The Crescent

In 1784 Bath's famous Royal Crescent came into being. it was the first development in the country to assume the name Crescent. Towns around Britain subsequently sought to house the great and the good in such imposing development, and here in Plymouth, John Foulston, the architect who introduced so many grand schemes into our social fabric, created No1 the Crescent.

Numbers 11 to 18 were also built around the same time, but for more than 70 yers, numbers 2-10 were awaiting construction - why, we don't know.

In the early 19th century, this was very much the fashionable part of town.George Street and Lockyer Street were new developments furnished with fine houses and close to the new Theatre Royal, Royal Hotel, Athanaeum and St Catherine's Chapel.

This latter structure acted as a chapel of ease to St. Andrew's and a haven for the elite band of worshippers who came to live in these impressive porperties. Woollcoombe and Gill, both of whom served the town as Mayor, were among the sponsors for St Catherine's, and were also among the first residents of the Crescent.

EH 20 September 2003