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ROADS AND
STREETS
GEORGE STREET
| Location
of George Street, Plymouth
George Street ran from the
junction of Bedford Street and
Frankfort Street south-westerly towards
Derry's Clock and Millbay Road.
Origin of the name, George Street
George Street,
Plymouth, was named in honour of the visit to the Town of HM King
George III in August 1789. During his stay he visited the a
theatre at Frankfort Gate
and when the new road was created to link up with the new
Theatre Royal it
must have seemed an excellent choice of name.
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History of
George Street, Plymouth
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As can be seen from the extract from
Donn's Plan of Plymouth there were few buildings outside of
Frankfort Gate in 1765 [1].
Indeed, when John Foulston, the
architect of the Theatre Royal and Royal Hotel, announced his
decision to place those important buildings outside of the Town, in
the open fields, he was loudly criticised. He responded that
his buildings were so important that the Town would come to them
[2].
The foundation stone was laid in 1811 within a year George Street was
in existence [3]. |
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Between 1862 and 1864 the
properties in George Street were renumbered. [3a]
In December 1925 it was
suggested that George Street should be made a one-way road going towards the
Theatre Royal [4]. However,
when it was put into operation at 9am on Monday January 31st 1927 the
traffic in fact flowed the opposite way, from
Derry's Clock towards
Bedford Street. Southbound traffic was diverted through
Westwell Street and
Lockyer Street but as that meant following slow-moving tramcars, most
motorists apparently chose to go via Frankfort and Courtenay Streets causing
some congestion at Bank of England Place. [5]
The
Theatre Royal and
adjoining Royal Hotel and the
George Street Baptist Chapel were destroyed
during the night bombing on March 21st 1941 [6].
Although the Trustees of
George Street Baptist Chapel requested permission to rebuild their Chapel on
its original site, this was refused by the City Council in June 1945 but
with the proviso that 'sympathetic consideration to be given in finding
an alternative site' [7].
During 1947 some temporary
shops were erected by the City Engineer's Department on the land between
George Street and Westwell Street. The cost was in the region of
£20,000.[8]
That part
of George Street between Bedford Street and Frankfort Lane was closed to
traffic from November 18th 1947 under section 23 of the Town & Country
Planning Act 1944 [9].
Number 39
George Street was Cousins Hotel but on February 15th 1945 appeared a notice
that: 'The Directors of Bodega (Plymouth) Ltd announce that the Free
House Cousins Hotel will in future be known as "Bodega" - exclusively for
men' [9a].
As from
March 24th 1952 the tenants of some of the temporary shops in George Street
were given revised, and lower, rental figures [10]. These are
shown below:
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George Street No. |
Tenant |
Present Rental |
Revised Rental |
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1 |
R
Garrett & Sons Ltd |
£650 |
£600 |
|
3 |
Russell (Sheffield) Ltd (T/A Webbs) |
£650 |
£600 |
|
5 |
Montague Burton Ltd |
£650 |
£600 |
|
7 |
A E
Ford |
£650 |
£600 |
|
9 |
Stead & Simpson |
£700 |
£650 |
|
11 |
Singer Sewing Machine Co Ltd |
£700 |
£650 |
|
13 |
George Oliver Ltd |
£700 |
£650 |
|
15 |
Austin Reed Ltd |
£700 |
£650 |
|
17 |
A
Pengelly Ltd |
£150 |
£150 |
The temporary shops in George Street,
Westwell Gardens and Princess Square were to be demolished by September 1957
[11].
Some Views of
George Street, Plymouth
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Looking south-westerly along George Street,
Plymouth. The Prudential Building is on the right.
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The offices of the London & South
Western Railway Company dominated the scene where George Street
joined Bank of England Place. Derry's Clock is in the centre
of the road. |
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Looking along George Street towards the Globe
Hotel and the junction with Bedford Street.
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A horse-tram on route to West Hoe
pauses in George Place, later part of George Street, outside the
Theatre Royal. |
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George Street, Plymouth, was destroyed
during the Blitz of 1941. In the foreground is the Baptist
Chapel and on the right is the tower of the Prudential Building.
©
Western Morning News Company Ltd. |
Another sorry view
of George Street after the Blitz. The remains of the
Prudential Building stand out.
©
Western Morning News Company Ltd. |
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The scene outside the Lloyd's Bank,
right, on the corner of George Street and Lockyer Street.
©
Western Morning News Company Ltd. |
A
post-war postcard of the same scene as on the left, with the remains
of the Prudential Building on the left and the Baptist Chapel on the
right. The letter-box is in both views. |
Occupants of George
Street, Plymouth
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.
[2] Crane,
Harvey, "Playbill: A History of the Theatre in the West Country",
Macdonald & Evans Ltd, Plymouth, 1980.
[3] "The Picture
of Plymouth", Rees and Curtis, Plymouth, 1812.
[3a]
"Directory of Plymouth, Stonehouse, Devonport, Stoke and Moricetown",
John W Elvins, Plymouth, 1862 and 1864/65 editions.
[4] Western
Evening Herald, December 31st 1925.
[5]
"Another One-Way Street: Solving Traffic Problem", Western
Morning News, Plymouth, February 1st 1927.
[6] "Plymouth Blitz Story
and Pictures",
[7] Plymouth City Council
minute number 2435 dated June 21st 1945.
[8] Plymouth City Council
minute number 3684 dated July 15th 1946 and number 1078 dated
January 20th 1947.
[9] Plymouth City Council
minutes 1982 dated March 17th 1947 and minute 5650 dated October
20th 1947.
[9a] Advert, Western
Evening Herald, Plymouth, February 15th 1945.
[10] Plymouth City Council
minute number 3782 dated January 22nd 1952.
[11] Plymouth City Council
minute number 1110 dated July 16th 1956.
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