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The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

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DEVONPORT MARKET

The market in what was at the time known as Plymouth Dock was at the end of Fore Street near the Dockyard gate.  This was moved in 1762 to a new site when stalls were erected on the site of some stagnent ponds.  These were rebuilt in about 1800.

This was not a corn or cattle market.  Poultry and butter were sold in an extensive loft over the shambles.

The Market Act of 1835 allowed the establishment of a grain market.

Mr James St Aubyn, Lord of the Manor, laid the foundation stone of a new market on July 13th 1852 -- the building that still survives today.  It was designed in the Italian style by Mr James Piers St Aubyn of London and built by a Mr Clift at a cost of £17,944 7s 7d.  The tower at the south end of the butchery was in the style of an Italian camponile and is 124 feet high to the weather-vane.  It contained a bell and each face displayed a clock.

Market days were Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satuirdays.

The building had three iron-trussed roofs with iron lattice balconies supported on slender iron columns with palm-leaf capitals.

In 1940 the ARP used the basement of the Market as a control room but it was damaged in the air raids of April 1941.  A sign on a pillar in the basement indicated that it had previously been used as a garage for the Royal Hotel.

In November 1952 it was occupied by a Mr Cecil E H Jones and Arthur E and Frederick G Marquand, the fruiterers.

The Market was taken inside the Dockyard boundary in 1956 and became a Sale Store for the Principal Supply and Transport Officer (Navy).

It still survives and is now a scheduled ancient monument.

 

Page updated: 20 January 2005

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