Exploring Plymouth: Top 10 Fascinating Fun Facts You Never Knew!

1. Mayflower's Detour

Talk about a change of course: the Pilgrims' road trip on the Mayflower in 1620 was supposed to end near the Hudson River in Virginia, but they wound up crashing the party on Cape Cod instead. Bonus souvenir? The birth of Thanksgiving and one of America's earliest English settlements!
Source => history.com

2. Plymouth Multiplicity

Feeling like there's "No Place Like Plymouth"? Brace yourselves, Plymouth pilgrims, for a coast-to-coast adventure exploring the Plymouth jackpot: There are 30 cities, towns, and townships called Plymouth scattered across the US! From the turkey-stuffed town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, to the sparsely populated Plymouth, North Dakota, featuring just 46 inhabitants, this Plymouthy pursuit takes you on a wildly hilarious Thanksgiving trail.
Source => bostonglobe.com

Did you know Pilgrims used spoons, knives, and their fingers to enjoy their meals without forks or pepper? Discover more about their unique dining habits and the sole VIP seasoning present at their table!

=> Fun Facts about Pilgrims

3. Pilgrim Gin Sessions

If the Pilgrim Fathers were "stirred" before they left for the New World, maybe we can blame it on the gin: Plymouth is home to England's oldest working gin distillery, Black Friars Distillery, which has been operating since 1793 and produces the renowned Plymouth Gin. This historic gem is rumored to have entertained the Pilgrim Fathers in the adjoining Dominican Priory, and today still exports its spirits far and wide, featuring as the main ingredient in 27 cocktails!
Source => mayflower400uk.org

4. Tongue-Twisting Streets

Navigating the street names of Plymouth is like playing a high-stakes game of linguistic limbo, guaranteed to leave many a non-local tongue-tied and seeking solace in something much simpler: The serious reveal: Plymouth boasts a collection of tricky-to-pronounce place names, like Novorossiysk Road, Honicknowle, and Shaugh Prior, a testament to the city's diverse history and global connections with twinned cities like Gdynia in Poland and Novorossiysk in Russia.
Source => plymouthherald.co.uk

5. Nine-Lives Violet Jessop

Violet Constance Jessop, the maritime equivalent of a cat with nine lives, had a knack for surviving sinking ships that could make even a sea turtle jealous: Born in Plymouth, Jessop survived the sinking of both the RMS Titanic and HMHS Britannic, witnessed a collision involving the RMS Olympic, and yet continued to work as a stewardess, even enjoying two round-the-world cruises aboard the Belgenland.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Pontoon-tastic Harbor

In a move that makes Mary Poppins proud, Plymouth's Sutton Harbour is about to get "pontoon-tastic": Introducing relocatable floating pontoons that create pedestrian access to waterfront walkways and transform into dynamic event spaces for the city's lively inhabitants and visitors.
Source => suttonharbourgroup.com

7. Twix's Tennessee Connection

Feeling like a kid in a candy store when eating those scrumptious Twix bars? You might just be "Cleveland dreaming" without even realizing it: The delightful caramel shortbread and milk chocolate treats that fill our tummies and tickle our taste buds are actually produced in Cleveland, Tennessee, specifically for the North American market!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Muse's Siren Homecoming

In a time-traveling musical blast from the past, Plymouth's mythical sirens lured the modern rock gods back to their shores: Muse finally answered their city's siren call by performing at Home Park in May 2023, their first hometown gig in over twenty years, blowing fans away with Royal Blood and The Warning joining as epic support acts.
Source => musewiki.org

9. Plymouth's Tasty Union

Ply-mouth-watering Union: In 1914, Plymouth, Devonport, and East Stonehouse decided there's no 'i' in the team and formally merged to become the Borough of Plymouth; this souffle of cooperation rose beautifully and transformed the Borough into a city of royal stature come 1928, cementing its place as a major player in the South West of England.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Seagull Snack Attacks

In a cruel twist on the Jaws theme, Plymouth's peskiest residents are trading fins for wings, taking a hiatus from Great White ways to engage in aerial food heists, and subbing in unsuspecting humans for fearful fish: Plymouth's European Herring Gulls are infamous for snatching food out of people's hands, causing the city council to issue on-the-spot fines for feeding the seagulls with hopes of reducing this soaring chaos in the city.
Source => dailymail.co.uk