Millbay

The area is currently subject to a public-private regeneration creating new homes, business premises, marina, a 1000-pupil school and opening up the waterfront to greater public access.

It was originally far more extensive than the current docks because it included the "Sourepool" which was a tidal salt-marsh that lay roughly along the line of today's Union Street.

At this time Millbay was the only harbour of Plymouth that was out of reach of the Royalist artillery so it became the sole source of resupply for the town.

[3] Until Victorian speculators constructed new docks and warehousing, this had a watergate into Millbay from which the navy's soldiers embarked for service at sea.

[4] Before the Great Britain made her appearance, the Severn, Cork steam-vessel, took on board from Gill's Military Pier a large party, and went out to meet her ...

[2] In 1846 another Act of Parliament established the Great Western Dock Company to provide full facilities for shipping at Millbay.

Part of the earth dam that had been built across the harbour to facilitate the creation of the inner basin was retained for the later construction of Trinity Pier.

A significant amount of shipbuilding took place here: Willoughby Bros Ltd., for example, was in business from 1857 until 1969 and built vessels for the Royal Mail Steamship Company, Customs and Excise and others, as well as chain ferries for Torpoint, Saltash, Littlehampton and Felixstowe.

[2] From the 1870s until the Second World War Millbay was a busy landing point for rich travellers from the USA who preferred to disembark the transatlantic liners in Plymouth Sound, come ashore in tenders and catch fast trains from Millbay station to London Paddington, thereby substantially reducing travel time by avoiding the sea passage to Southampton or Tilbury.

[5] The railway company quickly became aware of the benefits of this traffic and took the initiative in ordering the first of a series of steamers, the Sir Francis Drake (173 tons), delivered in 1873.

Ferry services depart and arrive daily from March to late October, and less regularly during the winter months.

The landmark which most Plymothians remember as the easiest way of locating the entrance to this harbour,[citation needed] a huge boxlike grey concrete grain silo with a substantial tower was demolished in early 2008.

[12] Major works to dredge Millbay's inner basin and restore its historic listed quay walls enabled Millbay to host the Race Village for the America's Cup World Series event in Plymouth in 2011[13] and facilitated the development of the new 171-berth King Point Marina, which opened in 2013.