Royal Citadel , Plymouth The Royal Citadel in Plymouth , Devon , England , was built in the late 1660s to the design of Sir Bernard de Gomme . It is at the eastern end of Plymouth Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound , and encompasses the site of the earlier fort that had been built in the time of Sir Francis Drake . During the Dutch Wars of 1664 - 67 King Charles II decided that it was necessary to realise the importance of Plymouth as a channel port . The original plan was to build a regular self - contained fort with five bastion s , to the west of Drake ' s Fort , but this was revised to take in the earlier fort , resulting in the Citadel ' s irregular outline . Possibly due to Plymouth ' s support for the Parliamentarians in the Civil War its guns could also fire on the town . De Gomme faced some criticism over his unorthodox design : for instance when Samuel Pepys visited in 1683 he wrote that " De Gomme hath built very sillily " . Fisher ' s Nose Blockhouse , located on its south east corner , dates from 1490 – 1540 and was intended to protect the Cattewater . On the opposite bank to Fisher ' s Nose is the Queen Anne ' s Battery , dating from 1667 . Work began in March 1665 , but it was not until 18 July 1666 that the foundation stone was laid by John Granville , 1st Earl of Bath . This stone , inscribed ' Jo Earle of Bathe 1666 ' , is still in the wall facing the Hoe . The Citadel is built of local limestone , while the English Baroque gateway , designed by Sir Thomas Fitz , is of Portland stone . The gateway was originally approached by a drawbridge over a dry moat , but these were removed with all the other outwork s in the 1880s . The Royal Citadel was the most important English defence for over 100 years , with 70 ft high walls , and was regularly strengthened over the years , particularly during the 1750s when it was equipped with 113 guns . The Royal Citadel is still occupied by the military , being the base of 29 Commando Regiment of the Royal Artillery . This specialist British Army unit provides artillery support to 3 Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines . Guided tours are sometimes available . Garrison church . The Royal Chapel of St Katherine - upon - the - Hoe was originally licensed for services in 1371 . During the period 1666 - 1671 , the original church was demolished and the present nave , chancel and sanctuary were rebuilt on the same site . The galleries and transept s were added in 1845 and give a cross - like structure to the building . King George V re - granted the title " Royal Chapel " in 1927 during a visit to the Royal Citadel . Royal Citadel in the media . The 2011 BBC television series " The Choir : Military Wives " featured the Royal Citadel along with RMB Chivenor in Devon . The programme documented choirmaster Gareth Malone forming a choir of wives and partners of Royal Citadel personnel deployed on active service in the Afghanistan War . In forming a choir , Malone aimed to raise the women ' s morale and raise their profile in the public perception . The song " Wherever You Are " was recorded by the Military Wives Choir and is to be released as a single in December 2011 , with proceeds going to the Royal British Legion and SSAFA Forces Help .