprisoned on the island. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment for his part in the
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in open emplacements. A new battery was to be built on the southwestern end, of 21
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For several centuries, the island remained the focal point of the defence of the
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The first recorded name for the island was in 1135, when it was referred to as
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It was from Plymouth that Drake sailed in 1577, to return in 1580 having
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perished while testing a wooden diving chamber attached to the sloop
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View of Drake's Island from the southern end of Mount Edgecumbe
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fatality in history occurred north of Drake's Island, when a
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with iron shields. The work was not complete in 1880. Six
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period. For more than 400 years the island was fortified.
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Drake's Island remained under the administration of the
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Image of Drake's Island landing platform from Millbay,
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Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom
433:In 1995, Drake's Island was put up for sale by the 211: 206: 182: 174: 166: 158: 146: 132: 95: 90: 668:from the original on 22 December 2021 – via 524: 314:that were to become modern Plymouth. In 1665 the 502:"CJO – Abstract – IV.—Nappie's Island, Plymouth" 527:Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World 8: 254:, the stretch of water south of the city of 250:is a 6.5-acre (2.6-hectare) island lying in 39: 235:Drake's Island as seen from Mount Edgecumbe 569:"Plymouth's Napoleonic Fortifications, UK" 38: 571:. Cyber-heritage.co.uk. 2 February 1907 493: 464:by a group of anti-nuclear protesters, 27:Small island in Plymouth Sound, England 72: 7: 742:"Drake's Island – Guided Tours 2020" 593:. Thisisexeter.co.uk. Archived from 504:. Journals.cambridge.org. 1 May 2009 617:"Protesters set up camp on island" 25: 769:The Historic Defences of Plymouth 838: 344:In June 1774 the first recorded 191: 71: 64: 45: 363: 1: 686:. BBC News. 21 February 2020. 660:Dwyer, Harry (29 June 2020). 388:were added in 1897 and three 867:Geography of Plymouth, Devon 744:. One Plymouth. 23 July 2020 386:12-pounder quick firing guns 771:. Cornwall County Council. 374:12-inch muzzle loading guns 888: 799:Victorian Forts data sheet 333:, a former general of the 29: 767:Woodward, Freddy (1996). 700:. BBC News. 16 March 2020 187: 170:400 m (1300 ft) 59: 44: 178:100 m (300 ft) 619:. BBC News. 13 May 2005 266:, together with marine 162:2.6 ha (6.4 acres) 537:Atlantic Monthly Press 415: 414:passing Drake's Island 364:Drake's Island Battery 244: 236: 207:Additional information 793:History of the island 447:Plymouth City Council 407: 242: 234: 822:50.35556°N 4.15361°W 466:Trident Ploughshares 329:. A few years later 312:three original towns 117:50.35556°N 4.15361°W 818: /  523:Ecott, Tim (2001). 396:gun was installed. 380:in an arc of stone 221:Greenwich Mean Time 113: /  41: 827:50.35556; -4.15361 597:on 8 November 2010 482:Antiques Road Trip 416: 245: 237: 122:50.35556; -4.15361 32:San Nicolas Island 18:St Nicholas Island 339:English Civil War 229: 228: 134:OS grid reference 16:(Redirected from 879: 862:Islands of Devon 848: 843: 842: 833: 832: 830: 829: 828: 823: 819: 816: 815: 814: 811: 782: 754: 753: 751: 749: 738: 732: 731: 729: 727: 716: 710: 709: 707: 705: 694: 688: 687: 680: 674: 673: 657: 651: 650: 648: 646: 635: 629: 628: 626: 624: 613: 607: 606: 604: 602: 587: 581: 580: 578: 576: 565: 559: 558: 530: 520: 514: 513: 511: 509: 498: 470:planning consent 197: 195: 194: 149: 142: 128: 127: 125: 124: 123: 118: 114: 111: 110: 109: 106: 75: 74: 68: 49: 42: 21: 887: 886: 882: 881: 880: 878: 877: 876: 852: 851: 844: 837: 826: 824: 820: 817: 812: 809: 807: 805: 804: 795:(16 March 2019) 789: 779: 766: 763: 758: 757: 747: 745: 740: 739: 735: 725: 723: 718: 717: 713: 703: 701: 696: 695: 691: 682: 681: 677: 659: 658: 654: 644: 642: 637: 636: 632: 622: 620: 615: 614: 610: 600: 598: 589: 588: 584: 574: 572: 567: 566: 562: 547: 522: 521: 517: 507: 505: 500: 499: 495: 490: 439:Plymouth Argyle 402: 366: 319:Robert Lilburne 304:circumnavigated 280: 225: 202: 192: 190: 147: 138: 121: 119: 115: 112: 107: 104: 102: 100: 99: 86: 85: 84: 83: 82: 81: 80: 76: 55: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 885: 883: 875: 874: 869: 864: 854: 853: 850: 849: 846:Islands portal 802: 801: 796: 788: 787:External links 785: 784: 783: 778:978-1898166467 777: 762: 759: 756: 755: 733: 711: 689: 675: 652: 630: 608: 582: 560: 545: 515: 492: 491: 489: 486: 401: 400:Recent history 398: 365: 362: 335:New Model Army 294:, the English 279: 276: 252:Plymouth Sound 248:Drake's Island 227: 226: 224: 223: 217: 215: 209: 208: 204: 203: 199:United Kingdom 188: 185: 184: 183:Administration 180: 179: 176: 172: 171: 168: 164: 163: 160: 156: 155: 153:Plymouth Sound 150: 144: 143: 136: 130: 129: 97: 93: 92: 88: 87: 78: 77: 70: 69: 63: 62: 61: 60: 57: 56: 50: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 884: 873: 872:Francis Drake 870: 868: 865: 863: 860: 859: 857: 847: 841: 836: 834: 831: 800: 797: 794: 791: 790: 786: 780: 774: 770: 765: 764: 760: 743: 737: 734: 721: 715: 712: 699: 693: 690: 685: 679: 676: 671: 667: 663: 656: 653: 640: 634: 631: 618: 612: 609: 596: 592: 586: 583: 570: 564: 561: 556: 552: 548: 546:0-87113-794-1 542: 538: 534: 529: 528: 519: 516: 503: 497: 494: 487: 485: 483: 479: 474: 471: 467: 463: 459: 454: 452: 448: 444: 440: 436: 431: 427: 425: 421: 413: 412: 406: 399: 397: 395: 391: 387: 383: 379: 375: 371: 361: 359: 355: 351: 347: 342: 340: 336: 332: 328: 324: 320: 317: 313: 308: 305: 300: 297: 293: 292:Francis Drake 289: 285: 278:Early history 277: 275: 273: 269: 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 241: 233: 222: 219: 218: 216: 214: 210: 205: 201: 200: 186: 181: 177: 173: 169: 165: 161: 157: 154: 151: 145: 141: 137: 135: 131: 126: 98: 94: 89: 79:Drakes Island 67: 58: 54: 48: 43: 40:Drakes Island 37: 33: 19: 803: 768: 761:Bibliography 746:. Retrieved 736: 724:. Retrieved 714: 702:. Retrieved 692: 678: 655: 643:. Retrieved 633: 621:. Retrieved 611: 599:. Retrieved 595:the original 585: 573:. Retrieved 563: 526: 518: 506:. Retrieved 496: 475: 455: 443:Dan McCauley 435:Crown Estate 432: 428: 420:World War II 417: 410: 367: 357: 343: 331:John Lambert 309: 301: 281: 247: 246: 189: 140:SX4681952912 36: 825: / 623:12 February 601:12 February 575:12 February 508:12 February 390:6-inch guns 378:9-inch guns 288:St Nicholas 148:Adjacent to 120: / 96:Coordinates 856:Categories 810:50°21′20″N 645:14 October 641:. BBC News 555:2001018840 488:References 441:chairman, 424:War Office 418:Following 284:St Michael 105:50°21′20″N 748:23 August 704:23 August 394:6-pounder 382:casemates 368:The 1859 350:carpenter 346:submarine 327:Charles I 296:privateer 268:limestone 213:Time zone 91:Geography 813:4°9′13″W 666:Archived 533:New York 462:squatted 411:Portland 354:John Day 323:regicide 316:Leveller 272:Devonian 256:Plymouth 108:4°9′13″W 53:Plymouth 726:3 March 670:YouTube 468:. With 451:helipad 337:in the 270:of the 775:  553:  543:  352:named 196:  167:Length 722:. BBC 358:Maria 175:Width 773:ISBN 750:2024 728:2022 706:2024 647:2018 625:2010 603:2010 577:2010 551:LCCN 541:ISBN 510:2010 409:HMS 264:lava 262:and 260:tuff 159:Area 480:'s 478:BBC 458:MoD 325:of 858:: 664:. 549:. 539:. 535:: 531:. 453:. 360:. 781:. 752:. 730:. 708:. 672:. 649:. 627:. 605:. 579:. 557:. 512:. 34:. 20:)

Index

St Nicholas Island
San Nicolas Island

Plymouth
Drakes Island is located in Devon
50°21′20″N 4°9′13″W / 50.35556°N 4.15361°W / 50.35556; -4.15361
OS grid reference
SX4681952912
Plymouth Sound
United Kingdom
Time zone
Greenwich Mean Time


Plymouth Sound
Plymouth
tuff
lava
limestone
Devonian
St Michael
St Nicholas
Francis Drake
privateer
circumnavigated
three original towns
Leveller
Robert Lilburne
regicide
Charles I

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