Cattewater
The Cattewater is that stretch of water on the Devon coast where the mouth of the River Plym merges with Plymouth Sound, just to the east of Sutton Pool.
It is around this Pool, in the east of Plymouth Sound that the manor of Sutton was founded, and which grew to form the present-day city of Plymouth.
On the northern shore of this confluence of waters, the Plym and the Sound, there was a rock outcrop, which it was claimed, had the appearance of a cat. This gave its name to this stretch of water and eventually the name of Cattedown to the adjoining wharves and commercial area. Apart from an occasional small oil tanker the area is now used mostly by fishing trawlers, yachts, and smaller pleasure craft. There is a water taxi across it from the Mayflower Steps on Plymouth Barbican to Mount Batten and also Oreston both on the southern bank.
The spelling "Cattewater" is neither old nor consistent. Local sources and texts together with early maps and drawings refer to the opening of the estuary variously as Catwater, Cat Water and Catt Water.
Outside links
- Location map: 50°21’44"N, 4°7’40"W
