About
Once a Royal Navy victualling yard, Royal William Yard is now an award-winning waterside destination in the heart of the South West.
Once a Royal Navy victualling yard, Royal William Yard is now an award-winning waterside destination in the heart of the South West.
“We shall leave this city not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was left to us.”
Destination
This collection of Grade I listed buildings have been re-imagined by Urban Splash as Plymouth’s best place to live, work, stay, play and relax.
The Urban Splash vision was design-led, with a the company committing to an ambitious regeneration programme. The result is a buzzing new neighbourhood filled with homes, restaurants, bars, galleries, a cinema, offices, retail, artists spaces and a boutique hotel.
Regeneration
With the new millennium came an appetite to transform the redundant Yard into place that modern residents and visitors would love. Urban Splash took on the challenge, working alongside Plymouth based architects Gillespie Yunnie – evolving designs to rejuvenate this collection of historic buildings. The plans would see the original fabric of the buildings retained, fused with contemporary aesthetics that would appeal to a new generation of users.
Fast forward to today and that ambitious vision is a reality, with those once unloved and empty structures now home to bars, restaurants, galleries, shops, hotels, hairdressers and apartments too. The Evening Standard describes it as “…a collection of magnificent naval buildings… superbly restored by Urban Splash”, while the Telegraph praises Urban Splash for “bringing it back to life and fit for the future”
Community
Home to a bustling community, the Yard is a place where artists, homeowners, office workers, holidaymakers, small-business owners, students and day-trippers rub shoulders as waves lap the shores on three sides. Its renowned history and maritime setting have been married with modern architectural interventions, to play host to a new community for the 21st Century.
History
The Yard is steeped in history, stories and amazing architecture. It’s an important heritage site, with the largest collection of Grade I listed military buildings in Europe.
Named after King William IV, it was a hive of activity from its construction in 1825; keeping our naval fleet supplied and afloat.
Royal William Yard was created by engineering legend, Sir John Rennie. And we have an elaborate clock tower, designed by the same clockmaker responsible for the first design for Big Ben.
The 10 buildings now transformed here are named after their original victualling use; names such as Brewhouse and Slaughterhouse remain iconically stencilled on each structure - another celebration of the site’s remarkable history.
