At the top of a rocky hill
Overlooking Plymouth Sound sits a Fort big and round
Known to the locals as the Royal Citadel

The Fort protects Plymouth Sound and all the citizens that live
and work around.
Originally designed by Sir Francis Drake and funded by taxes on pilchards exported by sea.
With walls 70ft high and host to 113 guns, the Citadel protected Plymouth for over 300 years and was home to the naval military.

When I was young annual Military Tattoos were held
Every child in Plymouth seemed to attend transfixed by the smart men all in time, marching and playing their drums and pipes.

Now the Citadel proudly sits on display but sadly has no role today, no tattoos or music of the night displays.

By 2024 the Plymouth Citadel will be no more
Three hundred years of history will be replaced by housing much in need but sadly no longer will it have a military history