Learn about the history of Plymouth, Montserrat. Plymouth, the capital of Montserrat was abandoned in the 1990s due to the aftermath of a volcano.In July of 1995, the Montserrat Volcano erupted, resulting in the area being coated in ash. The town of Plymouth was soon evacuated due to the severe danger. The economy took a quick turn for the worse following the eruption and many Plymouth residents moved away from the town.Those who decided to remain in Montserrat were permitted to move back to Plymouth in 1996. However, in 1997 another volcano hit the area, which left the town and buildings covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash yet again. This led to the permanent evacuation of Plymouth. It is now restricted by a volcanic exclusion zone and it is impossible to access.Several years before the eruption, the area was bustling with people and activity. Today, many of those buildings can only be partially seen, the rooftops protruding from the tall mounds of ash. Only a spire of a church can be viewed sprouting up from the ground.