Charles Street

Formerly Charles Street was a short thoroughfare running north from Treville Street up to Vennel Street and the south face od Charles Churh. in the massive clearance programme after the Bliz the old Charles Street was to be buried, without a trace, under what is now Bretonside Bus Station. Meanwhile a new Charles Street was laid out running north-west from the roundabout that now encircles the ruin of Charles Church (the official memorial to Plymouth's civilian war dead) up to the modern Drake Circus roundabout, below the library.

Charles Church itself of course is very unsual in being dedicated to a king rather than a saint. Begun in 1640 it was in the process of construction during the Civil war and it was not completed until 1658, although even then it had no tower and no spire. the tower, with what was until 1766 a wooden spire, was added in 1708.

EH 22 April 1995