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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.
445:, and a Cheshire-born businessman who wanted to open it to the public. McCauley's bid was successful and he bought the island for £384,000 in 1995, with plans to turn it into a hotel complex. In 2003,
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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
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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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30:"St Nicholas Island" redirects here. For the Californian Channel Island, see
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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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698:"Drake's Island welcomes visitors for first time in 30 years"
639:"Plymouth's historic Drake's Island fortress on sale for £6m"
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fatality in history occurred north of Drake's Island, when a
684:"Drake's Island fortress to reopen to public after 30 years"
662:"A Private Island – 1700miles in a Tiny Speed Boat – Part 5"
591:"McCauley: It's my fault Drake's Island is on at-risk list"
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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.
258:, Devon. The rocks which make up the island are volcanic
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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,
720:"BBC One – Antiques Road Trip, Series 21, Episode 24"
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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
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668:from the original on 22 December 2021 – via
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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
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235:Drake's Island as seen from Mount Edgecumbe
569:"Plymouth's Napoleonic Fortifications, UK"
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571:. Cyber-heritage.co.uk. 2 February 1907
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464:by a group of anti-nuclear protesters,
27:Small island in Plymouth Sound, England
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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"
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769:The Historic Defences of Plymouth
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344:In June 1774 the first recorded
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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
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799:Victorian Forts data sheet
333:, a former general of the
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767:Woodward, Freddy (1996).
700:. BBC News. 16 March 2020
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170:400 m (1300 ft)
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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
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414:passing Drake's Island
364:Drake's Island Battery
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207:Additional information
793:History of the island
447:Plymouth City Council
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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
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523:Ecott, Tim (2001).
396:gun was installed.
380:in an arc of stone
221:Greenwich Mean Time
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827:50.35556; -4.15361
597:on 8 November 2010
482:Antiques Road Trip
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122:50.35556; -4.15361
32:San Nicolas Island
18:St Nicholas Island
339:English Civil War
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746:. Retrieved
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621:. Retrieved
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599:. Retrieved
595:the original
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443:Dan McCauley
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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
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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
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352:named
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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
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