PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

PLYMOUTH ROADS AND STREETS

FORE STREET, DEVONPORT

History of Fore Street, Devonport

Fore Street was shown on Benjamin Donn's Plan of Stoke Town and Plymouth Dock, dated 1765.  As it was the main highway from Plymouth and Stonehouse to the Royal Dockyard the name probably dates from at least fifty years earlier.  What was later known as High Street was also shown on that Plan but without the name.  [1]

As Plymouth Dock grew in importance so did Fore Street.  Army establishments were built surrounding the Town to protect it in the event of a French invasion.  After the grant of a change of name to Devonport on January 1st 1824 came the construction of the Keyham Steam Yard.  At one time its population outstripped that of Plymouth.  Larger and larger shops opened, like H J & E Boold's and J C Tozer's, and in 1872 the top end of Fore Street became a terminal point for the new Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramway.

Although the railway had arrived in Devonport in 1876 it was probably the opening of the Plymouth, Devonport & South Western Junction Railway that brought more trade to Fore Street and prosperity to the Town.  Shoppers could now come from Bere Ferrers, Bere Alston, Gunnislake, Callington and Tavistock, to swell the numbers who already made the trip down river from Calstock on market days.

But for being the centre of a naval and military Town, Fore Street paid the ultimate penalty.  During the air raids of March and April 1941, especially those of April, it was utterly destroyed.  Only a few buildings survived the onslaught: the London & South Western Railway Hotel; the Methodist Central Hall; Barclay's Bank; the Midland Bank; Marks & Spencer Ltd; Montagu Burton's, and the Forum Cinema.

During the 1950s Fore Street was taken inside the new extension of the Royal Dockyard.  This included the buildings previously occupied by Barclay's Bank, the Midland Bank, Burton's and Marks & Spencer's.  At first the area was used for storage of all sorts of equipment, including some impressive ship's anchors.  Eventually, the area was surrounded by a high wall.

Fore Street is currently in the process of being opened up again.         

Some Views of Fore Street, Devonport

Fore Street, Devonport, from the corner of St Aubyn Street, with the General Post Office on the left.	Looking westwards along Fore Street, Devonport, with the Military Arms on the corner of Lambert Street on the right.
The magnificent frontage of the Royal Sailors' Rest in Fore Street, Devonport.	The Royal Sailors' Rest viewed from the Catherine Street side.
The Royal Sailors' Rest in Fore Street, Devonport, after the Blitz of April 1941. © Western Morning News Company Ltd	Fore Street, in 1941 with Marks & Spencer's on the left and the Forum and Electric Cinemas in the distance. © Western Morning News Company Ltd.
Another view of Fore Street after the Blitz, with the tower of the Electric Cinema in the distance. © Western Morning News Company Ltd.	Fore Street, Devonport, in 1946, showing Marks and Spencer's (nearest camera), the Midland Bank and Montagu Burton's premises.
Fore Street, Devonport, in 1956, with the Barclay's Bank still standing but nothing on the south side. ©  Admiralty, HM Dockyard, Devonport, 1956.	Only the Midland Bank and Marks and Spencer's remained operational in Fore Street, Devonport, in 1956, along with the Forum Cinema on the extreme right of the picture. ©  Admiralty, HM Dockyard, Devonport, 1956.

Occupants of Fore Street, Devonport

• in 1812 (Fore Street, Plymouth Dock)

• in 1890

• in 1935

Principal Sources:

[1]  Donn, Benjamin, "A Map of the County of Devon 1765", facsimile, Devon and Cornwall Record Society and the University of Exeter, Exeter, 1965.

©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth, UK

Page updated:  7 October 2009

Any problems viewing this webpage should be notified to the webmaster at plymouthdata dot info