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The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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Royal Sailors' Rest, Fore Street, Devonport Early in 1873 she made the journey from Bath to Devonport to meet the sailors with whom she had been corresponding. While in Devonport she lodged with the family of Miss Sophia Gertrude Wintz and they became lifelong friends and partners. Later that year she started to work with the Royal Naval Temperance Society and visited the warships and spoke directly with the sailors. Miss Weston's visits were so popular that in 1874 a deputation from HMS Dryad asked her to open a temperance house close to the Royal Dockyard gate in Fore Street. By March 1876 the two ladies had raised enough funds to purchase a large house in Fore Street, Devonport, which they fitted up at great expense. The freshly painted premises had a huge lamp over the main entrance, where one of the specially designed glass panels carried the words: 'Coffee, Comfort, and Company, for One Penny.' Entering from Fore Street, one first came to the shop, or bar, where coffee, tea, dinners and suppers were served. It was, of course, a temperance institution so no alcoholic drinks were permitted. Beyond that was a very small smoking room and the wash-rooms. The front room on the first floor was the reading room, equipped with newspapers, periodicals and books. Apart from a bath-room the remainder of the floor was taken by offices for the clerk and two private rooms for Miss Weston, who intended to live there as much as possible. The second floor contained the scullery and kitchen, fitted with one of Bayne's "Gibraltar" cooking ranges. On the third floor was the recreation-room, furnished for chess, dominoes and bagatelle. Attached to the house was a good sized hall, with a separate entrance off Fore Street, where for many months past Miss Weston had been holding religious services. A second house had been purchased or rented at the rear of the premises and it was intended that this should be converted into dormitories for 70 men. It opened in May 1876. The Devonport Royal Sailors' Rest was opened in May 1876 and was soon followed by ones at Portsmouth, Portland and Sheerness, although the last two were short-lived. In October 1887 the Napier Inn, the Fountain Inn and the Dock Gates Inn, all in Fore Street, were all demolished to make way for the enlarged and extended Royal Sailors' Rest. Miss Weston paid £7,000 for the land and on Wednesday April 18th 1888 Vice-Admiral H D Grant CB laid the foundation stone of the new building. Miss Weston laid a stone of her own at the corner nearest the Dockyard wall. The new building would be in the Renaissance style and constructed of red brick with Portland and Ham Hill stone dressings. The architect was Mr H J Snell, of Plymouth, and the contractors were Messrs Palk & Partridge, also of Plymouth. Down in the basement were the kitchens, sculleries, offices, baggage-rooms and twelve bathrooms. On the ground floor at the front of the building was the combined bar and dining room, measuring 65 feet by 28 feet, and a large recreation-room. The superintendent's room was on the first floor, along with reading-rooms and twelve private bedrooms. Floors two and three comprised large dormitories, divided by eight-feet high varnished wood partitions in to small cabins, each about eight feet by five feet. Each floor also contained large lavatories, wash-rooms and, apparently, dressing-rooms. Public recognition for Miss Weston's work came in 1892 when Her Majesty Queen Victoria endowed a cabin at Devonport and gave her Royal Warrant for the prefix "Royal" to be added to the name. A further extension was formally opened on Sunday May 7th 1916. The frontage was now 1,905 feet in length. Sadly, "Aggie" Weston died at Devonport on October 23rd 1918. Three days later she was buried at Weston Mill Cemetery with full Naval honours. Royal Sailors' Rest, Albert Road, Devonport The Royal Sailors' Rest was destroyed during the Devonport Blitz of April 1941. The foundation stone of a new five-storey building in Albert Road, nearer to the former Albert Road Gate, was laid by the Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Onslow on Friday May 23rd 1958. The Anglican Bishop of Plymouth, Doctor Norman H Clarke, consecrated it. Music was provided by the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines. Among those also present were the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Alderman J G Wingett; Mrs G E Currey, who had been the trustee in charge for the past 20 years, carrying the responsibility during the Second World War and the subsequent rebuilding; and Miss E M Carr, the lady superintendent. Mr A C Luxton, of Messrs Fouracre & Luxton, of Plymouth, was the architect and the construction was carried out by Messrs Hill & Lang (Plymouth) Ltd. The building was dedicated by the Reverend Clifford Davies, senior chaplain at the Royal Naval Barracks, on the evening of Friday December 18th 1959 and opened to members of all of the armed services the following day. For 3s 6d a night, a serviceman could have a bed-sitting-room, with hot and cold running water, an electric shaver socket, a combined wardrobe and dressing-table, and a bed with a foam mattress. He could spend his entire shore leave here if he wished to. For shorter stays he could have a cabin, exactly half the size of the bed-sitting-rooms, for 2s 6d per night. Breakfast cost two shillings. There was no accommodation for women they could use all of the day facilities, like the restaurant, quiet room, television room and games rooms. Vice-Admiral Sir St John R J Tyrwhitt, Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel, officially opened the Royal Sailors' Rest on Friday May 27th 1960, in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Alderman F J Stott, and the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, Admiral Sir Richard Onslow. This building was closed at the end of June 2001 and during 2003 was redeveloped to provide accommodation for students. The Homeward Bound, Morice Town On the evening of Monday October 7th 1878 a branch establishment of the Devonport Sailors' Rest was opened in a former chemists' shop at the junction of Albert Road and William Street, just outside the Keyham or Albert Road Gate of the Royal Dockyard. Known as "The Homeward Bound", it contained a bar area, where coffee, tea and cocoa could be obtained. This was decorated in white and gold and was furnished with six tables covered with oilcloth and enough chairs for twenty people. In the adjoining dining room were three long tables capable of seating forty people for cold meals. It was planned to introduce hot meals as soon as possible. Over the bar was a reading-room and over the dining-room was a recreation-room furnished with a bagatelle board. The Rest was decorated by Mr Pilcher of Marlborough Street; carpeted by Messrs Pinsent & Company of Market Street; and furnished by Mr Goodman of Fore Street. Mr Knowlston, RN, was in charge. Royal Sailors' Rest Hall, St Budeaux On Wednesday April 6th 1960 the foundation stone was laid of the Royal Sailors' Rest Hall in Poole Park Road, Barne Barton, St Budeaux. This was on what was at that time a Naval housing estate. Commodore I W T Beloe, Commodore of the Royal Naval Barracks, performed the ceremony, during which he was presented with the silver trowel. The stone came from quarries near Newton Ferrers, South Devon. The Hall was designed by Mr V C L Saunders and constructed by Messrs Hill & Lang, of Plymouth. It could seat 200 people.
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