Bank Holiday in your own back Yard

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Our resident blogger Lucy Young @_Oceancityliving is making plans for the May bank holiday with a staycation-style weekend at Royal William Yard. 

May 2021 might have let us down with the weather this year, but we’ve still been rewarded with a recent lift in Covid restrictions and a second Bank Holiday is soon on the horizon. And if you haven’t booked to go away anywhere then why not plan a staycation-style weekend of activities and entertainment at Plymouth’s Royal William Yard.

The ex-Naval victualling yard, with its stunning Georgian buildings and epic waterfront location, is swiftly becoming known as the city’s Wellness Quarter and it’s easy to see why.

Boasting a number of health and fitness activities, top hair and beauty salons, bespoke independent shops and excellent eateries, with a hefty dose of arts and culture thrown in, the Yard really has something for everyone to feed mind, body and soul.

And Bank Holiday weekend offers the perfect time to explore it a little further if you’re holidaying at home. So, make like a tourist in your own town and check out my pick of what the Yard has to offer…

Ocean sports of every kind have always been popular in Plymouth, but there has been a real growth in people taking to the water, particularly during lockdown, to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of the sea.

You could kick-start your long weekend with a refreshing dip in the ocean at the beautiful Firestone Bay. The sheltered beach skirts the edge of the Yard and has a small man-made sea pool as well as a slipway and pebbled shore to enter the water and there are stunning, panoramic views across to Plymouth Sound, Drake’s Island and Mount Edgcumbe country park.

If you’re a newbie to sea swimming I’d recommend joining a group like ACE Swimming to learn the basics and build confidence with qualified coach Jason Quiterio. ACE have Bank Holiday sessions on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May for beginners as well as an intermediate group and an Outdoor Fitness class in the Yard to work on your strength and stamina. And if you’re already a pro, or you’d like to spectate, there’s a swimming Time Trial event taking place on Monday 31.

Or if board sports are more your thing you could try a session with South West SUP, based at Firestone Arch just inside the Yard. The stand-up paddleboard specialists provide intro lessons to epic SUP adventures, full equipment hire and qualified instructor tuition.

And when you’ve worked up an appetite on the water you can refuel afterwards at their organic café space The Shack with delicious coffee, vegan cakes and goodies provided by some fab local companies including V is for Veggies, Heyl Bakery and Olly Lollies.

But if you’d prefer to take your exercise on dry land you could also try a Yoga Flow session at Ocean Studios, brought to you by Palm Tree Yoga in collaboration with Yoke the Salon and Real Ideas Organisation.

Ocean Studios’ stunning urban space inside the Factory Cooperage building radiates calm and is one of instructor Sophie Dialkova’s favourite teaching venues. Classes are held on a Monday evening at 6.30 and are open to all levels. As Sophie explains, it’s a space where you can completely leave your worries of the day at the door. Sounds pretty perfect to me, especially now we’re allowed to enjoy the shared experience of group activities and indoor exercise again.

As a multi-use space, Ocean Studios is a hub of creativity and is now reopen seven days a week with a packed schedule of events, classes, café and shop. Part of the Real Ideas campus, it hosts the regular Native Makers artisan markets, which return next month on June 26, numerous pop-up shops showcasing fabulous local makers and the venue is home to several resident artists and makers.

Bank Holiday weekend sees the latest Ocean Studios Day on Saturday 29 May where you can wander round and explore the historic building and meet the talented artists including painter Mark Fielding, potter Tweeny van Mierlo, illustrator Sally Holt, printmaker Megan Hall of Flotsam Prints, jeweller Nicky Sadler and modern haberdasher Elizabeth Evans of Make at 140.

Ocean Studios is also hosting Phase Shifter this month, an incredible immersive light and sound installation created by digital artists Squid Soup. The ever-changing sculptural piece can be viewed until early June, but you can also get your art fix at the weekly Portrait Clinic on Wednesdays or Mindful Art Club on Fridays as well as admiring visiting exhibitions in the café space.

Royal William Yard also has an impressive portfolio of bars and restaurants catering for whatever food style takes your fancy. You can choose from the likes of Asian fusion at Wagamama, French brasserie at Bistrot Pierre, Italian inspired at Wildwood and Prezzo, freshly caught seafood and rum at the Hook and Line, modern pub grub at Seco Lounge, craft ales at the Steel Brew Company and wine tasting at Le Vignoble, handmade chocolate heaven at Domeafavour, plus the best bagels in the city at The Hutong Café.

Last week also saw the opening of latest venue The Clubhouse in the Yard’s Brewhouse building. With a holiday vibe and a food and drink menu to match, The Clubhouse décor is a dream of Hamptons-style chic meets Balearic boho with a nod to Plymouth’s nautical heritage, the perfect complement to its historic Naval setting. I can definitely recommend their coconut mojitos and signature hanging kebabs.

And if you really want to feel like you’re on holiday you can even check in for the night at Rooms by Bistrot Pierre, a fabulous boutique B&B housed in the Grade II listed Residence One building. Previously home to Naval top brass, the rooms’ original features have been lovingly restored and offer the perfect combination of character and comfort for an overnight stay.

Just a stone’s throw away in the Guardhouse is Enhance Luxury Beauty and Spa Therapy salon which specialises in aesthetics and wellness treatments, so you could book yourself in for some much needed me time and pamper that post-lockdown body and mind. Award-winning Yoke the Salon, featured in the Sunday Times and Telegraph Top Salon guides for 2021, is across the green in the New Cooperage building and you can browse beautiful unique fashion and accessories at Identity Fashion boutique if you’re looking for a killer outfit now that we’re all allowed out, out again.

Not forgetting that if you want to venture a little further afield and make your Bank Holiday bonus day count, the Yard is the perfect place to set off on foot along the South West Coast Path, take a water taxi to the Barbican with Plymouth Boat Trips or even cross the border into Cornwall via the Cremyll Ferry to stroll around Mount Edgcumbe estate and parkland. Phew, is three days going to be enough? Bring on the weekend…