Walking trail and mobile app celebrates Plymouth's most iconic women

The trail, through the city centre and Hoe is accompanied by an app, containing biographies of each woman

Author: Chris BakerPublished 11th Mar 2021

A new walking trail has been launched, celebrating the women who've helped shape Plymouth.

The trail, through the city centre and Hoe areas, is accompanied by an app, containing biographies of iconic Plymouth women.

These include Nancy Astor, the first woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament in 1919, Clara Daymond and Louie Simpson, the first women to be elected as Councillors, and more recently, swimmer Sharron Davies.

The 'Plymouth Powerful Women' project has identified and showcased 92 women who have helped to shape the city since 1919. 13 of those feature in the walking trail.

The project, led by the Hoe Neighbourhood Forum, in conjunction with the University of Plymouth and Destination Plymouth, has been launched to coincide with International Women’s Day earlier this week (8 March).

Judith Rowbotham is a professor at the university and author of the biographies. She said:

"Through the project, we have identified so many powerful women whose efforts to improve the health and happiness of their fellow Plymothians deserves to be recognised."

"Our hope is that the Plymouth Powerful Women project leaves a community legacy and establishes a foundation for further research, so that new generations can build upon the original resource, and use it to create additional heritage trails and new initiatives.

"The old saying is that behind every successful man is a good woman.

"What this project has revealed is that behind every good woman is a whole support network of other good women."