Plymouth Hoe

Plymouth Hoe is a large public open space and seafront promenade on a sloping plateau overlooking Plymouth Sound in southwest England. The Hoe is a prominent civic space with formal paths, lawns and a series of memorials and monuments.

Key features include the landmark Smeaton’s Tower, a preserved lighthouse tower sitting on the Hoe, and numerous commemorative monuments and plaques that mark naval and civic history. The open area provides clear views across the Sound to the breakwater and out to sea, and it is used for public events and ceremonies.

The site has long been used for public gatherings and ceremonies and is associated in local tradition with Sir Francis Drake. In the 19th century the decommissioned Eddystone lighthouse tower was moved and reassembled on the Hoe as Smeaton’s Tower.

The Hoe occupies a raised position immediately south of Plymouth city centre and above the harbour, with direct views across Plymouth Sound. It is within walking distance of central Plymouth and adjacent to other historic military and civic sites.

• Smeaton's Tower: Smeaton's Tower, the preserved lighthouse tower on the Hoe, was dismantled and re-erected there in the 19th century and is open to visitors seasonally for views and exhibits.
• Viewing point: The Hoe is a popular vantage point for naval reviews and sunset views over Plymouth Sound and the English Channel.

What to See #

• Smeaton's Tower: A cast-iron lighthouse tower relocated from the Eddystone Rocks in 1877 and re-erected on the Hoe as a prominent landmark and visitor attraction.
• Memorials and plaques: The Armada Memorial and other plaques and monuments that mark naval and civic events and commemorate local maritime history.