Tothill Park

Facilities and Visitor Information

Opening times

Open 24 hours a day and free to use

Sport facilities

Tennis court, free to use and open all year round, first come first served!
Multi use games area consisting of a full size lined basketball court and five-a-side football pitch surrounded by a gated fence
Four full sized football pitches and changing rooms, the pitches are maintained throughout the year and local league football is played during the season, responsibility for running the pitches is held by the Devon Football Association
Bowls green (used by Tothill Bowling Club and Mount Gould Bowling Club)

Playground

Main playground opposite the Community Centre refurbished in 2011, exciting new equipment including large climbing wall, sandpits, swings and slides
Picnic benches and funky litter bins!
Youth shelter, basketball area, pyramid scramble net, tyre swing and some exercise equipment opposite Heathfield Road

Access and Seating

Seating throughout the park
Most paths are tarmac and flat, allowing pram and wheelchair users to access most areas
The exceptions to the sets of steps to the raised area at the western end of the park

Travel and directions

One mile from the city centre
Accessible using public transport with bus stops along Beaumont Road to the north of the park
Unrestricted parking available on adjacent Lanhydrock Road (no official car park)

Freinds of Tothill Park

There is a dedicated friends group who help to look after Central Park for the future. The Friends of Tothill Park are always looking for new members to help them on their mission to keep the park special for everyone. Why not go along to a meeting to find out more about what they do.

The group organise and take part in range of activities throughout the year supporting us to look after the park. Check out their Facebook page to find out more about what they are up to.

Want more information on the Friends of Tothill Park and all the other friends groups in the city, check it all out on the Friends of Parks Groups webpages

Tothill Park is a good sized park in the St Judes area of Plymouth, just a stone's throw from the River Plym. With a tennis court, play area, bowling green and a community centre, it is a vital part of the local community.

The origin of the name Tothill is still uncertain. One explanation found from an extract in the library states that the word 'Tothill' comes from the Saxon word 'Totaern' meaning 'lookout hill'. This obviously refers to the high ground, not the bay, covered by today's St Judes and Mount Gould. For the Saxon settlement of Sutton situated near St Andrew's Church, this would have been an ideal spot to lookout for potential invaders coming in from the north or east, and for any ship borne invasion. Another possibility quoted by Nicholas Casey of the Old Plymouth Society mentions a reference dated 1502 to 1503 to a place called 'Totwell' in the vicinity Plymouth, although the earliest reference to Tothill would appear to be at the time of the civil war.

The park is connected to National Cycle Network 27 up the River Plym from Lucas Terrace.

Tothill Park has been awarded Green Flag Award