Great Western Road

“Until the formation of the Docks, Millbay, being practically valueless, was not considered in the local municipal and parochial arrangements” (RN Worth History of Plymouth 1890). Indeed for some years after the formation of the Docks there were arguments about who owned what and in 1859 a major trial established that Millbay was “independent” and it didn’t become a part of Plymouth until 1868 when all extra-parochial places were compelled to either become a parish in their own right or become annexed to an adjoining parish.

By this time though Gill had built his pier which two years later had been taken over by the then newly formed (1846) Great Western Dock Company. Brunel was engaged as their engineer and through his work Millbay was transformed into a thriving commercial dock, the Great Western Docks, the first in Plymouth to be connected with the railway. That link has long gone and today Millbay is primarily a ferry port, the old name however is preserved in the road that runs past the old entrance to the docks at West Hoe.

EH 03 August 1996