We have now gone through the central Historic District and Riverfront and the beach area a.k.a. Ocean Beach & Pequot Colony. Now we head off toward Northern New London and the area to the i95 bridge area and north.

New London was once teeming life, an active shipping area and manufacturing base as well as neighborhoods. The area nearest the bridge has been long since forgotten after HUD created low income housing and high rise projects which was standard for that era. Of late developers have been chewing at the opportunity to develop these properties into mix use (condo-office) but that time is not quite ready as the decaying conditions of the HUD towers needs to be eliminated and residents moved first.

One interesting stop in this area is the Old Grist Mill located under the bridge in New London. Follow the signs to i-95 north and follow down past the HUD towers. At this location follow under the bridge until you reach a small parking lot and the museum featuring the site of New London's first Grist Mill. The current mill was built after the Burning of New London in 1781 but is on the same spot as the original 1640s grist mill of the Winthrop Family. Open for tours, better to call ahead the Grist Mill is almost a long forgotten gem.



To the north of bridge and mill is the United States Coast Guard Academy founder in the late 18th century and actually credited to Benedict Arnold after the Battle of Valcour Island. The coast guard also known earlier as the lightship service among other names is one of the big four academies in the US and is under the Dept. of Homeland Security. Tours are available at the academy. America's Tall Ship the USCG Eagle is homeported in New London at the State Pier, tours are also available for her when in port. The Eagle a prize after WW2 taken from Hitler's Navy is regarded as one of the finest tall ships sailing. Used as a training vessel the Eagle has travelled the world and participated in such events as the OPSAIL 2000 and re-enactment of the Battle of Trafalgar in the United Kingdom.

                                                                                                               
USCGA EAGLE                                                                                                                                 Academy

Heading from the Coast Guard Academy and across the street is Connecticut College a school of higher learning. At Connecticut College is the Lyman Allen Museum a gift from the Lyman and Allyn Whaling families.

The museum hosts a changing display of art and the local martime collections including one of the rooms of the Williams Mansion (Whaling Family) that once stood on the site of The Garde Arts Theater in New London. Connecticut College offers an arboretum that is one of the top in the entire United States offering long trails and 1000s of varieties of plantlife.


Lyman-Allyn Museum ** Conn College ** Arboretum

Once spending the day here in these areas your tour of New London has come to an end and it is time to head to Groton and the historic area of Groton Bank. Follow to the Thames Street exit just off i-95 and right over the bridge from New London.

Groton Bank began as an offshoot of New London in the very early part of the 1700s. Once farming land and now industrial, Groton Bank still retains a small area of a historic feel. Although now small in comparison to other historic areas the Groton Bank area still offers great views of New London and the Thames River as well glimpses of it's historic past and some of the best pasta in the business!

Before arriving in Groton Bank one passes by the US Submariners Memorial, a memorial to those submarines lost in service during the second world war and the tower of a US Submarine from ww2. Groton known as the Submarine Capital of the world as it was home to the first US Submarine base in 1902 and is in the region of the first submarine the Turtle (developed in Saybrook) used by Lyme native Ezra Lee in 1776 against the British. Submarines and the US Sub base still supply the economy with a healthy dose of investment to this day and are important parts of the regions economy.


US Submariners Memorial ** USS Nautilus ** Paul's Pasta on Groton Bank

Groton Bank's Avery-Copp House (Whaling Master Home & Museum)

Groton Bank features a handful of Whaling Master's Museums and homes and I would be happy to tell you more about them. Please leave a comment and I will respond right away.

In this area one comes upon Electric Boat the large building one sees from New London, EB as it is locally known manufacturers nuclear submarines while US Sub Base Groton (New London) north of Groton Bank is the homeport to more than a dozen as well as a commanders/officers school.

Groton Bank has began to come alive again and new shops and restaurants are beginning to open in this area so please stay tuned for updates on this quaint little area.

To the immediate east or "up the heights" is Groton Heights and Ft.Griswold. Accessible on foot or easiest by car Ft.Griswold was the site of the 1781 Massacre of American troops under the command of traitor Benedict Arnold. 1 136 foot oblesque  marks the battlefield as do a grand entry to the battlefield state park. A museum is onsite showing a glimpse of what is what like at that time including the vest worn by Col.Ledyard when killed by the hand of a british officer. In that event only 150 so defenders held off 800 crack British regulars, in the end 83 defenders were killed and 39 wounded while more than 200 british regulars were killed or wounded. A major re-enactment is planned this September to mark the 225th anniversary of the Battle. Please click the picture below for more information...

The Ebenezer Avery House is located the foot of Groton Heights and Ft.Griswold as was a surgical (hospital) post after the battle. One cart of badly injured defenders was sent down the hill and crashed into a tree near this spot. The House was relocated from another area of Groton Bank and is now open for tours. In this area and to the west of Ft.Griswold is the Col.William Ledyard Cemetery, the burial ground of many of the defenders of Groton Heights as well as a Civil War Medal of Honor winner Robert Gray.

Col.Ledyard's Final Resting place. (Click on link for a listing of all defenders burial spots)

Heading south of Groton Heights and EB one nears Avery Point the wing of the University of Connecticut. At one time this entire area was full of victorian mansions, while some remain nearest to the river most were "retired" around ww2. While heading toward Avery point there is an open area occupied by Shenacosset Golf Course. At one time the area closest to the water was the site of a glamorous 1800s hotel called the Griswold House built by Morton F. Plant - the railroad tycoon family and Groton native, for his guests and others. Plant's house (one of) is now the campus of Avery Point (UConn) called the Branford House. The Branford House has since been cut down as one wing was in poor condition but the enormous size of the remaining house shows what it was once like in this area. Views of Fishers & Block Island are possible here from "the point". Named after the Avery family, one of the earliest settlers in the area and after the nearly 8 members of the family that were killed in the storming of Ft.Griswold in 1781.

Branford House- Avery Point

Also at Avery Point is the last lighthouse built in the East Coast and is currently being restored. Near this spot the 800 British Regulars landed in 1781 for their attack on Groton Heights.
  Lighthouse at Avery Point

Once completing this leg of the journey head up on Thames Street past Groton Bank and on to the US Submarine Base for a tour of the USS Nautilus, America's first Nuclear Submarine. In addition is a detailed model of the first submarine the USS Turtle. The Nautilus was commissioned in the 1950s and lived until the 1980s and has been a museum since. Featured on many travel programs the museum is worth a stop and is free.
USS Nautilus

Now your tour of Groton Bank and Groton Heights has ended and it is time to head toward Mystic!