Elizabethan House

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Plymouth’s Elizabethan House will reopen on Tuesday 20 July following a major restoration as part of Plymouth’s Mayflower 400 commemorations.

The historic property, which dates from the late 1500s when Plymouth was a thriving port, has survived the slum clearances of the early 1900s and the Blitz of World War Two. After undergoing vital structural and strengthening works, it’s been reinterpreted as an immersive visitor experience, shining a light on some of the people who’ve lived in it over the past 400 years.

The new attraction takes visitors on an immersive yet authentic journey through its history, as well as offering an insight into the history of Plymouth’s Barbican area, and introduces them to some of the people who have lived in the House since it was built 400 years ago.

On arrival at the House, visitors will be guided around in groups of up to 12 people. The new multi-sensory audio-visual tour of the building lasts for around 45 minutes and is led by the ‘voice’ of the House. Acting as a narrator, she shares her memories with visitors as they are led through each of the carefully restored rooms. You meet the first owner, a washerwoman, a wig maker, get a glimpse at the House’s architecture and see what life was like for the rich and the poor. Projections, images and smells all add to the experience.

Each room is dressed with a series of carefully selected props to enhance the stories even more – from a dreidel to represent the Jewish owner of the House to a fishing rod to symbolise a fisherman lost at sea. Other objects, some of which have been specially commissioned, include Wedgwood pottery, clay marbles and a christening dress, in memory of the babies who sadly died in the House.

Tickets for Elizabethan House can be booked via www.ehouseplymouth.com and in person from Plymouth's Tourist Information Centre and The Box. 

The restoration of Elizabethan House has been led by a project team from Destination Plymouth and Plymouth City Council working with specialist heritage architects Dittrich Hudson Vasetti. The restoration has been funded by Plymouth City Council, Mayflower 400, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Coastal Revival Fund, Historic England and The Pilgrim Trust. Work has included internal and external structural repairs, the strengthening of the floors and foundations, a new two-storey extension to the rear of the property and authentic decoration of all the rooms.