# Cattedown > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cattedown > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cattedown.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattedown > Source revision: 1338860081 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Suburb of Plymouth, Devon, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox UK place | country = England | coordinates = {{coord|50.368808|-4.113901|display=inline,title}} | static_image = Cattedown - geograph.org.uk - 293048.jpg | static_image_caption = | official_name = Cattedown | map_type = | region = South West England | unitary_england = [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth) | lieutenancy_england = [Devon](/source/Devon) | constituency_westminster = | population = 9,331 | population_ref = Census, 2011 | post_town = [PLYMOUTH](/source/Plymouth) | postcode_district = | postcode_area = PL | dial_code = | os_grid_reference = | pushpin_map = }} '''Cattedown''' is an inner city [suburb](/source/suburb) of [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth), Devon. Its position beside the [River Plym](/source/River_Plym) estuary just short of the mouth led to its early settlement. It is believed that the name Cattedown (and the nearby Cattewater) originated from a rocky outcrop nearby on the River Plym that looked like a cat.{{Cite web |title=Hartstongue - Cattedown |url=https://www.hartstongue.co.uk/index.php/directory/plymouth/cattedown?types%5B0%5D=1 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=www.hartstongue.co.uk}}{{Cite web |last=Hards |first=Shannon |date=2019-05-12 |title=Plymouth's mystery tunnel to nowhere you probably didn't know existed |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouths-mystery-tunnel-nowhere-you-2853477 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Plymouth Live |language=en}} The area (including Prince Rock) as a population of 9,331 according to the 2011 census. ==History== === 1600s–1800s === {{Main|Plymouth Bone Caves}} In the 1600s, Cattedown was home to quarries, the topsoil around the area was extensively excavated, especially after the discovery of the fossils in the area.{{Cite web |date=2008-02-01 |title=Land Off Shapters Way, Cattedown, City of Plymouth - Archaeological Watching Brief |url=https://www.wessexarch.co.uk/sites/default/files/GONE%20_%2064362_Land%20off%20shapters%20Way-web.pdf |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Wessex Archaeology}} In 1816, caves containing human bones were discovered in Cattedown when a "bone bearing fissure" was found by a "Mr Whidbey",{{Cite web |title=THE CATTEDOWN BONE CAVE. |url=https://www.dartmoorwalks.org.uk/resource/docs/article250.pdf |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Dartmoor Walks}} the caves were further discovered and excavated by two archaeologists in 1886 who discovered human bones while mining in a quarry.{{Cite web |last=The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map |title=Cattedown Bone Cave |url=https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18210 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309164311/https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18210 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=The Megalithic Portal |url-status=live }} During the excavations traces of charcoal were found, leading archeologists to believe that early humans were living in the caves, and were potentially the first people to live in the Plymouth area.{{Cite web |last1=Elmes |first1=Sarah |last2=Timms |first2=Katie |date=2025-10-19 |title=Hidden history of Cattedown in 15 intriguing photos |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/history/gallery/explore-hidden-history-plymouths-cattedown-10578290 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Plymouth Live |language=en}} Bones of [woolly rhinoceros](/source/woolly_rhinoceros)es, [reindeer](/source/reindeer), [hyena](/source/hyena)s and a [woolly mammoth](/source/woolly_mammoth) from the [ice age](/source/ice_age) were also found.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Edd |date=2017-08-06 |title=Inside the Cattedown Caves - Plymouth's hidden national treasure |url=http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/special-features/inside-top-secret-cattedown-bone-287484 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Plymouth Live |language=en}} Among the partial skeletons of 15 early humans found in the caves was the famous ‘Cattedown Man’ – believed to be the city's earliest known inhabitant and dating back 140,000 years.{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Edd |date=2017-08-07 |title=Rare glimpse inside secret Devon bone caves |url=http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/rare-glimpse-inside-secret-devon-287971 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Devon Live |language=en}} Archaeologists say he could potentially be the oldest human found in Britain.{{cite web |title=Cattedown's unknown history in 16 fascinating pictures - Plymouth Live |date=28 December 2020 |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/history/gallery/cattedowns-unknown-history-16-fascinating-4801519}}{{Cite web |last=Butler |first=Jackie |date=2022-04-30 |title=Plymouth caves where skulls and bones were discovered |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/history/skulls-bones-uncovered-secret-plymouth-7013042 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Plymouth Live |language=en}} Further caves were found around the city in the 20th century including those at [Stonehouse](/source/Stonehouse%2C_Plymouth), [Oreston](/source/Oreston), and [Turnchapel](/source/Turnchapel).{{Cite web |last=Devon Karst Research Society |title=CAThp |url=http://devonkarst.org.uk/Bone%20Caves%20of%20Plymouth%20%26%20District/CAThp.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801042606/http://devonkarst.org.uk/Bone%20Caves%20of%20Plymouth%20%26%20District/CAThp.htm |archive-date=1 August 2021 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=devonkarst.org.uk |url-status=live }} Today, the caves – listed as a national monument by Historic England{{Cite web |title=Worth's Cattedown Bone Cave 150m north of Cattedown Wharves, Non Civil Parish - 1021406 {{!}} Historic England |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=historicengland.org.uk |language=en}} – remain fenced off and closed to the public.{{cite web |title=The bone caves of Plymouth and district website |url=http://www.devonkarst.org.uk/Bone%20Caves%20of%20Plymouth%20%26%20District/The%20Bone%20Caves%20of%20Plymouth%20and%20District%20hp.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418043606/http://www.devonkarst.org.uk/Bone%20Caves%20of%20Plymouth%20%26%20District/The%20Bone%20Caves%20of%20Plymouth%20and%20District%20hp.html |archive-date=18 April 2021 |access-date=27 May 2008 |url-status=live }} === 1900s === The area used to be served by a branch of the Plymouth to Yealmpton railway line, but closed to commuter traffic in 1947.{{Cite web |title=Cattewater Branch |url=https://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/cattewater-branch1.html |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Cornwall Railway Society |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last1=Ponsonby |first1=G. J. |last2=MacDermot |first2=E. T. |date=1928-06-01 |title=History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. I. 1833-1863, in Two Parts. |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/2547805 |journal=Economica |issue=23 |pages=231 |doi=10.2307/2547805 |jstor=2547805 |issn=0013-0427|url-access=subscription }} The passenger services ceased on 6 October 1947,Passengers No More by G.Daniels and L.Dench and cargo services ceased on 29 February 1960.David St John Thomas, ''A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain – Volume I – the West Country'', David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1966{{cite web |last1=Moseley |first1=Brian |date=1 April 2012 |title=Yealmpton Branch |url=http://www.plymouthdata.info/Railways-GWR%20Yealmpton%20Branch.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005222606/http://www.plymouthdata.info/Railways-GWR%20Yealmpton%20Branch.htm |archivedate=5 October 2013 |accessdate=13 February 2015 |website=The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History}}Anthony R Kingdom, ''The Plymouth to Yealmpton Railway (The South Hams Light Railway)'', Ark Publications (Railways), Newton Abbot, 1998, {{ISBN|1 873 029 07 1}} In 1991, Plymouth City Council began the Cattedown Regeneration Project which redeveloped {{Convert|24|ha|km2}} of brownfield land to the east of [Sutton Harbour](/source/Sutton_Harbour) including Cattedown. The project included the construction of the a fish market at £3m in 1995, a new Government Office of the South West, and the [National Marine Aquarium](/source/National_Marine_Aquarium%2C_Plymouth), as well as new infrastructure including additional roads and car parking.{{Cite web |last1=Essex |first1=Stephen |last2=Ford |first2=Peter |title=Urban regeneration: thirty years of change on Plymouth's waterfront |url=https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1584&context=gees-research |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=[University of Plymouth](/source/University_of_Plymouth)}} === 2000s–present === The former quarries are now home to the Valero Plymouth Terminal, a large gas tank farm.{{Cite web |last1=Marr |first1=A |last2=Turner |first2=J |date=2023-09-13 |title=Cattewater Harbour Masterplan Prevailing Port Conditions Assessment |url=https://plymouthport.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/100114133-RP-002-P1-Prevailing-Port-Conditions-Assessment.pdf |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Cattewater Harbour Commissioners}} In 2016, the critically endangered [Horrid Ground-weaver](/source/Horrid_ground-weaver) spider was found in Cattedown, the spider has previously only been found in Plymouth and was recorded for the first time in the area.{{Cite news |date=2016-02-10 |title=Horrid ground-weaver spider 'filmed alive for first time' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-35540103 |access-date=2025-12-31 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} The spider only lives in limestone quarries in Plymouth, and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.{{Cite news |date=2015-06-09 |title=Rare horrid ground-weaver spider stops Plymouth housing plans |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-33068414 |access-date=2025-12-31 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} ==Notable buildings== [St Mary's Church](/source/St_Mary's_Church%2C_Cattedown) was a [Church of England](/source/Church_of_England) church in Cattedown. It was built between 1911 and 1912 and was designed by [Sir Charles Nicholson](/source/Charles_Nicholson%2C_2nd_Baronet). The church closed in 1956, and was used for storage until it partly served as a church hall and community centre from 1990 and was demolished in 2007–08.{{cite web |date=1 August 2017 |title=Anglican Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Mary Magdalene |url=https://www.oldplymouth.uk/Saint%20Mary%20the%20Virgin%20and%20Saint%20Mary%20Magdalene%20(Anglican%20Church%20of).htm |access-date=5 June 2025 |publisher=Old Plymouth, UK}} == Gallery == File:Cattedown from Mount Batten - geograph.org.uk - 1169232.jpg|Cattedown from [Mount Batten](/source/Mount_Batten) File:Cattewater industrial dock area.jpg|A panorama of the Cattedown docks area taken from Mount Batten File:The Cattewater - geograph.org.uk - 58682.jpg|Cattewater File:Fuel storage tanks, Cattedown - geograph.org.uk - 2455644.jpg|Fuel storage tanks in Cattedown File:Cylinders on Cattedown - geograph.org.uk - 7645925.jpg|Fuel storage on Cattedown (from Cattewater) ==References== {{reflist}} {{City of Plymouth}} Category:Suburbs of Plymouth, Devon {{Plymouth-geo-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cattedown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattedown) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattedown?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.