Plymouth’s Elizabethan House, part of The Box family, has reopened after a six-year, £1.7m restoration as part of Plymouth’s Mayflower 400 commemorations. The Grade II* Listed historic building has stood almost unaltered until now, while the fortunes of those living and working around the Barbican has risen and fallen.
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.
Now one of Plymouth’s oldest buildings, Elizabethan House was built as a letting house and has been lived in by many people whose lives and livelihoods were based around the waterfront. It’s a rare, surviving example of its time with centuries of stories to tell.
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. Visitors will 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. Local actors have been used to voice the different characters visitors meet. June Marlow, the voice of the House, is a 90-year-old Plymothian who was actually born on New Street.
Councillor Nick Kelly, Leader of Plymouth City Council said, “This transformation not only safeguards one of the city’s most historic buildings, but also creates a brilliant new addition to our visitor offer. The development of the characters, the voice of the House itself and the overall visitor experience are the end result of many hours of hard work combined with some painstaking research. I can’t wait to experience for myself how it all brings the story of the House and this historic part of Plymouth to life.”
Councillor Tudor Evans, Shadow Leader said, “This is a great new visitor experience that will really take people on a journey. Elizabethan House is a survivor which, thanks to this restoration and reinterpretation, will stand the test of time. Best of all, it’s telling real stories about real people, some of which are being shared for the first time in centuries.”
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.
The House is managed and operated by The Box – Plymouth’s major new museum, art gallery and archive which opened to great acclaim in autumn 2020.
Tickets are £10 for adults, £7.50 for concessions, £5 for 5-17-year-olds and it is free for under 5s and must be booked in advance. On arrival at the House, visitors will be guided around in groups of up to 12 people. Due to the age of the property and the length of the audio-visual experience, visits are most suitable for adults and children aged 8+.
Click here to book your tickets for Elizabethan House now.
