PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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St Martin's Crypt was situated in Tavistock Road (now Outland Road), Peverell, Plymouth, on the corner with Weston Park Road. By 1909 the population of the parish of Pennycross had grown considerably by the erection of new houses and villas around what was then the Devonport to Tavistock road. Indeed, Plymouth's tramway system extended along Peverell Park Road to Peverell Corner and Devonport's lines reached Tor Lane. The time was ripe for a new church to save these new inhabitants from having to walk down Honicknowle Lane to St Pancras' Church. The incumbent of St Pancras, the Reverend W E Waddington, MA., was thus given the task of raising funds for the erection of this new building, which was to bear the name of St Martin. The land was conveyed to four prominent parishioners, the Reverend Doctor Trelawny-Ross, Admiral Wilson, Mr Richard Bayly and Mr R S Tuttle.
Only the crypt of St Martin's
Church was ever In the presence of a large congregation, the Bishop of Exeter laid the memorial stone during the afternoon of Saturday November 19th 1910. The crypt had already been completed at that time. It could hold 400 people and was expected to be used for services at Christmas. The Church was designed by Mr W W Caröe and the contractor was to be Mr A Andrews, with Mr W Martin as clerk of works. It would have accommodated about 700 worshippers. Only the the crypt was ever completed and it was used for services during the Second World War, when St Pancras was damaged. It was declared unsafe in 1956 but it remained on the site until the road widening in the 1970s, after which it was grassed over and seats placed there.
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