Plymstock | |
|---|---|
Civil parish | |
 Pomphlett Lake | |
 | |
| Coordinates:50°21′25″N4°05′24″W / 50.35694°N 4.09000°W /50.35694; -4.09000 | |
| Country | England |
| Primary council | Plymouth |
| County | Devon |
| Region | South West England |
| Status | Parish |
| Government | |
| • UK Parliament | South West Devon |
| Population | |
• Total | 24,103 |
Plymstock is acommuter suburb ofPlymouth and formercivil parish in theEnglish county ofDevon.
Situated on the east bank of theRiver Plym, Plymstock is geographically and historically part of theSouth Hams. It comprises the villages Billacombe,Elburton, Goosewell,Hooe,Mount Batten,Oreston, Pomphlett, Staddiscombe, Turnchapel and Plymstock proper, the centrally located village after which the parish and suburb is named. The parish church is St Mary and All Saints.
The pedestrianised 1960s Broadway consists of a number of shops, including anIceland supermarket within the precinct and aLidl supermarket nearby, three banks, six estate agents' and other local amenities including a library, a fire station and a small police station.
At Pomphlett, there is aMorrisons superstore anddrive-through McDonald's burger restaurant. The population at the time of the2001 Census was recorded at 24,103 with 11,652 owner occupied homes in the PL9postcode area. The total population in 2011 increased to 24,758[1][2]
The earliest surviving documentary reference to the place is asPlemestocha in theDomesday Book and its name is derived fromOld English meaning either "outlying farm with a plum-tree" or, if it is short forPlympton Stock, "outlying farm belonging toPlympton".[3]
The local branch railways through the area toTurnchapel andYealmpton have been removed, the bridges and stations demolished, and the land built on.[citation needed] Pomphlett Mill has been demolished and the site used for a roundabout. Pomphlett Creek (shown right), once a popular rowing stretch has been partly filled in and what remains is largely silted up.[citation needed]
Until the 20th century Plymstock was a rural parish but began to develop rapidly just before and after the Second World War as a residential area outside Plymouth but acting as a dormitory area for the city. In 1961 the parish had a population of 14,700.[4] On 1 April 1967,[5] Plymstock, along with Plympton, was absorbed into the City of Plymouth and today, like Plympton, forms a populous and mostly home-owning south-easternsuburb of the city.
There are numerous public spaces including a huge public sports area at Staddiscombe. There are three rugby pitches at Elburton, there is a major golf club at Staddon Heights and a commercial driving range near Elburton.
There are many state primary schools in the area and two very largecomprehensive schools,Coombe Dean School andPlymstock School. There is one nearbyindependent school in the city, and children who choose to take and get a very high pass in the11+ exam can attend one of the threegrammar schools in Plymouth.
In 2008,Coombe Dean School achieved national notoriety after a popular school plan to erect two generatingwindmills was blocked by local councillors following opposition by residents of surrounding bungalows.[6]
Frequent buses connect most areas of Plymstock with routes across the city linking with the railway station and Derriford hospital. There is a water taxi linkingMount Batten with PlymouthBarbican.
Childe's Tomb on Dartmoor is the legendary site of the death of Childe who, caught in a snowstorm, killed anddisembowelled his horse and climbed inside for shelter, but still froze to death. He left a message to say that the first person to bury him would get his lands at Plymstock. The greedy monks ofTavistock buried him and claimed the lands. The ghosts of monks carrying abier have supposedly been seen at Childe's Tomb.[7]
Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|