Plymouth

context: Plymouth (i/ˈplɪməθ/) is a city on the south coast of Devon, England, about 37 miles (60 km) south-west of Exeter and 190 miles (310 km) west-south-west of London, between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west where they join Plymouth Sound to form the boundary with Cornwall.
qas: answers: text: 60
question: In kilometers, what is the distance from Plymouth to Exeter?

answers: text: 190
question: How many miles away from London is Plymouth?

answers: text: Tamar
question: What river borders Plymouth on the west?

answers: text: Devon
question: In what county is Plymouth located?

answers: text: Plymouth Sound
question: In what body of water do the rivers Tamar and Plym converge?

context: Plymouth's early history extends to the Bronze Age, when a first settlement emerged at Mount Batten. This settlement continued as a trading post for the Roman Empire, until it was surpassed by the more prosperous village of Sutton, now called Plymouth. In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers departed Plymouth for the New World and established Plymouth Colony – the second English settlement in what is now the United States of America. During the English Civil War the town was held by the Parliamentarians and was besieged between 1642 and 1646.
qas: answers: text: Mount Batten
question: What was the location of the earliest settlement near Plymouth?

answers: text: Sutton
question: What was Plymouth's original name?

answers: text: 1620
question: In what year did the Pilgrim Fathers sail from Plymouth?

answers: text: 1646
question: When did the siege of Plymouth end during the English Civil War?

answers: text: Plymouth Colony
question: What was the name of the colony founded by the Pilgrim Fathers in the New World?

context: Throughout the Industrial Revolution, Plymouth grew as a commercial shipping port, handling imports and passengers from the Americas, and exporting local minerals (tin, copper, lime, china clay and arsenic) while the neighbouring town of Devonport became a strategic Royal Naval shipbuilding and dockyard town. In 1914 three neighbouring independent towns, viz., the county borough of Plymouth, the county borough of Devonport, and the urban district of East Stonehouse were merged to form a single County Borough. The combined town took the name of Plymouth which, in 1928, achieved city status. The city's naval importance later led to its targeting and partial destruction during World War II, an act known as the Plymouth Blitz. After the war the city centre was completely rebuilt and subsequent expansion led to the incorporation of Plympton and Plymstock along with other outlying suburbs in 1967.
qas: answers: text: Devonport
question: What nearby settlement built ships for the Royal Navy?

answers: text: 1928
question: In what year did Plymouth become a city?

answers: text: Plymouth Blitz
question: What is the term used to describe the attacks on Plymouth during the Second World War?

answers: text: 1967
question: In what year was Plymstock incorporated?

answers: text: East Stonehouse
question: Along with Plymouth and Devonport, what location was merged into a county borough in 1914?

context: The city is home to 261,546 (mid-2014 est.) people, making it the 30th most populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. It is governed locally by Plymouth City Council and is represented nationally by three MPs. Plymouth's economy remains strongly influenced by shipbuilding and seafaring including ferry links to Brittany (Roscoff and St Malo) and Spain (Santander), but has tended toward a service-based economy since the 1990s. It has the largest operational naval base in Western Europe – HMNB Devonport and is home to Plymouth University.
qas: answers: text: 261,546
question: As of 2014, what was the population of Plymouth?

answers: text: 30th
question: Where does Plymouth rank in population among the cities of the UK?

answers: text: three
question: How many members of Parliament represent Plymouth?

answers: text: Santander
question: In what city does Plymouth's ferry to Spain terminate?

answers: text: Plymouth University
question: What institution of higher education is based in Plymouth?

context: Upper Palaeolithic deposits, including bones of Homo sapiens, have been found in local caves, and artefacts dating from the Bronze Age to the Middle Iron Age have been found at Mount Batten showing that it was one of the main trading ports of the country at that time. An unidentified settlement named 'TAMARI OSTIA' (mouth/estuaries of the Tamar) is listed in Ptolemy's Geographia and is presumed to be located in the area of the modern city.
qas: answers: text: TAMARI OSTIA
question: What is the name of the location cited by Ptolemy that is believed to have been located near modern Plymouth?

answers: text: Mount Batten
question: Where have Middle Iron Age remnants been found?

answers: text: mouth/estuaries of the Tamar
question: What does 'TAMARI OSTIA' mean?

context: The settlement of Plympton, further up the River Plym than the current Plymouth, was also an early trading port, but the river silted up in the early 11th century and forced the mariners and merchants to settle at the current day Barbican near the river mouth. At the time this village was called Sutton, meaning south town in Old English. The name Plym Mouth, meaning "mouth of the River Plym" was first mentioned in a Pipe Roll of 1211. The name Plymouth first officially replaced Sutton in a charter of King Henry VI in 1440. See Plympton for the derivation of the name Plym.
qas: answers: text: 11th
question: In what century were sailors obligated to relocate from Plympton due to silting?

answers: text: south town
question: What did Sutton mean in the Old English language?

answers: text: 1211
question: In what year was the first written reference to Plymouth made?

answers: text: King Henry VI
question: During whose reign was the former town of Sutton referred to as Plymouth?

answers: text: mouth of the River Plym
question: What did 'Plym Mouth' mean?

context: During the Hundred Years' War a French attack (1340) burned a manor house and took some prisoners, but failed to get into the town. In 1403 the town was burned by Breton raiders. In the late fifteenth century a 'castle quadrate' was constructed close to the area now known as The Barbican; it included four round towers, one at each corner, as featured on the city coat of arms. The castle served to protect Sutton Pool, which is where the fleet was based in Plymouth prior to the establishment of Plymouth Dockyard. In 1512 an Act of Parliament was passed for further fortifying Plymouth, and a series of fortifications were then built, including defensive walls at the entrance to Sutton Pool (across which a chain would be extended in time of danger). Defences on St Nicholas Island also date from this time, and a string of six artillery blockhouses were built, including one on Fishers Nose at the south-eastern corner of the Hoe. This location was further strengthened by the building of a fort (later known as Drake's Fort) in 1596, which itself went on to provide the site for the Citadel, established in the 1660s (see below).
qas: answers: text: 1340
question: In what year during the Hundred Years' War did the French assault Plymouth?

answers: text: Breton raiders
question: Who set fire to Plymouth in 1403?

answers: text: 1596
question: In what year was the fortification later known as Drake's Fort constructed?

answers: text: Sutton Pool
question: Before Plymouth dockyard was built, where was the fleet located?

answers: text: 1512
question: In what year did Parliament pass a notable law that led to the building of fortifications in Plymouth?

context: During the 16th century locally produced wool was the major export commodity. Plymouth was the home port for successful maritime traders, among them Sir John Hawkins, who led England's first foray into the Atlantic slave trade, as well as Sir Francis Drake, Mayor of Plymouth in 1581 and 1593. According to legend, Drake insisted on completing his game of bowls on the Hoe before engaging the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the New World from Plymouth, establishing Plymouth Colony – the second English colony in what is now the United States of America.
qas: answers: text: Sir John Hawkins
question: What notable slave trader was based out of Plymouth?

answers: text: Sir Francis Drake
question: Who served as Plymouth's mayor in 1593?

answers: text: 1588
question: In what year did Drake battle the Spanish Armada?

answers: text: 1620
question: When did the Pilgrim Fathers depart Plymouth?

answers: text: Plymouth Colony
question: What was the name of the settlement founded by the Pilgrim Fathers?

context: During the English Civil War Plymouth sided with the Parliamentarians and was besieged for almost four years by the Royalists. The last major attack by the Royalist was by Sir Richard Grenville leading thousands of soldiers towards Plymouth, but they were defeated by the Plymothians at Freedom Fields Park. The civil war ended as a Parliamentary win, but monarchy was restored by King Charles II in 1660, who imprisoned many of the Parliamentary heroes on Drake's Island. Construction of the Royal Citadel began in 1665, after the Restoration; it was armed with cannon facing both out to sea and into the town, rumoured to be a reminder to residents not to oppose the Crown. Mount Batten tower also dates from around this time.
qas: answers: text: Parliamentarians
question: Which faction did Plymouth support during the English Civil War?

answers: text: four
question: For how many years was Plymouth under siege during the English Civil War?

answers: text: Freedom Fields Park
question: Where did the last battle for Plymouth during the English Civil War end?

answers: text: 1660
question: In what year did Charles II ascend to the throne?

answers: text: Drake's Island
question: What locale was used to house imprisoned Parliamentarians after the restoration of Charles II?

context: Throughout the 17th century Plymouth had gradually lost its pre-eminence as a trading port. By the mid-17th century commodities manufactured elsewhere in England cost too much to transport to Plymouth and the city had no means of processing sugar or tobacco imports, although it did play a relatively small part in the Atlantic slave trade during the early 18th century.
qas: answers: text: 18th
question: During what century was Plymouth involved with the Atlantic slave trade?

answers: text: 17th
question: In what century did Plymouth cease to be a vital trading port?

context: In the nearby parish of Stoke Damerel the first dockyard, HMNB Devonport, opened in 1690 on the eastern bank of the River Tamar. Further docks were built here in 1727, 1762 and 1793. The settlement that developed here was called "Dock" or "Plymouth Dock" at the time, and a new town, separate from Plymouth, grew up. In 1712 there were 318 men employed and by 1733 it had grown to a population of 3,000 people.
qas: answers: text: 1690
question: In what year was HMNB Davenport established?

answers: text: River Tamar
question: What river was adjacent to HMNB Davenport?

answers: text: 318
question: How many male workers were present in Plymouth Dock circa 1712?

answers: text: 3,000
question: What was the 1733 population of Plymouth Dock?

answers: text: Stoke Damerel
question: In what parish was HMNB Davenport located?

context: Before the latter half of the 18th century, grain, timber and then coal were Plymouth's main imports. During this time the real source of wealth was from the neighbouring town of Plymouth Dock (renamed in 1824 to Devonport) and the major employer in the entire region was the dockyard. The Three Towns conurbation of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport enjoyed some prosperity during the late 18th and early 19th century and were enriched by a series of neo-classical urban developments designed by London architect John Foulston. Foulston was important for both Devonport and Plymouth and was responsible for several grand public buildings, many now destroyed, including the Athenaeum, the Theatre Royal and Royal Hotel, and much of Union Street.
qas: answers: text: timber
question: Along with coal and grain, what was the most important import in 18th century Plymouth?

answers: text: Devonport
question: What was the new name given to Plymouth Dock in 1824?

answers: text: Stonehouse
question: Along with Plymouth and Devonport, what settlement comprised the Three Towns?

answers: text: John Foulston
question: What architect was noted for his neoclassical designs in Plymouth?

answers: text: Union Street
question: On what street did many of the buildings designed by John Foulston reside?

context: Local chemist William Cookworthy established his somewhat short-lived Plymouth Porcelain venture in 1768 to exploit the recently discovered deposits of local China Clay - an industry which continues to make up a portion of the city income. As an associate and host of engineer John Smeaton he was indirectly involved with the development of the Eddystone Lighthouse.
qas: answers: text: William Cookworthy
question: Who founded Plymouth Porcelain?

answers: text: 1768
question: In what year was Plymouth Porcelain founded?

answers: text: chemist
question: What was William Cookworthy's profession?

answers: text: John Smeaton
question: What was the name of the engineer involved in the construction of the Eddystone Lighthouse?

context: The 1-mile-long (2 km) Breakwater in Plymouth Sound was designed by John Rennie in order to protect the fleet moving in and out of Devonport; work started in 1812. Numerous technical difficulties and repeated storm damage meant that it was not completed until 1841, twenty years after Rennie's death. In the 1860s, a ring of Palmerston forts was constructed around the outskirts of Devonport, to protect the dockyard from attack from any direction.
qas: answers: text: 2
question: In kilometers, how long was the Plymouth Sound Breakwater?

answers: text: John Rennie
question: Who was the designer of the Plymouth Sound Breakwater?

answers: text: 1841
question: In what year did construction finish on the Plymouth Sound Breakwater?

answers: text: 1812
question: When did construction commence on Plymouth Sound Breakwater?

answers: text: Devonport
question: Near which settlement were Palmerston forts built in the 1860s?

context: Some of the greatest imports to Plymouth from the Americas and Europe during the latter half of the 19th century included maize, wheat, barley, sugar cane, guano, sodium nitrate and phosphate Aside from the dockyard in the town of Devonport, industries in Plymouth such as the gasworks, the railways and tramways and a number of small chemical works had begun to develop in the 19th century, continuing into the 20th century.
qas: answers: text: guano
question: What animal byproduct was imported to Plymouth in the 19th century?

answers: text: Devonport
question: In what settlement were the dockyards located?

context: During the First World War, Plymouth was the port of entry for many troops from around the Empire and also developed as a facility for the manufacture of munitions. Although major units of the Royal Navy moved to the safety of Scapa Flow, Devonport was an important base for escort vessels and repairs. Flying boats operated from Mount Batten.
qas: answers: text: Scapa Flow
question: What was the primary base of the Royal navy during World War I?

answers: text: escort vessels
question: What sorts of ships were based in Davenport?

answers: text: Mount Batten
question: What location provided a base for flying boats?

context: In the First World War, Devonport was the headquarters of Western Approaches Command until 1941 and Sunderland flying boats were operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. It was an important embarkation point for US troops for D-Day. The city was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe, in a series of 59 raids known as the Plymouth Blitz. Although the dockyards were the principal targets, much of the city centre and over 3,700 houses were completely destroyed and more than 1,000 civilians lost their lives. This was largely due to Plymouth's status as a major port Charles Church was hit by incendiary bombs and partially destroyed in 1941 during the Blitz, but has not been demolished, as it is now an official permanent monument to the bombing of Plymouth during World War II.
qas: answers: text: Royal Australian Air Force
question: What force used Sunderland flying boats out of Devonport?

answers: text: Western Approaches Command
question: What military organization was based in Devonport until 1941?

answers: text: 59
question: How many attacks comprised the Plymouth Blitz?

answers: text: more than 1,000
question: How many civilian deaths occurred as a result of the Plymouth Blitz?

answers: text: over 3,700
question: How many homes were totally destroyed in the Plymouth Blitz?

context: The redevelopment of the city was planned by Sir Patrick Abercrombie in his 1943 Plan for Plymouth whilst simultaneously working on the reconstruction plan for London. Between 1951 and 1957 over 1000 homes were completed every year mostly using innovative prefabricated systems of just three main types; by 1964 over 20,000 new homes had been built transforming the dense overcrowded and unsanitary slums of the pre-war city into a low density, dispersed suburbia. Most of the city centre shops had been destroyed and those that remained were cleared to enable a zoned reconstruction according to his plan. In 1962 the modernist high rise of the Civic Centre was constructed, an architecturally significant example of mid twentieth century civic slab-and-tower set piece allowed to fall into disrepair by its owner Plymouth City Council but recently grade II listed by English Heritage to prevent its demolition.
qas: answers: text: Sir Patrick Abercrombie
question: Who was the author of the 1943 Plan for Plymouth?

answers: text: over 1000
question: In the period 1951-1957, how many new houses were constructed yearly in Plymouth?

answers: text: over 20,000
question: In the postwar period to 1964, how many houses were built in Plymouth?

answers: text: 1962
question: When was the Civic Centre built?

answers: text: grade II
question: What English Heritage status does the Civic Centre possess?

context: Post-war, Devonport Dockyard was kept busy refitting aircraft carriers such as the Ark Royal and, later, nuclear submarines while new light industrial factories were constructed in the newly zoned industrial sector attracting rapid growth of the urban population. The army had substantially left the city by 1971, with barracks pulled down in the 1960s, however the city remains home to the 42 Commando of the Royal Marines.
qas: answers: text: Ark Royal
question: What aircraft carrier received maintenance at Devonport Dockyard?

answers: text: 1971
question: By what year was the greater part of the army presence in Plymouth gone?

answers: text: 42 Commando of the Royal Marines
question: What military unit is based in Plymouth?

context: The first record of the existence of a settlement at Plymouth was in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Sudtone, Saxon for south farm, located at the present day Barbican. From Saxon times, it was in the hundred of Roborough. In 1254 it gained status as a town and in 1439, became the first town in England to be granted a Charter by Parliament. Between 1439 and 1934, Plymouth had a Mayor. In 1914 the county boroughs of Plymouth and Devonport, and the urban district of East Stonehouse merged to form a single county borough of Plymouth. Collectively they were referred to as "The Three Towns".
qas: answers: text: Domesday Book
question: In what text was the presence of a settlement in the Plymouth area first recorded?

answers: text: 1086
question: In what year was the Domesday Book compiled?

answers: text: Sudtone
question: What was the name of the Plymouth-area settlement recorded in the Domesday Book?

answers: text: 1254
question: In what year was Plymouth recognized as a town?

answers: text: 1439
question: In what year did Parliament bestow a Charter on Plymouth?

context: In 1919 Nancy Astor was elected the first ever female member of parliament to take office in the British Houses of Parliament for the constituency of Plymouth Sutton. Taking over office from her husband Waldorf Astor, Lady Astor was a vibrantly active campaigner for her resident constituents . Plymouth was granted city status on 18 October 1928. The city's first Lord Mayor was appointed in 1935 and its boundaries further expanded in 1967 to include the town of Plympton and the parish of Plymstock.
qas: answers: text: Nancy Astor
question: Who was the first woman MP to take her seat in the British Parliament?

answers: text: Plymouth Sutton
question: For what constituency was Nancy Astor elected?

answers: text: 18 October 1928
question: On what date did Plymouth become a city?

answers: text: 1935
question: In what year did Plymouth receive its first Lord Mayor?

answers: text: Plymstock
question: What parish was incorporated into Plymouth in 1967?

context: In 1945, Plymouth-born Michael Foot was elected Labour MP for the war-torn constituency of Plymouth Devonport and after serving as Secretary of State for Education and responsible for the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, went on to become one of the most distinguished leaders of the Labour party.
qas: answers: text: Plymouth Devonport
question: What constituency did MP Michael Foot represent?

answers: text: Secretary of State for Education
question: What position was Michael Foot noted to occupy in government?

answers: text: 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act
question: What notable piece of legislation did Michael Foot contribute to?

answers: text: Labour
question: What party did Michael Foot become a leader of?

answers: text: Plymouth
question: In what town was Michael Foot born?

context: The 1971 Local Government White Paper proposed abolishing county boroughs, which would have left Plymouth, a town of 250,000 people, being administered from a council based at the smaller Exeter, on the other side of the county. This led to Plymouth lobbying for the creation of a Tamarside county, to include Plymouth, Torpoint, Saltash, and the rural hinterland. The campaign was not successful, and Plymouth ceased to be a county borough on 1 April 1974 with responsibility for education, social services, highways and libraries transferred to Devon County Council. All powers returned when the city become a unitary authority on 1 April 1998 under recommendations of the Banham Commission.
qas: answers: text: 250,000
question: What was the population of Plymouth in 1971?

answers: text: 1971 Local Government White Paper
question: What document suggested that county boroughs be eliminated?

answers: text: Tamarside
question: What county did Plymouth unsuccessfully attempt to see created?

answers: text: 1 April 1974
question: On what date did Plymouth's county status end?

answers: text: the Banham Commission
question: What body proposed that Plymouth become a unitary council?

context: In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Plymouth is represented by the three constituencies of Plymouth Moor View, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and South West Devon and within the European Parliament as South West England. In the 2015 general election all three constituencies returned Conservative MPs, who were Oliver Colvile (for Devon South West), Gary Streeter (for Sutton and Devonport) and Johnny Mercer for Moor View.
qas: answers: text: South West England
question: What European Parliamentary constitutency is Plymouth a part of?

answers: text: Gary Streeter
question: Who was elected for the Sutton and Devonport constitutency in 2015?

answers: text: Conservative
question: As of 2015, what political party did all of Plymouth's MPs belong to?

answers: text: Moor View
question: What parliamentary constitutency was represented by Johnny Mercer?

context: The City of Plymouth is divided into 20 wards, 17 of which elect three councillors and the other three electing two councillors, making up a total council of 57. Each year a third of the council is up for election for three consecutive years – there are no elections on the following "fourth" year, which is when County Council elections take place. The total electorate for Plymouth was 188,924 in April 2015. The local election of 7 May 2015 resulted in a political composition of 28 Labour councillors, 26 Conservative and 3 UKIP resulting in a Labour administration. Plymouth City Council is formally twinned with: Brest, France (1963), Gdynia, Poland (1976), Novorossiysk, Russia (1990) San Sebastián, Spain (1990) and Plymouth, United States (2001).
qas: answers: text: three
question: How many wards in Plymouth elect two councillors?

answers: text: 57
question: How many members are on the Plymouth council?

answers: text: a third
question: What fraction of the Plymouth council is elected each year?

answers: text: Brest
question: With what French city is Plymouth twinned?

answers: text: 2001
question: In what year did Plymouth twin with Plymouth in the United States?

context: Plymouth was granted the dignity of Lord Mayor by King George V in 1935. The position is elected each year by a group of six councillors. It is traditional that the position of the Lord Mayor alternates between the Conservative Party and the Labour Party annually and that the Lord Mayor chooses the Deputy Lord Mayor. Conservative councillor Dr John Mahony is the incumbent for 2015–16.
qas: answers: text: King George V
question: What monarch bestowed the first Lord Mayor on Plymouth?

answers: text: six
question: How many councillors choose the Lord Mayor?

answers: text: the Lord Mayor
question: What officeholder selects the Deputy Lord Mayor?

answers: text: Dr John Mahony
question: Who is the current Lord Mayor of Plymouth?

context: The Lord Mayor's official residence is 3 Elliot Terrace, located on the Hoe. Once a home of Waldorf and Nancy Astor, it was given by Lady Astor to the City of Plymouth as an official residence for future Lord Mayors and is also used today for civic hospitality, as lodgings for visiting dignitaries and High Court judges and it is also available to hire for private events. The Civic Centre municipal office building in Armada Way became a listed building in June 2007 because of its quality and period features, but has become the centre of a controversy as the council planned for its demolition estimating that it could cost £40m to refurbish it, resulting in possible job losses.
qas: answers: text: 3 Elliot Terrace
question: At what street address is the Lord Mayor's residence located?

answers: text: Lady Astor
question: Who gave the Lord Mayor's official residence to Plymouth?

answers: text: Armada Way
question: On what street is the Civic Centre office building located?

answers: text: June 2007
question: In what month and year did the Civic Centre municipal office building become a listed building?

answers: text: £40m
question: What did Plymouth council estimate the cost to refurbish the Civic Centre municipal office building to be?

context: Plymouth lies between the River Plym to the east and the River Tamar to the west; both rivers flow into the natural harbour of Plymouth Sound. Since 1967, the unitary authority of Plymouth has included the, once independent, towns of Plympton and Plymstock which lie along the east of the River Plym. The River Tamar forms the county boundary between Devon and Cornwall and its estuary forms the Hamoaze on which is sited Devonport Dockyard.
qas: answers: text: River Tamar
question: What river is to the west of Plymouth?

answers: text: River Plym
question: To the east of Plymouth lies which river?

answers: text: Cornwall
question: The River Tamar is the boundary between Devon and what other county?

answers: text: Plymouth Sound
question: In what body of water do the rivers Plym and Tamar meet?

answers: text: 1967
question: When did Plymstock join the unitary authority of Plymouth?

context: The River Plym, which flows off Dartmoor to the north-east, forms a smaller estuary to the east of the city called Cattewater. Plymouth Sound is protected from the sea by the Plymouth Breakwater, in use since 1814. In the Sound is Drake's Island which is seen from Plymouth Hoe, a flat public area on top of limestone cliffs. The Unitary Authority of Plymouth is 79.84 square kilometres (30.83 sq mi). The topography rises from sea level to a height, at Roborough, of about 509 feet (155 m) above Ordnance Datum (AOD).
qas: answers: text: Cattewater
question: What estuary east of Plymouth is part of the River Plym?

answers: text: 1814
question: When did the Plymouth Breakwater open?

answers: text: Drake's Island
question: What island is present in Plymouth Sound?

answers: text: 30.83
question: How large is the Unitary Authority of Plymouth in square miles?

answers: text: 155
question: In meters, what is the highest point in the Plymouth Unitary Authority?

context: Geologically, Plymouth has a mixture of limestone, Devonian slate, granite and Middle Devonian limestone. Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, because of its geology. The bulk of the city is built upon Upper Devonian slates and shales and the headlands at the entrance to Plymouth Sound are formed of Lower Devonian slates, which can withstand the power of the sea.
qas: answers: text: Site of Special Scientific Interest
question: What special designation does Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs possess?

answers: text: Lower Devonian slates
question: What stones form the headlands near Plymouth Sound?

answers: text: granite
question: Along with Devonian slate, Middle Devonian limestone and limestone, what stone provides the geologic base of Plymouth?

answers: text: Upper Devonian slates
question: Along with shales, what is most of the city built on?

answers: text: its geology
question: For what reason is Plymouth Sound a Site of Special Scientific Interest?

context: A band of Middle Devonian limestone runs west to east from Cremyll to Plymstock including the Hoe. Local limestone may be seen in numerous buildings, walls and pavements throughout Plymouth. To the north and north east of the city is the granite mass of Dartmoor; the granite was mined and exported via Plymouth. Rocks brought down the Tamar from Dartmoor include ores containing tin, copper, tungsten, lead and other minerals. There is evidence that the middle Devonian limestone belt at the south edge of Plymouth and in Plymstock was quarried at West Hoe, Cattedown and Radford.
qas: answers: text: Cremyll
question: Middle Devonian limestone exists between Plymstock and what location?

answers: text: Dartmoor
question: What location north of the city possesses granite?

answers: text: Tamar
question: What river was used to ferry granite from Dartmoor to Plymouth?

answers: text: Cattedown
question: Along with West Hoe and Radford, where was Middle Devonian limestone quarried in the region?

answers: text: limestone
question: What local stone was used in the construction of many Plymouth buildings?

context: On 27 April 1944 Sir Patrick Abercrombie's Plan for Plymouth to rebuild the bomb-damaged city was published; it called for demolition of the few remaining pre-War buildings in the city centre to make way for their replacement with wide, parallel, modern boulevards aligned east–west linked by a north–south avenue (Armada Way) linking the railway station with the vista of Plymouth Hoe. A peripheral road system connecting the historic Barbican on the east and Union Street to the west determines the principal form of the city centre, even following pedestrianisation of the shopping centre in the late 1980s, and continues to inform the present 'Vision for Plymouth' developed by a team led by Barcelona-based architect David MacKay in 2003 which calls for revivification of the city centre with mixed-use and residential. In suburban areas, post-War prefabs had already begun to appear by 1946, and over 1,000 permanent council houses were built each year from 1951–57 according to the Modernist zoned low-density garden city model advocated by Abercrombie. By 1964 over 20,000 new homes had been built, more than 13,500 of them permanent council homes and 853 built by the Admiralty. Plymouth is home to 28 parks with an average size of 45,638 square metres (491,240 sq ft). Its largest park is Central Park, with other sizeable green spaces including Victoria Park, Freedom Fields Park, Alexandra Park, Devonport Park and the Hoe.
qas: answers: text: 27 April 1944
question: On what date was the publication of the Plan for Plymouth?

answers: text: Sir Patrick Abercrombie
question: Who wrote the Plan for Plymouth?

answers: text: Armada Way
question: What street was intended to connect Plymouth Hoe to the railroad station?

answers: text: David MacKay
question: Who headed the team that created the 'Vision for Plymouth'?

answers: text: 28
question: How many parks exist in Plymouth?

context: Along with the rest of South West England, Plymouth has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. This means a wide range of exotic plants can be grown. The annual mean temperature is approximately 11 °C (52 °F). Due to the modifying effect of the sea the seasonal range is less than in most other parts of the UK. As a result of this summer highs are lower than its southerly latitude should warrant, but as a contrast the coldest month of February has mean minimum temperatures as mild as between 3 and 4 °C (37 and 39 °F). Snow is rare, not usually equating to more than a few flakes, but there have been exclusions, namely the European winter storms of 2009-10 which, in early January, covered Plymouth in at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow; more on higher ground. Another period of notable snow occurred from 17–19 December 2010 when up to 8 inches (20 cm) of snow fell through the period – though only 2 inches (5.1 cm) would lie at any one time due to melt. Over the 1961–1990 period, annual snowfall accumulation averaged less than 7 cm (3 in) per year. July and August are the warmest months with mean daily maxima over 19 °C (66 °F).
qas: answers: text: temperate oceanic
question: What Köppen climate classification does Plymouth possess?

answers: text: 52
question: In degrees Fahrenheit, what is Plymouth's annual mean temperature?

answers: text: February
question: What month in Plymouth has the lowest temperatures?

answers: text: 20
question: Up to how many centimeters of snow fell on Plymouth between 17 and 19 December 2010?

answers: text: July
question: Along with August, what is typically the hottest month in Plymouth?

context: Rainfall tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions or with convection. The Atlantic depressions are more vigorous in autumn and winter and most of the rain which falls in those seasons in the south-west is from this source. Average annual rainfall is around 980 millimetres (39 in). November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, with June to August having the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west.
qas: answers: text: Atlantic depressions
question: Along with convection, what provokes rain in the Plymouth area?

answers: text: autumn
question: Along with winter, in what season are Atlantic depressions most prevalent?

answers: text: 39
question: About how many inches of rain fall on Plymouth every year?

answers: text: November
question: Along with March, what month has the fastest winds on average?

answers: text: south-west
question: From what direction do most of the winds blow on Plymouth?

context: South West England has a favoured location when the Azores High pressure area extends north-eastwards towards the UK, particularly in summer. Coastal areas have average annual sunshine totals over 1,600 hours.
qas: answers: text: over 1,600
question: How many hours of sunshine does the South West England region get each year?

answers: text: South West England
question: What region of England benefits from the extension of the Azores High pressure area?

context: Typically, the warmest day of the year (1971–2000) will achieve a temperature of 26.6 °C (80 °F), although in June 1976 the temperature reached 31.6 °C (89 °F), the site record. On average, 4.25 days of the year will report a maximum temperature of 25.1 °C (77 °F) or above. During the winter half of the year, the coldest night will typically fall to −4.1 °C (25 °F) although in January 1979 the temperature fell to −8.8 °C (16 °F). Typically, 18.6 nights of the year will register an air frost.
qas: answers: text: 89
question: In degrees Fahrenheit, what was the highest temperature achieved in Plymouth between 1971 and 2000?

answers: text: June 1976
question: In what month and year did Plymouth see its highest temperature between 1971 and 2000?

answers: text: 4.25
question: About how many days a year in Plymouth are over 77 °F?

answers: text: −8.8 °C
question: In degrees Celsius, what was the coldest temperature recorded at Plymouth between 1971 and 2000?

answers: text: January 1979
question: In what month and year did Plymouth see its lowest temperature between 1971 and 2000?

context: The University of Plymouth enrolls 25,895 total students as of 2014/15 (22nd largest in the UK out of 165). It also employs 3,000 staff with an annual income of around £160 million. It was founded in 1992 from Polytechnic South West (formerly Plymouth Polytechnic) following the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. It has courses in maritime business, marine engineering, marine biology and Earth, ocean and environmental sciences, surf science, shipping and logistics. The university formed a joint venture with the fellow Devonian University of Exeter in 2000, establishing the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. The college is ranked 8th out of 30 universities in the UK in 2011 for medicine. Its dental school was established in 2006, which also provides free dental care in an attempt to improve access to dental care in the South West.
qas: answers: text: 25,895
question: How many students are studying at the University of Plymouth?

answers: text: 22nd
question: Where does the University of Plymouth rank among British institutions of higher education in terms of number of enrolled students?

answers: text: 3,000
question: How many staff members work for the University of Plymouth?

answers: text: £160 million
question: About how much are the staff of the University of Plymouth paid yearly in total?

answers: text: 1992
question: In what year was the University of Plymouth established?

context: The University of St Mark & St John (known as "Marjon" or "Marjons") specialises in teacher training, and offers training across the country and abroad.
qas: answers: text: The University of St Mark & St John
question: What institution of higher  education is colloquially known as Marjons?

answers: text: teacher training
question: What is the academic specialty of the University of St Mark & St John?

context: The city is also home to two large colleges. The City College Plymouth provides courses from the most basic to Foundation degrees for approximately 26,000 students. Plymouth College of Art offers a selection of courses including media. It was started 153 years ago and is now one of only four independent colleges of art and design in the UK.
qas: answers: text: Plymouth College of Art
question: Along with City College Plymouth, what college calls Plymouth home?

answers: text: 26,000
question: About how many students are enrolled at City College Plymouth?

answers: text: 153
question: How many years ago was Plymouth College of Art founded?

answers: text: four
question: How many independent art colleges exist in the United Kingdom?

answers: text: two
question: How many large colleges exist in Plymouth?

context: Plymouth also has 71 state primary phase schools, 13 state secondary schools, eight special schools and three selective state grammar schools, Devonport High School for Girls, Devonport High School for Boys and Plymouth High School for Girls. There is also an independent school Plymouth College.
qas: answers: text: 71
question: How many state primary schools are in Plymouth?

answers: text: 13
question: Plymouth has how many state secondary schools?

answers: text: three
question: How many state grammar schools are based in Plymouth?

answers: text: Plymouth College
question: What is the name of the independent school in Plymouth?

answers: text: Devonport High School for Girls
question: Aside from Plymouth High School for Girls and Devonport High School for Boys, what state grammar school is present in Plymouth?

context: The city was also home to the Royal Naval Engineering College; opened in 1880 in Keyham, it trained engineering students for five years before they completed the remaining two years of the course at Greenwich. The college closed in 1910, but in 1940 a new college opened at Manadon. This was renamed Dockyard Technical College in 1959 before finally closing in 1994; training was transferred to the University of Southampton.
qas: answers: text: the Royal Naval Engineering College
question: What maritime institution of higher education existed in Plymouth as of 1880?

answers: text: 1910
question: When did the Royal Naval Engineering College shut its doors in Plymouth?

answers: text: Dockyard Technical College
question: What was the Royal Naval Engineering College renamed in 1959?

answers: text: 1994
question: In what year did the Dockyard Technical College close?

answers: text: University of Southampton
question: After the Dockyard Technical College closed, where were classes relocated to?

context: Plymouth is home to the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (MBA) which conducts research in all areas of the marine sciences. The Plymouth Marine Laboratory is an offshoot of the MBA. Together with the National Marine Aquarium, the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Sciences, Plymouth University's Marine Institute and the Diving Diseases Research Centre, these marine-related organisations form the Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership. The Plymouth Marine Laboratory, which focuses on global issues of climate change and sustainability. It monitors the effects of ocean acidity on corals and shellfish and reports the results to the UK government. It also cultivates algae that could be used to make biofuels or in the treatment of waste water by using technology such as photo-bioreactors. It works alongside the Boots Group to investigate the use of algae in skin care protects, taking advantage of the chemicals they contain that adapt to protect themselves from the sun.
qas: answers: text: Marine Biological Association
question: What organization known as the MBA is based in Plymouth?

answers: text: Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Sciences
question: What Plymouth organization is named for Sir Alister Hardy?

answers: text: Marine Institute
question: What marine facility is attached to the University of Plymouth?

answers: text: Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership
question: What group are many of Plymouth's marine organizations a part of?

answers: text: National Marine Aquarium
question: What is the name of the aquarium present in Plymouth?

context: From the 2011 Census, the Office for National Statistics published that Plymouth's unitary authority area population was 256,384; 15,664 more people than that of the last census from 2001, which indicated that Plymouth had a population of 240,720. The Plymouth urban area had a population of 260,203 in 2011 (the urban sprawl which extends outside the authority's boundaries). The city's average household size was 2.3 persons. At the time of the 2011 UK census, the ethnic composition of Plymouth's population was 96.2% White (of 92.9% was White British), with the largest minority ethnic group being Chinese at 0.5%. The white Irish ethnic group saw the largest decline in its share of the population since the 2001 Census (-24%), while the Other Asian and Black African had the largest increases (360% and 351% respectively). This excludes the two new ethnic groups added to the 2011 census of Gypsy or Irish Traveller and Arab. The population rose rapidly during the second half of the 19th century, but declined by over 1.6% from 1931 to 1951.
qas: answers: text: 256,384
question: What was the population of Plymouth unitary authority circa 2011?

answers: text: 240,720
question: What was the population of Plymouth unitary authority circa 2001?

answers: text: 15,664
question: How many people did the Plymouth unitary authority gain between 2001 and 2011?

answers: text: 2.3
question: What was the average number of people in a Plymouth household?

answers: text: 0.5
question: What percentage of Plymouth residents in 2011 were of Chinese ancestry?

context: Plymouth's gross value added (a measure of the size of its economy) was 5,169 million GBP in 2013 making up 25% of Devon's GVA. Its GVA per person was £19,943 and compared to the national average of £23,755, was £3,812 lower. Plymouth's unemployment rate was 7.0% in 2014 which was 2.0 points higher than the South West average and 0.8 points higher than the average for Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland).
qas: answers: text: 25%
question: What percentage of Devon's GVA does Plymouth comprise in 2013?

answers: text: 5,169
question: What was Plymouth's 2013 GVA in millions of British Pounds?

answers: text: £19,943
question: What was Plymouth' per capita GVA in 2013?

answers: text: £23,755
question: What was the United Kingdom's average per capita GVA in 2013?

answers: text: 7.0%
question: What percentage of Plymouth residents were unemployed in 2014?

context: A 2014 profile by the National Health Service showed Plymouth had higher than average levels of poverty and deprivation (26.2% of population among the poorest 20.4% nationally). Life expectancy, at 78.3 years for men and 82.1 for women, was the lowest of any region in the South West of England.
qas: answers: text: 26.2%
question: What percentage of Plymouth residents were suffering from poverty and deprivation in 2014?

answers: text: 78.3 years
question: As of 2014, what was the life expectancy of male Plymouth residents?

answers: text: 82.1
question: As of 2014, what was the life expectancy of female Plymouth residents?

answers: text: lowest
question: Where did Plymouth's life expectancy rank out of the regions of South West England?

context: Because of its coastal location, the economy of Plymouth has traditionally been maritime, in particular the defence sector with over 12,000 people employed and approximately 7,500 in the armed forces. The Plymouth Gin Distillery has been producing Plymouth Gin since 1793, which was exported around the world by the Royal Navy. During the 1930s, it was the most widely distributed gin and has a controlled term of origin. Since the 1980s, employment in the defence sector has decreased substantially and the public sector is now prominent particularly in administration, health, education, medicine and engineering.
qas: answers: text: 12,000
question: How many Plymouth residents are employed in defense?

answers: text: 7,500
question: About how many Plymouth residents are serving in the military?

answers: text: 1793
question: When was Plymouth Gin first distilled?

answers: text: Plymouth Gin Distillery
question: What company produces Plymouth Gin?

answers: text: the 1930s
question: During what decade was Plymouth Gin the most widely consumed in the world?

context: Devonport Dockyard is the UK's only naval base that refits nuclear submarines and the Navy estimates that the Dockyard generates about 10% of Plymouth's income. Plymouth has the largest cluster of marine and maritime businesses in the south west with 270 firms operating within the sector. Other substantial employers include the university with almost 3,000 staff, as well as the Tamar Science Park employing 500 people in 50 companies. Several employers have chosen to locate their headquarters in Plymouth, including Hemsley Fraser.
qas: answers: text: 10%
question: About what percentage of Plymouth's income comes from the Dockyard?

answers: text: Devonport Dockyard
question: What Royal Navy base is present in Plymouth?

answers: text: 270
question: How many maritime businesses operate in Plymouth?

answers: text: 500
question: How many people work in Tamar Science Park?

answers: text: Hemsley Fraser
question: What is a notable company based in Plymouth?

context: Plymouth has a post-war shopping area in the city centre with substantial pedestrianisation. At the west end of the zone inside a grade II listed building is the Pannier Market that was completed in 1959 – pannier meaning "basket" from French, so it translates as "basket market". In terms of retail floorspace, Plymouth is ranked in the top five in the South West, and 29th nationally. Plymouth was one of the first ten British cities to trial the new Business Improvement District initiative. The Tinside Pool is situated at the foot of the Hoe and became a grade II listed building in 1998 before being restored to its 1930s look for £3.4 million.
qas: answers: text: Pannier Market
question: What notable shop is located in a grade II listed building?

answers: text: 1959
question: In what year was Pannier Market finished?

answers: text: 29th
question: What is Plymouth's national rank in retail floorspace?

answers: text: Tinside Pool
question: What notable location was named a grade II listed building in 1998?

answers: text: £3.4 million
question: What was the cost to restore Tinside Pool?

context: Plymouth Council is currently undertaking a project of urban redevelopment called the "Vision for Plymouth" launched by the architect David Mackay and backed by both Plymouth City Council and the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce (PCC). Its projects range from shopping centres, a cruise terminal, a boulevard and to increase the population to 300,000 and build 33,000 dwellings.
qas: answers: text: "Vision for Plymouth"
question: What is the name of Plymouth Council's urban redevelopment project?

answers: text: David Mackay
question: What architect is in charge of the ""Vision for Plymouth"?

answers: text: the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce
question: Along with Plymouth Council, what body supports the "Vision for Plymouth"?

answers: text: 300,000
question: What is the population goal of the "Vision for Plymouth"?

answers: text: 33,000
question: How many residences does the "Vision for Plymouth" seek to build?

context: In 2004 the old Drake Circus shopping centre and Charles Cross car park were demolished and replaced by the latest Drake Circus Shopping Centre, which opened in October 2006. It received negative feedback before opening when David Mackay said it was already "ten years out of date". In contrast, the Theatre Royal's production and education centre, TR2, which was built on wasteland at Cattedown, was a runner-up for the RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2003.
qas: answers: text: 2004
question: When was the Charles Cross car park removed?

answers: text: October 2006
question: In what month and year was the grand opening of Drake Circus Shopping Centre?

answers: text: Cattedown
question: Where was TR2 built?

answers: text: the RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2003
question: What prize did TR2 almost win?

answers: text: David Mackay
question: Who spoke disparagingly about the Drake Circus Shopping Centre?

context: There is a project involving the future relocation of Plymouth City Council's headquarters, the civic centre, to the current location of the Bretonside bus station; it would involve both the bus station and civic centre being demolished and a rebuilt together at the location with the land from the civic centre being sold off. Other suggestions include the demolition of the Plymouth Pavilions entertainment arena to create a canal "boulevard" linking Millbay to the city centre. Millbay is being regenerated with mixed residential, retail and office space alongside the ferry port.
qas: answers: text: the Bretonside bus station
question: What location is proposed for the future home of the Plymouth City Council headquarters?

answers: text: the Plymouth Pavilions entertainment arena
question: To connect Millbay to the city centre, what would need to be destroyed?

answers: text: Millbay
question: What city region is located near a ferry terminal?

context: The A38 dual-carriageway runs from east to west across the north of the city. Within the city it is designated as 'The Parkway' and represents the boundary between the urban parts of the city and the generally more recent suburban areas. Heading east, it connects Plymouth to the M5 motorway about 40 miles (65 km) away near Exeter; and heading west it connects Cornwall and Devon via the Tamar Bridge. Regular bus services are provided by Plymouth Citybus, First South West and Target Travel. There are three Park and ride services located at Milehouse, Coypool (Plympton) and George Junction (Plymouth City Airport), which are operated by First South West.
qas: answers: text: The Parkway
question: What is the A38 called inside the city of Plymouth?

answers: text: 40
question: In miles, about how far away from Plymouth does the A38 connect to the M5?

answers: text: Tamar Bridge
question: What bridge connects Cornwall to Plymouth via the A38?

answers: text: Plymouth City Airport
question: What park and ride service is located at George Junction?

answers: text: First South West
question: Who operates Milehouse park and ride?

context: A regular international ferry service provided by Brittany Ferries operates from Millbay taking cars and foot passengers directly to France (Roscoff) and Spain (Santander) on the three ferries, MV Armorique, MV Bretagne and MV Pont-Aven. There is a passenger ferry between Stonehouse and the Cornish hamlet of Cremyll, which is believed to have operated continuously since 1204. There is also a pedestrian ferry from the Mayflower Steps to Mount Batten, and an alternative to using the Tamar Bridge via the Torpoint Ferry (vehicle and pedestrian) across the River Tamar.
qas: answers: text: Brittany Ferries
question: Who operates the ferry to Spain?

answers: text: Roscoff
question: Where does the ferry to France terminate?

answers: text: MV Armorique
question: Along with MV Bretagne and MV Pont-Aven, what ferry operates between Plymouth and the continent?

answers: text: Stonehouse
question: A passenger ferry operates between Cremyll and what location?

answers: text: 1204
question: When did the Cremyll-Stonehouse ferry first operate?

context: The city's airport was Plymouth City Airport about 4 miles (6 km) north of the city centre. The airport was home to the local airline Air Southwest, which operated flights across the United Kingdom and Ireland. In June 2003, a report by the South West RDA was published looking at the future of aviation in the south-west and the possible closure of airports. It concluded that the best option for the south-west was to close Plymouth City Airport and expand Exeter International Airport and Newquay Cornwall Airport, although it did conclude that this was not the best option for Plymouth. In April 2011, it was announced that the airport would close, which it did on 23 December. However, FlyPlymouth plans to reopen the city airport by 2018, which will provide daily services to various destinations including London.
qas: answers: text: Plymouth City Airport
question: What local airport closed in 2011?

answers: text: 6
question: In kilometers, how far away from the Plymouth city center was Plymouth City Airport?

answers: text: 2018
question: By what year is the city airport planned to reopen?

answers: text: FlyPlymouth
question: Who intends to reopen the Plymouth City Airport?

context: Plymouth railway station, which opened in 1877, is managed by Great Western Railway and also sees trains on the CrossCountry network. Smaller stations are served by local trains on the Tamar Valley Line and Cornish Main Line. First Great Western have come under fire recently, due to widespread rail service cuts across the south-west, which affect Plymouth greatly. Three MPs from the three main political parties in the region have lobbied that the train services are vital to its economy.
qas: answers: text: 1877
question: When did Plymouth's railroad station open for service?

answers: text: Great Western Railway
question: Who runs Plymouth's railroad station?

answers: text: Cornish Main Line
question: Along with the Tamar Valley Line, what local train service operates in Plymouth?

answers: text: three
question: How many regional MPs have argued for the importance of Plymouth's train service?

answers: text: CrossCountry
question: Trains from what network sometimes operate out of Plymouth's railroad station?

context: The Exeter to Plymouth railway of the LSWR needs to be reopened to connect Cornwall and Plymouth to the rest of the UK railway system on an all weather basis. There are proposals to reopen the line from Tavistock to Bere Alston for a through service to Plymouth. On the night of 4 February 2014, amid high winds and extremely rough seas, part of the sea wall at Dawlish was breached washing away around 40 metres (130 ft) of the wall and the ballast under the railway immediately behind. The line was closed. Network Rail began repair work  and the line reopened on 4 April 2014. In the wake of widespread disruption caused by damage to the mainline track at Dawlish by coastal storms in February 2014, Network Rail are considering reopening the Tavistock to Okehampton and Exeter section of the line as an alternative to the coastal route.
qas: answers: text: 4 February 2014
question: On what date was the Dawlish sea wall damaged?

answers: text: 130
question: In feet, how much of the Dawlish sea wall was destroyed?

answers: text: 4 April 2014
question: After the Dawlish sea wall was damaged, on what date did the line reopen?

answers: text: February 2014
question: In what month and year did storms affect the coastal line near Dawlish?

context: Plymouth has about 150 churches and its Roman Catholic cathedral (1858) is in Stonehouse. The city's oldest church is St Andrew's (Anglican) located at the top of Royal Parade—it is the largest parish church in Devon and has been a site of gathering since AD 800. The city also includes five Baptist churches, over twenty Methodist chapels, and thirteen Roman Catholic churches. In 1831 the first Brethren assembly in England, a movement of conservative non-denominational Evangelical Christians, was established in the city, so that Brethren are often called Plymouth Brethren, although the movement did not begin locally.
qas: answers: text: 150
question: How many churches are present in Plymouth?

answers: text: 1858
question: In what year was Plymouth's Catholic cathedral built?

answers: text: St Andrew's
question: What is the name of the oldest church in Plymouth?

answers: text: Anglican
question: What denomination does the oldest church in Plymouth belong to?

answers: text: over twenty
question: How many Methodist houses of worship exist in Plymouth?

context: Plymouth has the first known reference to Jews in the South West from Sir Francis Drake's voyages in 1577 to 1580, as his log mentioned "Moses the Jew" – a man from Plymouth. The Plymouth Synagogue is a Listed Grade II* building, built in 1762 and is the oldest Ashkenazi Synagogue in the English speaking world. There are also places of worship for Islam, Bahá'í, Buddhism, Unitarianism, Chinese beliefs and Humanism.
qas: answers: text: Moses
question: What Plymouth Jew was mentioned by Sir Francis Drake?

answers: text: 1762
question: In what year was Plymouth Synagogue constructed?

answers: text: Grade II*
question: What is Plymouth Synagogue's listed grade?

answers: text: Ashkenazi
question: What community of Jews was Plymouth Synagogue built by?

context: 58.1% of the population described themselves in the 2011 census return as being at least nominally Christian and 0.8% as Muslim with all other religions represented by less than 0.5% each. The portion of people without a religion is 32.9%; above the national average of 24.7%. 7.1% did not state their religious belief. Since the 2001 Census, the number of Christians and Jews has decreased (-16% and -7% respectively), while all other religions have increased and non-religious people have almost doubled in number.
qas: answers: text: 58.1%
question: What percentage of Plymouth's population call themselves Christian?

answers: text: 0.8%
question: What percentage of Plymouth residents follow Islam?

answers: text: 32.9%
question: What percentage of Plymouth consists of non-religious people?

answers: text: 24.7%
question: What percentage of people in the United Kingdom describe themselves as non-religious?

answers: text: 7%
question: What was the percentage decline in Jewish residents of Plymouth between 2001 and 2011?

context: Built in 1815, Union Street was at the heart of Plymouth's historical culture. It became known as the servicemen's playground, as it was where sailors from the Royal Navy would seek entertainment of all kinds. During the 1930s, there were 30 pubs and it attracted such performers as Charlie Chaplin to the New Palace Theatre. It is now the late-night hub of Plymouth's entertainment strip, but has a reputation for trouble at closing hours.
qas: answers: text: 1815
question: In what year was Union Street constructed?

answers: text: Charlie Chaplin
question: Who performed at the New Palace Theatre in the 1930s?

answers: text: 30s
question: How many pubs existed on Union Street in the 1930s?

answers: text: sailors from the Royal Navy
question: What group famously enjoyed themselves on Union Street?

context: Outdoor events and festivals are held including the annual British Firework Championships in August, which attracts tens of thousands of people across the waterfront. In August 2006 the world record for the most amount of simultaneous fireworks was surpassed, by Roy Lowry of the University of Plymouth, over Plymouth Sound. Since 1992 the Music of the Night has been performed in the Royal Citadel by the 29 Commando Regiment and local performers to raise money for local and military charities.
qas: answers: text: British Firework Championships
question: What notable event occurs each August?

answers: text: August 2006
question: In what month and year was the world record for simultaneous fireworks broken?

answers: text: Roy Lowry
question: Who broke the world record for simultaneous fireworks?

answers: text: University of Plymouth
question: What institution did Roy Lowry work for?

answers: text: 1992
question: In what year did the Music of the Night begin?

context: The city's main theatres are the Theatre Royal (1,315 capacity), its Drum Theatre (200 capacity), and its production and creative learning centre, The TR2. The Plymouth Pavilions has multiple uses for the city staging music concerts, basketball matches and stand-up comedy. There are also three cinemas: Reel Cinema at Derrys Cross, Plymouth Arts Centre at Looe Street and a Vue cinema at the Barbican Leisure Park. The Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery is operated by Plymouth City Council allowing free admission – it has six galleries. The Plymouth Athenaeum, which includes a local interest library, is a society dedicated to the promotion of learning in the fields of science, technology, literature and art. From 1961 to 2009 it also housed a theatre.
qas: answers: text: 1,315
question: How many people can fit in the Theatre Royal?

answers: text: 200
question: What is the capacity of Drum Theatre?

answers: text: free
question: What is the cost of admission to the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery?

answers: text: six
question: How many galleries are present in the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery?

answers: text: 2009
question: When did the theater in the Plymouth Athenaeum close?

context: Plymouth is the regional television centre of BBC South West. A team of journalists are headquartered at Plymouth for the ITV West Country regional station, after a merger with ITV West forced ITV Westcountry to close on 16 February 2009. The main local newspapers serving Plymouth are The Herald and Western Morning News with Radio Plymouth , BBC Radio Devon, Heart South West , and Pirate FM being the main local radio stations.
qas: answers: text: BBC South West
question: What television station has its regional headquarters in Plymouth?

answers: text: ITV West Country
question: What regional ITV station serves Plymouth?

answers: text: 16 February 2009
question: On what date did ITV Westcountry cease to operate?

answers: text: ITV West
question: With what channel did ITV Westcountry merge?

answers: text: BBC Radio Devon
question: What BBC radio station operates in Plymouth?

context: Plymouth is home to Plymouth Argyle F.C., who play in the fourth tier of English football league known as Football League Two. The team's home ground is called Home Park and is located in Central Park. It links itself with the group of English non-conformists that left Plymouth for the New World in 1620: its nickname is "The Pilgrims". The city also has four Non-League football clubs; Plymouth Parkway F.C. who play at Bolitho Park, Elburton Villa F.C. who play at Haye Road, Vospers Oak Villa F.C. who play at Weston Mill and Plymstock United F.C. who play at Deans Cross. All four clubs play in the South West Peninsula League.
qas: answers: text: Plymouth Argyle F.C.
question: What football league team is located in Plymouth?

answers: text: Football League Two
question: What level of the football league does Plymouth Argyle F.C. operate in?

answers: text: Home Park
question: What is the home field of Plymouth Argyle F.C.?

answers: text: The Pilgrims
question: What is the nickname of Plymouth Argyle F.C.?

answers: text: Vospers Oak Villa F.C.
question: What team plays its home games at Weston Mill?

context: Other sports clubs include Plymouth Albion R.F.C. and the Plymouth Raiders basketball club. Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club that was founded in 1875 and are currently competing in the third tier of Professional English Rugby . They play at the Brickfields. Plymouth Raiders play in the British Basketball League – the top tier of British basketball. They play at the Plymouth Pavilions entertainment arena and were founded in 1983. Plymouth cricket club was formed in 1843, the current 1st XI play in the Devon Premier League. Plymouth Devils are a speedway team in the British Premier League. Plymouth was home to an American football club, the Plymouth Admirals until 2010. Plymouth is also home to Plymouth Marjons Hockey Club, with their 1st XI playing in the National League last season.
qas: answers: text: Plymouth Albion R.F.C.
question: What rugby union team is based in Plymouth?

answers: text: Plymouth Raiders
question: What British Basketball League team calls Plymouth home?

answers: text: 1875
question: When was Plymouth Albion R.F.C. founded?

answers: text: Plymouth Pavilions
question: Where do the Plymouth Raiders play their home games?

answers: text: 1983
question: When were the Plymouth Raiders inaugurated?

context: Plymouth is an important centre for watersports, especially scuba diving and sailing. The Port of Plymouth Regatta is one of the oldest regattas in the world, and has been held regularly since 1823. In September 2011, Plymouth hosted the America's Cup World Series for nine days.
qas: answers: text: 1823
question: When was the first Port of Plymouth Regatta?

answers: text: September 2011
question: In what month and year did Plymouth play host to the America's Cup World Series?

answers: text: nine
question: For how many days did the America's Cup World Series take place in Plymouth?

context: Since 1973 Plymouth has been supplied water by South West Water. Prior to the 1973 take over it was supplied by Plymouth County Borough Corporation. Before the 19th century two leats were built in order to provide drinking water for the town. They carried water from Dartmoor to Plymouth. A watercourse, known as Plymouth or Drake's Leat, was opened on 24 April 1591 to tap the River Meavy. The Devonport Leat was constructed to carry fresh drinking water to the expanding town of Devonport and its ever growing dockyard. It was fed by three Dartmoor rivers: The West Dart, Cowsic and Blackabrook. It seems to have been carrying water since 1797, but it was officially completed in 1801. It was originally designed to carry water to Devonport town, but has since been shortened and now carries water to Burrator Reservoir, which feeds most of the water supply of Plymouth. Burrator Reservoir is located about 5 miles (8 km) north of the city and was constructed in 1898 and expanded in 1928.
qas: answers: text: 1973
question: When did Plymouth begin receiving water from South West Water?

answers: text: Plymouth County Borough Corporation
question: Who provided Plymouth's water prior to 1973?

answers: text: 24 April 1591
question: When did Drake's Leat open?

answers: text: River Meavy
question: From where did Drake's Leat draw water?

answers: text: 1801
question: When did construction finish on Devonport Leat?

context: Plymouth City Council is responsible for waste management throughout the city and South West Water is responsible for sewerage. Plymouth's electricity is supplied from the National Grid and distributed to Plymouth via Western Power Distribution. On the outskirts of Plympton a combined cycle gas-powered station, the Langage Power Station, which started to produce electricity for Plymouth at the end of 2009.
qas: answers: text: Plymouth City Council
question: What body handles waste management in Plymouth?

answers: text: South West Water
question: Who oversees Plymouth's sewers?

answers: text: Western Power Distribution
question: Who distributes electricity in Plymouth?

answers: text: 2009
question: In what year did Langage Power Station come on line?

answers: text: Plympton
question: What settlement is Langage Power Station located near?

context: Her Majesty's Courts Service provide a Magistrates' Court and a Combined Crown and County Court in the city. The Plymouth Borough Police, formed in 1836, eventually became part of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. There are police stations at Charles Cross and Crownhill (the Divisional HQ) and smaller stations at Plympton and Plymstock. The city has one of the Devon and Cornwall Area Crown Prosecution Service Divisional offices. Plymouth has five fire stations located in Camel's Head, Crownhill, Greenbank, Plympton and Plymstock which is part of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution have an Atlantic 85 class lifeboat and Severn class lifeboat stationed at Millbay Docks.
qas: answers: text: 1836
question: When did the Plymouth Borough Police begin operation?

answers: text: Crownhill
question: Where is the police divisional headquarters located?

answers: text: five
question: How many fire stations are present in Plymouth?

answers: text: Millbay Docks
question: Where in Plymouth is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution based?

answers: text: Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
question: What organization is the Plymouth Borough Police a part of?

context: Plymouth is served by Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and the city's NHS hospital is Derriford Hospital 4 miles (6 km) north of the city centre. The Royal Eye Infirmary is located at Derriford Hospital. South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust operates in Plymouth and the rest of the south west; its headquarters are in Exeter.
qas: answers: text: Derriford Hospital
question: What is Plymouth's National Health Service hospital?

answers: text: 6
question: In kilometers, how far is Derriford Hospital from the Plymouth city center?

answers: text: Royal Eye Infirmary
question: What notable clinic is present in Derriford Hospital?

answers: text: South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
question: What organization provides ambulance transport for Plymouth?

answers: text: Exeter
question: Where is South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust headquartered?

context: The mid-19th century burial ground at Ford Park Cemetery was reopened in 2007 by a successful trust and the City council operate two large early 20th century cemeteries at Weston Mill and Efford both with crematoria and chapels. There is also a privately owned cemetery on the outskirts of the city, Drake Memorial Park which does not allow headstones to mark graves, but a brass plaque set into the ground.
qas: answers: text: 2007
question: When did Ford Park Cemetery reopen?

answers: text: Weston Mill
question: Along with Efford, where else does the Plymouth City Council operate a cemetery?

answers: text: Drake Memorial Park
question: What is the name of the private cemetery in Plymouth?

answers: text: a brass plaque
question: In lieu of headstones, what grave markers are used at Drake Memorial Park?

answers: text: mid-19th century
question: When did Ford Park Cemetery first operate?

context: After the English Civil War the Royal Citadel was built in 1666 on the east end of Plymouth Hoe, to defend the port from naval attacks, suppress Plymothian Parliamentary leanings and to train the armed forces. Guided tours are available in the summer months. Further west is Smeaton's Tower, which was built in 1759 as a lighthouse on rocks 14 miles (23 km) off shore, but dismantled and the top two thirds rebuilt on the Hoe in 1877. It is open to the public and has views over the Plymouth Sound and the city from the lantern room. Plymouth has 20 war memorials of which nine are on The Hoe including: Plymouth Naval Memorial, to remember those killed in World Wars I and II, and the Armada Memorial, to commemorate the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
qas: answers: text: 1666
question: In what year was the Royal Citadel constructed?

answers: text: English Civil War
question: In the wake of what conflict was the Royal Citadel built?

answers: text: 1759
question: When was Smeaton's Tower first constructed?

answers: text: 23
question: In kilometers, how far off the coast was Smeaton's Tower originally built?

answers: text: Armada Memorial
question: What memorial commemorates the naval victory over the Spanish Armada?

context: The early port settlement of Plymouth, called "Sutton", approximates to the area now referred to as the Barbican and has 100 listed buildings and the largest concentration of cobbled streets in Britain. The Pilgrim Fathers left for the New World in 1620 near the commemorative Mayflower Steps in Sutton Pool. Also on Sutton Pool is the National Marine Aquarium which displays 400 marine species and includes Britain's deepest aquarium tank.
qas: answers: text: Sutton
question: What was the name of the port once situated on the land occupied by present day Plymouth?

answers: text: 1620
question: When did the Pilgrim Fathers depart Plymouth for the Americas?

answers: text: Mayflower Steps
question: What monument commemorates the departure of the Pilgrim Fathers?

answers: text: 400
question: How many marine species are present at the National Marine Aquarium?

answers: text: 100
question: How many listed buildings are present in the Barbican area?

context: On the northern outskirts of the city, Crownhill Fort is a well restored example of a "Palmerston's Folly". It is owned by the Landmark Trust and is open to the public.
qas: answers: text: Crownhill Fort
question: What structure was referred to as a "Palmerston's Folly"?

answers: text: north
question: In what cardinal direction is Crownhill Fort located outside the city?

answers: text: the Landmark Trust
question: Who runs Crownhill Fort?

context: To the west of the city is Devonport, one of Plymouth's historic quarters. As part of Devonport's millennium regeneration project, the Devonport Heritage Trail has been introduced, complete with over 70 waymarkers outlining the route.
qas: answers: text: west
question: In what cardinal direction outside Plymouth is Devonport located?

answers: text: over 70
question: How many waymarkers are present on the Devonport Heritage Trail?

context: Plymouth is often used as a base by visitors to Dartmoor, the Tamar Valley and the beaches of south-east Cornwall. Kingsand, Cawsand and Whitsand Bay are popular.
qas: answers: text: south-east Cornwall
question: Visitors to what region's beaches often stop at Plymouth?

answers: text: Kingsand
question: Along with Whitsand Bay and Cawsand, what Plymouth-area beaches are popular with tourists?

answers: text: Tamar Valley
question: Visitors to what local valley often stop over in Plymouth?

context: The Roland Levinsky building, the landmark building of the University of Plymouth, is located in the city's central quarter. Designed by leading architect Henning Larsen, the building was opened in 2008 and houses the University's Arts faculty. It has been consistently considered one of the UK's most beautiful university buildings.
qas: answers: text: Henning Larsen
question: Who designed the Roland Levinsky building?

answers: text: 2008
question: When did the Roland Levinsky building open?

answers: text: University of Plymouth
question: Of what university is the Roland Levinsky building a part?

answers: text: Arts
question: What academic discipline at the university is based in the Roland Levinsky building?

answers: text: the city's central quarter
question: What part of Plymouth is the Roland Levinsky building situated in?

context: People from Plymouth are known as Plymothians or less formally as Janners. Its meaning is described as a person from Devon, deriving from Cousin Jan (the Devon form of John), but more particularly in naval circles anyone from the Plymouth area.
qas: answers: text: Plymothians
question: What are Plymouth residents commonly called?

answers: text: Janners
question: What colloquial term is used for Plymouth residents?

answers: text: Cousin Jan
question: After what figure are Janners named?

answers: text: John
question: In Devon, Jan is another way of saying what common English name?

context: The Elizabethan navigator, Sir Francis Drake was born in the nearby town of Tavistock and was the mayor of Plymouth. He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world and was known by the Spanish as El Draco meaning "The Dragon" after he raided many of their ships. He died of dysentery in 1596 off the coast of Puerto Rico. In 2002 a mission to recover his body and bring it to Plymouth was allowed by the Ministry of Defence. His cousin and contemporary John Hawkins was a Plymouth man. Painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, founder and first president of the Royal Academy was born and educated in nearby Plympton, now part of Plymouth. William Cookworthy born in Kingsbridge set up his successful porcelain business in the city and was a close friend of John Smeaton designer of the Eddystone Lighthouse. On 26 January 1786, Benjamin Robert Haydon, an English painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, was born here. The naturalist Dr William Elford Leach FRS, who did much to pave the way in Britain for Charles Darwin, was born at Hoe Gate in 1791.
qas: answers: text: Tavistock
question: What was the birthplace of Sir Francis Drake?

answers: text: El Draco
question: What did the Spanish nickname Sir Francis Drake?

answers: text: 1596
question: In what year did Sir Francis Drake die?

answers: text: dysentery
question: What was Sir Francis Drake's cause of death?

answers: text: Sir Joshua Reynolds
question: What notable artist and Royal Academician was born in Plympton?

context: Antarctic explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Frank Bickerton both lived in the city. Artists include Beryl Cook whose paintings depict the culture of Plymouth and Robert Lenkiewicz, whose paintings investigated themes of vagrancy, sexual behaviour and suicide, lived in the city from the 1960s until his death in 2002. Illustrator and creator of children's series Mr Benn and King Rollo, David McKee, was born and brought up in South Devon and trained at Plymouth College of Art. Jazz musician John Surman, born in nearby Tavistock, has close connections to the area, evidenced by his 2012 album Saltash Bells. The avant garde prepared guitarist Keith Rowe was born in the city before establishing the jazz free improvisation band AMM in London in 1965 and MIMEO in 1997. The musician and film director Cosmo Jarvis has lived in several towns in South Devon and has filmed videos in and around Plymouth. In addition, actors Sir Donald Sinden and Judi Trott. George Passmore of Turner Prize winning duo Gilbert and George was born in the city, as was Labour politician Michael Foot whose family reside at nearby Trematon Castle.
qas: answers: text: Robert Lenkiewicz
question: What artist died in Plymouth in 2002?

answers: text: Plymouth College of Art
question: Where did the creator of Mr Benn and King Rollo study?

answers: text: Jazz
question: What genre of music does John Surman play?

answers: text: Keith Rowe
question: What local figure played in the bands AMM and MIMEO?

answers: text: Trematon Castle
question: Where do the family of Michael Foot live?

context: Notable athletes include swimmer Sharron Davies, diver Tom Daley, dancer Wayne Sleep, and footballer Trevor Francis. Other past residents include composer journalist and newspaper editor William Henry Wills, Ron Goodwin, and journalist Angela Rippon and comedian Dawn French. Canadian politician and legal scholar Chris Axworthy hails from Plymouth. America based actor Donald Moffat, whose roles include American Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in the film The Right Stuff, and fictional President Bennett in Clear and Present Danger, was born in Plymouth.
qas: answers: text: footballer
question: What is the occupation of Trevor Francis?

answers: text: Canadian
question: What is the current nationality of former Plymouth resident Chris Axworthy?

answers: text: Lyndon B. Johnson
question: What United States vice president did Donald Moffat play?

answers: text: Clear and Present Danger
question: In what film did Donald Moffat play President Bennett?

answers: text: comedian
question: What is Dawn French's job?