Radford and Christopher Harris bronze plaque

This bronze commemorative plaque records: Near this site stood Radford, for many generations the home of the Radfords and then of the Harris family, to whom it passed in Edward IV’s reign (1461-83) Sir Christopher Harris, at one time MP for Plymouth, was a personal friend, among others, of Drake, Raleigh, Howard and Hawkins. At Radford he is said to have stored some of the gold and silver in blocks brought back by Sir Francis Drake from the South Seas. As Vice-Admiral of Devon, Harris held Sir Walter Raleigh a prisoner here on his return to Plymouth, in 1618, from his disastrous search for gold in Guiana. The House, which dated mainly from the late XVI century, with XVIII century alterations, was demolished in 1937.

Sir Christopher Harris was a prominent Elizabethan figure and Vice-Admiral of Devon, known for his associations with notable explorers like Drake and Raleigh. He played a significant role in maritime history through his involvement in the storage of treasure from overseas expeditions and his part in detaining Sir Walter Raleigh upon his return from Guiana.