Whimple Street

Time was when Whimple Street was one of the premier streets of Plymouth. Running from the Market Cross at the top of High Street through to St Andrew's Church it housed the two consecutive Guildhalls and was thus the centre for Corporation business from around 1600 through to the construction of the present day Guildhall in the 1870s.

The street was a prosperous one and boasted many commercial establishments. The most famous of which were associated with the sale of wimples or women's hoods. Generally made of linen or silk these garments are folded in such a way to envelop the head, chin, and sides of the face and neck. They are still worn by some nuns today. They are also what gave their name to this now somewhat neglected city centre street.