Mutley Plain

The name Mutley appears here to be a corruption of two words - Gemot-leah - meaning the place of meeting. Over a lengthy period of time this became Motte leigh then Mutley. At the time of Domesday the name was recorded as Modlei and around 1500 the road we now know as Weston Park Road was referred to as Motley Park Lane.

The place of meeting in question here was where the northern route to Tavistock was crossed by the east west path from Plympton to Saltash, just past the former Hartley Reservoir. This was then part of northern manor of Modlei.

Today we think more in terms of the area around Mutley Plain itself. The Plain element doubtless dating from the time of George III when as a consequence of the Turnpike Acts the Mutley section of Tavistock Road was raised and levelled thereby giving it more the appearance of a plain.

EH 03 July 1993