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BELVEDERE and BULL RING
| The Belvedere lies
on the seaward side of Plymouth Hoe. The National Grid reference is SX 476 538. It was
erected in 1891 and tradition says that the pillars of the two upper tiers came from a
previous market building. It has also been suggested that the pillars were
originally taken from Plympton Priory when it was demolished in in 1564. |
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Originally known as the Public Shelter,
the Belvedere on
Plymouth Hoe is also known as the 'Wedding Cake'.
From a postcard. |
Below the Belvedere was the Bull Ring, where
in the 17th century bulls were tethered and baited by bull dogs as a sport and to make the
flesh tender. In the Town's records for the Mayoralty of Mr John Waddon, 1604-05,
appears an entry of paying five shillings to William Jerman and John Jope, butchers, for
killing a bull before he was baited, and similarly in the Mayoralty of William Harper,
1663-64, there was a payment of just over a pound to several butchers for killing of
bulls. In that same year was a payment of sixteen shillings for 'a greate
Bulleroape for a Stake and unto the Smith for beateinge of Bulls'. Butchers
were fined for not carrying out the baiting, which was banned by Plymouth in about 1815.
The last political meeting to be held in the
Bull Ring took place on June 7th 1882 to celebrate the jubilee of the passing of the
Reform Act of 1832. In 1891 a bye-law was passed prohibiting all public meetings on
the Hoe except with the permission of the Town Council.
A notice reads ~ Erected 1891-1892
Alderman F W Harris, Mayor, Alderman Tho. Pitts, JP., Chairman of the Hoe Committee ~.
Picture courtesy of Chris Bollard
The coat-of-arms depicted here is the one
designed for the Corporation following the Municipal Reform Act of 1835 but it was not
registered with the College of Arms.
There is now a memorial garden on the site of
the old Bull Ring.
Sources:
[1]
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