Astor Drive

The Astor Institute, Mount Gould was opened in 1929 by Lady Nancy Astor, it had been given to the people of Mount Gould "in perpetuity" by her husband Waldorf. Lord Astor's idea was for the institute to serve the tenants og the Astor Trust Housing Estate which they had already developed here.

Aware that his estate, together with that of Corporation, would create a large new population in this part of Plymouth, away from the public halls an recreation areas of town, Astor felt the Institute woul provide the foundation upon which to build a focal point for the community.

And so it was for many years, the Astors added a gymnasium in 1936 and in 1944 Lady Astor provided a Scout hut. By the 1970s though, interest in the building had dwindled somewhat and after serving for a number of years as a clinic, the site was redeveloped and Age Concern now have a base here, off Astor Drive, along with the developments established thanks to the wishes of another charitable copuple, William and Patricia Venton.

EH 27 September 1997