Drake's Place

Beautifully restored to its former glory, Drake’s Place is an award-winning community space offering a calm and relaxing oasis amidst the whirl of urban living. It is an accessible, welcoming haven and a safe diverse habitat for wildlife that has been awarded the Green Flag award since 2015.

Overlooking the reservoir and gardens sits the Reservoir Café, a vegetarian bistro in a fantastic sun-drenched position.

The history of Drake's Place is rich; initially built in 1825 as the main source of water for the town of Plymouth before Burrator and Hartley reservoirs were built. Prior to the creation of Drake's Place, in 1592 Sir Francis Drake oversaw the construction of a channel running from Dartmoor to Plymouth known as Drake's Leat. The remains of two conduit houses (used to distribute water around the town) can be found preserved within the walls of the reservoir.

The reservoir went out of use in the 1970's where upon it was left to go derelict, until University of Plymouth took over the lease for the gardens and reservoir in 2007. Investing £300,000 to make the gardens more attractive and secure, returning them to their former glory, and opening the gardens and reservoir to the public in 2014.

We opened the restoration to the public in June 2014, bringing the gardens back to their former glory. We also opened the Reservoir Cafe in the Nancy Astor Building, giving you somewhere to enjoy a drink, a bite to eat, and the scenery.