Interactive history trail launches at Plymouth’s Royal William Yard

Visitors to Plymouth’s Royal William Yard will be able to explore 200 years of history in a new way from Saturday, 9th August, as the waterfront destination unveils its interactive History Trail.

The launch will turn the Yard into a free, open-air museum for the day, complete with celebrations and heritage-themed activities. The self-guided trail connects visitors to a rich collection of facts, images, and audio, uncovering the site’s origins and little-known stories.

Construction of the Yard began in 1825, and it was once described as “the grandest of all royal victualling yards.” For more than a century, it served as a hub for the Royal Navy’s food, drink, and supplies, and today remains one of England’s most significant industrial monuments, as well as Europe’s largest collection of Grade I listed military buildings.

Exploring the past
Maps will be available from The Green between 10am and 3pm on launch day, guiding visitors to 11 numbered stops around the Yard. Plaques on designated buildings will feature QR codes unlocking archival images, oral histories, and first-hand accounts from people who worked on site. The trail will remain open every day, with maps available later from the Welcome Suite or online.

A nod to the Yard’s heritage
To celebrate the launch, the new Arcade building will host hands-on heritage crafts, each inspired by the Yard’s past industries, from baking ship’s biscuits to sewing naval garments:

• Clay Tile Making with Tweeny from Ocean Studio’s pottery — create relief tiles inspired by the Yard’s architecture (booking required).

• Stitch & Celebrate with Lizzy from Make Fabric Boutique and Abbi from Mukta-Undone — decorate a wool military garment using upcycled fabrics.

• Ships Biscuit Making — a free children’s activity recreating the historic naval staple, with the modern assurance that these will be bug-free.

Additional launch-day attractions include rum tastings at The Hook & Line, discounts at microbrewery Steel Brew, and pop-up portraits.

Stories revealed
The History Trail highlights unique episodes from the Yard’s history, including:

• The brewery that never brewed — the Brewhouse was completed just as the Navy switched from beer to rum.

• Industrial baking powerhouse — Mills Bakery produced 1,000 sacks of ship’s biscuits in a week, powered by two 40-horsepower steam engines.

• Underwater royal ceremony — the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) laid the main sea wall’s coping stone underwater in a diving bell.

• The Makaton connection — the sign for biscuit mirrors the way sailors cracked them open to remove weevils.

• Rising from the sea — 370,000 tons of limestone and rubble were quarried to create the peninsula site.

Looking ahead
The trail is part of Royal William Yard’s bicentennial celebrations running through 2025. Highlights will include the 200 Exhibition from 13th–28th September, displaying original artefacts, documents, and artworks sourced from national and local collections, alongside contributions from the public through the 200 Stories campaign.

More information on the trail and the bicentennial programme can be found at www.royalwilliamyard.com/history-trail and www.royalwilliamyard.com/200