Hidden Heritage Launch Weekend

Resurgam - The Lost Pearl of Plymouth

I had the pleasure of meeting for lunch with Hannah Wood last week, writer of a new exciting interactive game called Resurgam: The Lost Pearl of Plymouth.  Hannah contacted me a while back with previews for the game and the concept, which got my attention straight away upon hearing 'lost tunnels'. I saw the trailer for the game and realised that Mutant Labs, whose works I have followed for a while, were also behind this collaborative effort that looks to be a cracking event. It's certainly an innovative approach to bringing the history alive, and we love it!

The game is set to take place during Plymouth's Ocean City Festival in September and will see hundreds of adventurers take part in the city's first location-based live game.

Resurgam: The Lost Pearl of Plymouth will see gamers using mobile technology to navigate their way around the City's maritime heritage. The adventure will begin from a secret city centre location and be led on a supernatural hunt, participants experiencing live storytelling and theatre bringing the game to life in all sorts of mysterious ways. The finale will take place inside the Royal William Yard, steeped itself in history from it's days as a Royal Naval Victualling Depot. Now transformed by Urban Splash into a vibrant waterfront community of homes, offices and restaurants such as the highly acclaimed River Cottage brand. Around 400 participants will descend on the Yard, culminating in a final performance and live music aboard a ghost ship. Take a sneak peak at the preview video below......






Supported by Plymouth University and Arts Council England, Resurgam is written by Hannah Wood. Created and produced by Story Juice, Mutant Labs and the University's world renowned Institute of Digital Arts and Technology (i-DAT), with actors from Rogue Theatre giving the event an authentic historic feel.

This looks to be a fantastic event, and the game's writer Hannah gave us an insight into what will happen on the day with some exciting plans, although we are sworn to secrecy so you will just have to find out what happens on the day! I, for one, really hope this can become an ongoing project for all to enjoy. We would like to wish everyone behind the project the best of luck and look forward to the event in September. Keep an eye out for future updates via the dedicated website Resurgam: The Lost Pearl of Plymouth.

Hidden Plymouth presents Plymouth Interactive History

We had been planning a big event for sometime, so when we found out we could take part in the first ever Plymouth History Festival we were over the moon, & thanks to Claire at the Real Ideas Organisation who welcomed us to host a special event at the fantastic Devonport Guildhall & newly restored Devonport Column that will have just celebrated it's rise back into the community a week earlier. Our original plan was to host it in one of the Palmerston Forts but that fell through due to health & safety reasons, although what we are now hosting the event in has a rich history & with Devonport featuring so much in our research, makes it the perfect venue to host our first major event bringing you the public, closer to your history & heritage.

We hope to bring you some photos from tomorrow's event & welcome your feedback should you attend!

Excursions - Morwellham Quay (2010)

This is a visit from the archives from back in March 2010, during a trip out checking out sites further up the River Tamar. We happened to swing by Morwellham Quay for a cuppa in the tea shop only to find it desolated, over the first hour only a couple of locals appeared during our roam around & we headed along the water's edge along the mine railway up to the entrance. It felt strange walking down here as the train should have been rolling along with families to enter the mine for tours. A solo canoeist paddles past us on his way up the Tamar & we exchange 'good day' nods before heading back to the quayside. It was only later that we realised the once popular attraction was in a state of limbo struggling to stay open. That, however was back in 2010 & thankfully this great site was given a new lease of life & has grown from strength to strength which is great to hear!

Windows to the sky

Rusted rails from the mining era

Mineral wagons awaiting their next move

A rusty noose frames the mineral carts

I first visited Morwellham in 2007 with my Son & the place was teaming with visitors, so it was hard to believe the place was so quiet but at the same time was such a great experience to sit around the site in complete silence bar nature. It made us wonder what would happen if the attraction were to close & the effect it would have on the local community. We plan to revisit this fantastic historic mining community again soon & show the changes three years on. Until then, we leave you with a few more photos from back in 2010.

Nobody's Sweet Home

Through the workshop window

Rustic transport

Water wheel

Stop!

The mines of Morwellham Quay

All trains cancelled today

Mirror tracks

Morwellham Quay - 2010

Hidden Plymouth presents A Way Of Life 2013

Our rescheduled event that was originally due to happen at the end of November takes place Saturday 9th February from 5pm-9pm at Maker Junction, Maker Heights.

Special guests on the evening will be Steve Johnson from Cyberheritage giving one of his infamous Q&A sessions - possibly the most Plymouth facts you will ever get to hear in the space of an hour.

Laura Quigley - Author of Bloody British History: Plymouth will be giving us a talk about Plymouth spies as part of forthcoming book.

Barbara Marlow - Founder member of Devon Family History Society, & author of Rags to Riches & creator of latest project Family History Uncovered.

Excursions #1 - Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor

Welcome to the first of Hidden Plymouth Excursions, & a nice car journey that takes us to Dartmoor for a popular destination for Plymothians to discover - Wistman's Wood. This visit can be classed as our first real trip to experience the woods in their full beauty under clear skies as the first visit back in 2008 was shrouded in dense fog & driving rain. This time, the weather couldn't have been better & taking a welcome break from heavy research & we decided to join our Cousin, a former Royal Marine who used the area for training back in the nineties, now enjoying this vast landscape for it's charm, beauty & ruggedness. It's worth noting that if you plan your own visit, do a little research on the moor conditions & weather check as it can be a dangerous place in stormy weather.

Wistman's Wood is located near to Two Bridges Hotel, where you can find limited parking for a short visit. Even though the sun was blazing down, the heavy rainfall in previous days was evident with boggy conditions & fast flowing streams. Lying alongside the West Dart River, the wood was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1964. The source of the Devonport Leat lies in close proximity & will feature on another excursion in the near future.

This ancient copse of dwarf oak trees is filled with tales of myth & mystery, & with a quick search on Google you can find for yourselves the stories that surround this magical & enchanting location but don't just read about it - go see for yourself!

IMPORTANT UPDATE!

On the day of this visit we were driving back & slowed down on the Princetown road for a group of ponies crossing the highway a few hundred yards ahead. As we drew closer, a stupid idiot on 125cc motorbike overtook us at speed, but luckily the last pony had just got moorside as he reached them. Later that night, a biker hit a pony which was killed in the process. Now we're not saying that the biker was at fault because night conditions are different but what's needed is just a little care & attention when driving across Dartmoor & thankfully it is a minority choose to ignore.

Hidden Plymouth : Excursions

What's all this I hear you say - well it's a little something extra that isn't strictly Plymouth but maybe has a connection to the City, & more importantly offers you a short guide to a day trip out for the family without having to spend a fortune & seeing for yourselves the living history that surrounds us in all it's splendor.

The forgotten railways that served Plymouth enveloped by nature or modern development, Tors & sites across ancient Dartmoor that generations of Plymothians have walked, & a smattering of hidden gems & facts along the way. We can only try & portray these locations the best we can but highly recommend that you visit some for yourself to appreciate the atmosphere & beauty of the locations.

Our first excursion take us to the magical location of Wistman's Wood on the fringes of wild Dartmoor, a location we frequently visit for a few hours break from research, or the City life. Featuring throughout the Excursions series will be long forgotten homesteads, quarries, barren landscapes along with some of the better known places that surround Plymouth, aiming to capture the essence of each visit.

Excursions #1 - Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor

"The Blockhouse" WWII Mural - Stoke Village

If you're local to Stoke Village or know Plymouth well, you surely must be aware of The Blockhouse, a prominent Napoleonic Redoubt overlooking the dockyard it was built to protect. Officially known as Mount Pleasant Redoubt it sits as one of the highest points in the City at over 70 metres, & now forms use as an impressive public park. On a clear day it offers amazing views across to Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor, & across to Plymouth Sound, if you haven't been make a note to appreciate this important & historic feature & enjoy the view for yourselves.

Stood atop The Blockhouse with fantastic views over Plymouth Sound

In WWII it was brought into much needed multi-use, becoming a strong defensive site against the Luftwaffe with barrage balloons & anti-aircraft guns. Alongside Masterman Road, ARP shelters were built into the glacis of the redoubt of which all remain today sealed for future generations to discover. At the corner entrance lies an ARP Warden's Post stripped of original fittings but now a visual attraction in the form of a memorial to the area's people during WWII. The paint is now starting to flake a little due to the harsh weather we have had but try go see it for yourself, we think it's great!

This is a fantastic memorial from a fresh generation perspective sitting next to the Stoke Youth & Community Centre, giving local residents a daily reminder of what The Blockhouse was like during World War II. A fitting tribute to those who were there. With the shelters still buried, it would be great to eventually see them opened up to the public as an extra feature to the park, oh & whilst you're at it, why not have an anti-aircraft gun mounted inside the Redoubt for good measure.

We will feature another blog post on Mount Pleasant Redoubt soon with more photos from the park & looking at the history of the site. Be sure to check it out if you're passing by!

Snakes n Ladders Air Raid Shelter

 ......continued from Hidden Plymouth Living History - The 15 Minute Discovery

During the early hours of the morning following our discovery - bruised, bloodied & covered in bites from the army of ants whose nest we had clearly disturbed - a plan started coming together....

.....Project Snakes n Ladders was about to take our exploration to the next level.

Why the name Snakes n Ladders? Well the original entry into was snake-like slither into the passageways, & all of the emergency escape ladders were intact plus it would have made a great game for kids in the '40's after the shelter was made redundant. Shelters had never been given a nickname until now, & also seemed a good way to keep the exact location a secret in order to avoid any vandalism. Following on from this, a few more shelters have been documented in this way, & we have given each their own codename to protect their true identity.

The original plan was postponed after requiring a few changes & it wasn't until 6 weeks later that we finally got our second more in-depth look at this important time capsule. Invitations were sent to gather a small & dedicated team to join us on this most exciting discovery & on the day our original team of 3 was complimented by my Son, fellow Plymouth explorer & blogger Georgie Kirrin, her husband Simon, who kindly supplied much needed backup equipment (including pasties & chocolate!), & Steve Johnson AKA Cyberheritage. This was Steve's only chance of seeing the shelter that eluded him during his years of uncovering relics & we simply had to make it happen as a thankyou for all his help in our own research. Luckily, all went well with access & a simple photo message was sent to interrupt Steve's lunch. That was all the persuasion he needed to turn up 20 minutes later armed with his video camera & upon greeting him, his response was one of awe - the genius plan had worked & it was such an honour for Plymouth's legendary historian to be joining us for this amazing underground excursion!

Welcome to the underground

One of the longer sections of shelter looking toward the toilet cubicles

First left passageway led to seating area, second left to the original entrance

Further on from last photo looking at the infilled entrance

What we didn't realise is that the shelter had last been entered in 1960 & not the late 1940's, judging by graffiti we found below one of the escape hatches along with a ring-pull Coke can & a homemade torch in the form of cloth wrapped around a wooden stick. We can only imagine how exciting it must have been for kids of the era telling their friends of this top secret find & how many only dared venture a few feet into it's dark passageways. Let's not forget though, that this shelter had an original, almost sinister use. Whilst built to offer protection from the Luftwaffe bombing raids, some shelters took direct hits with many civilians killed, & the single largest loss in Plymouth was to be at the ill-fated Portland Square shelter where a memorial is sited today.

Graffiti from possibly the last person to see the shelter

Coke can found below the 1960 graffiti

Homemade torch with cloth wrapped a stick

The earliest piece of graffiti we found was 1939 & the sheer amount of drawings on the walls & artefacts to be found discarded around the passageways was quite phenomenal. Child's toy prams, enamel dishes, buttons, odd shoes, hankies, brass shovels & even a cast iron bedstead littered the floors. The graffiti was literally everywhere to be found, sadly the humidity in the shelter led to a haze like condition & condensation dripped from the walls making most hard to photograph.

1939 - The earliest piece of graffiti found on the walls

Tipperary No.1 Hannons Cottages, Henery Street

Pencil sums with condensation on the walls

Any takers on guessing this one? Mrs.....

One of two child's toy prams slowly decayed through time

Cast iron bedstead under a pile of rubble

Kia-Ora juice bottle

Brass shovel

Laceless boot - one of many found discarded but no pairs to be found

Original Air Raid Precaution posters were to be found morphed into the walls after years of condensation have taken their toll but some of the wording & pictures could still be read to our amazement. Smoking Prohibited, No Dogs Permitted, No Spitting posters, Public Shelter Rules along with tips for long stays in shelters are some of the photos featured below.

Original WWII ARP posters found on a wall facing one of the original blocked entrances

Smoking Strictly Prohibited & Dogs Not Permitted ARP poster

WWII health & safety tips poster

Clean your teeth

ARP poster

Tips to keep warm during shelter visits

After over 5 hours documenting as much as we could, the shelter was resealed but one couldn't get away from the thought that much more was to be found amongst the dank tunnels beneath Plymouth. The sheer size was evident with six original entrances, ten escape hatches complete with original ladders & 10 twin toilet cubicles found amongst a few hundred feet of passageways. Around 1200 civilians would have sheltered here during the air raids, not a nice thought, with so many families cramped together in fear of the ferocious bombing that just about decimated Plymouth's buildings.

One of the original emergency escape ladders at the end of  one passage

Bricked up original entrance, behind which would have been a stairwell 

Corner section with toilet cubicles in the distance

Infill below one of the escape hatches

There we have it, Plymouth's biggest public air raid shelter to be uncovered in years & we can confirm that this is not under threat of demolition for the foreseeable future. At this point we think a few of you may be asking just how we did it - well you will have to ask our offspring in a few years time to get the full story!