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PLYMOUTH POLICE SERVICE

POLICE TELEPHONE BOXES and POLICE TELEPHONE PILLARS

The official list  [1] of Police Telephone Boxes and Police Telephone Pillars within the City of Plymouth was:

POLICE TELEPHONE BOXES (PTB)

  • Junction Exeter Street and The Avenue
    This Box was in Exeter Street with its back wall up against the northern wall of the Lower Street Mission Hall.
     
  • Junction Tavistock Road and Albemarle Villas
    This Box was set into the northern end of the playing fields where Tavistock Road, Devonport, met Albermarle Villas.  It was authorised by the Council to be constructed by Messrs F J Moore Ltd, for the sum of £37 10s  [2]
     
  • Junction Embankment Road and Cattedown Road
    This Box was on Embankment Road, between the Embankment Road Methodist Chapel Sunday school and the entrance to the Astor Playing Fields.
     
  • St Budeaux Square
    This Box was in the centre of the Square and was accessed by a path from opposite the Tamar Hotel.
     
  • Old Laira Road
     This Box was on the south side of Old Laira Road close to the City boundary, between Bridge Cottage and Laira Roundabout.
     
  • Junction Beaumont Road and Heathfield Road
    This Box was in Beaumont Road, alongside the public shelter, and faced southwards down Heathfield Road.
     
  • Royal Navy Avenue  SEE NOTE BELOW
     
  • Junction Priory Road and Lower Compton Road
    This Box was later replaced by a Police Telephone Pillar at the junction of Blandford Road and Byland Road (see below).
     
  • 100 yards south of Royal Albert Bridge
    This Box was in Wolseley Road, just to the north of Littleash Cottages.

The last Police Telephone Box in Plymouth, Christmas 1984. Copyright: Mr Alan Davies.
  • Junction Beacon Park and Wolseley Road
    This was in the island where the two arms of Beacon Park Road joined Wolseley Road.  Part of the island is still there today.  There was a public shelter by the sided of it.  The Box appears to have superceded two older ones at Beacon Park Road, outside the Swilly Isolation Hospital, and in Wolseley Road, outside the Ford Workhouse, both of which existed in 1933.
     
  • Junction Tavistock Road and Lyndhurst Road
    This Box was authorised by the Council to be constructed of concrete by Messrs Norwest Construction Company Ltd at a cost of £85.  [3]  The Box survived until 1985 because it was used during Plymouth Argyle home matches.  See photograph left.

 

The last Police Telephone Box in Plymouth, at Home Park,
Christmas 1984, just below demolition.
©  Mr Alan Davies, Plymouth.
  • Junction Hotham Place and Millbridge
    In 1933 this Box was at the bottom of Eldad Hill, near the access to Victoria Park at the southern end of Millbridge.  Was this later moved nearer to Hotham Place?
     
  • SW Corner Recreation Ground, St Levan Road
    This Box was around the corner from St Levan Road and faced the playground area in front of Ronald Terrace.
  • Haye's Place, Eggbuckland village
    See photograph right.  The construction of this box was authorised by the City Council on July 2nd 1940, after the 1939 boundary extension.  [4]

Note:

Although Royal Navy Avenue appears on this list, there was in fact only a Police Telephone Pillar in existence after the Second World War.  It was on the side of Alexandra Park and faced down Victory Street.

The Police Telephone Box at Haye's Place, Eggbuckland, Plymouth

The Police Telephone Box at Haye's Place, Eggbuckland, Plymouth.
©  Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery.

POLICE TELEPHONE PILLARS (PTP)

  • SW Corner, Iron Bridge
     
  • Junction Tavistock Road and Torr Lane
     
  • Junction Roman Way and Higher St Budeaux Terrace
     
  • Junction Thornbury Park Road and Peverell Park Road
  • Junction Admiral's Hard and Durnford Street
     
  • Junction Alexandra Road and Lipson Hill Terrace
     
  • New Passage Hill, outside Royal Albert Hospital
     
  • North Side, Edgcumbe Street, Stonehouse
    This Box was on the corner of Edgcumbe Street and Chapel Street, opposite the Plymouth Breweries.  See photograph right.

The Police Telephone Pillar on the north side of Edgcumbe Street, Stonehouse.

The Police Telephone Pillar on the north side of
Edgcumbe Street, Stonehouse.
©Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery.
  • Junction Swilly Road and Laurel Road
    Outside 66 Swilly Road.
     
  • Junction Battery Street and George Street, Stonehouse
     
  • Junction Hyde Park Road and Tavistock Road
    Outside the Hyde Park Hotel, facing up Mutley Plain.
     
  • Junction Molesworth Road and Tavistock Road, Stoke
    This Pillar was outside the shop on the south-eastern corner of Tavistock Road, Stoke, with Molesworth Road.
     
  • Pennycomequick
    This Pillar was outside the shop at number 1 Pennycomequick.
     
  • Junction Gwyn Road and Mount Gold (sic) Road
     
  • Junction Clovelly Road and Breakwater Hill
     
  • Junction Greenbank Avenue and Salisbury Road
     
  • Sherwell Arcade
     
  • Junction Oxford Place and York Street

The Police Telephone Pillar at the junction of North Road and Patna Place, Plymouth.
  • Junction North Road ands Patna Place
    See photograph left.
     
  • Junction West Hoe Road and Cliff Road
     
  • Cattedown Village - entrance to wharves
     
  • Junction Gordon Terrace and Sutherland Road
     
  • Junction Seymour Road and Glen Road
    This Pillar was on the north side of Seymour Road, between the entrance to Broadcasting House and Seymour Park, and faced down Glen Road.

The Police Telephone Pillar at the junction of
North Road and Patna Place, Plymouth.
©  Pat Garland.
  • Junction Holland Road and Home Park Avenue
     
  • Junction Tavistock Road and Ham Lane
    Actually sited on the corner of Chestnut Road with Weston Park Road.
     
  • Junction Wolseley Road and Ferndale Avenue
     
  • Milehouse junction
    Sited outside the Britannia Inn on the Wolseley Road side.
     
  • Junction Stuart Road and Palmerston Street
     
  • Junction Portland Road and Valletort Road, Stoke
     
  • Junction Station Road and Townshend Avenue
    This Pillar was on the south side of Station Road, on the corner outside number 55.
     
  • Junction Haddington Road and Victoria Place
     
  • Junction Rectory and Corea Terrace
     
  • Junction Hartley Hill and Whiteford Road

The following Police Telephone Pillars were erected after the 1939 boundary extension took in part of the parish of Eggbuckland:

  • Junction of Efford Road and Efford Crescent
    The construction of this Pillar was authorised by the Council on July 2nd 1940.  [4]
     
  • Junction of Blandford Road and Byland Road
    This Pillar, which existed in 1970, was on the corner by number 65 Blandford Road, by the public telephone kiosk.

On July 12th 1950 Plymouth City Council were informed that the Police Telephone Pillars were to be repainted azure blue by the General Post Office, who were responsible for their maintenance.  [5]

Sources:

[1]  City of Plymouth, "Police Telephone and Fire Alarm System", issued by the Chief Constable, circa 1935.

[2]  Plymouth Council Watch Committee Minute 1933 dated April 18th 1934.

[3]  Plymouth City Council Watch Committee Minute 953 dated January 17th 1934.

[4]  Plymouth City Council Minute 3170 dated July 2nd 1940.

[5]  Plymouth City Council Watch Committee Minute 1309 dated July 12th 1950.

On September 24th 1924 the Council resolved to place a Police box at Lyndhurst Road in lieu of the telephone attached to 8 Beaconsfield Road.  [11b] 

On October 22nd 1924 it was resolved by the Council that a Police box be provided in St Levan Road in lieu of the telephone attached to 8 Alexandra Road recently occupied by a police constable.  [11c]

Police boxes to be erected at St Budeaux Square and the junction of Mount Gould Road/Lipson Road, November 19th 1924.  [11d]

 

©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth, UK

Page updated:  16 December 2009

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