Charles Church, Plymouth, July 2017

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HughieD

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1. Introduction
Was wondering whether or not to post a report on this place. It sits on a roundabout next to the Drake Circus Shopping Centre and there is no 'official' access - bar from dashing across said busy roundabout. It's all locked up, overlooked and looking a bit forlorn, hence thought I might as well put up the pictures.

2.The History
Charles Church is the second most ancient parish church in Plymouth, Devon in England. The senior church is St Andrew's Church, the mother church of Plymouth.

The church was an important centre of spiritual life for the city for 300 years and boasted a number of important clergy. During the nights of 21st and 22nd March 1941, the church was entirely burned out by Luftwaffe incendiary bombs. Although now a monument, the tradition of ministry at "Charles" is not lost and is carried on by the Parish of Charles with St Matthias, one of its daughter churches a quarter of a mile away to the north. It is an important landmark for the city of Plymouth. During the mid-1990s the church again become the subject of renewed debate, partly because it is felt that its setting would be at least overpowered and possibly desecrated by the erection of the controversial Drake Circus Shopping Centre to the North West and because there was a growing campaign to partially restore the church to incorporate some modern glazed roofing to enclose a blitz museum.

3. The Pictures

36053746475_d44f59804d_b.jpgimg1199 by HughieDW, on Flickr

36011557196_3f4b580a67_b.jpgimg1198 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35243703043_cbd1764b68_b.jpgimg1196 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35243801123_27791ed3d5_b.jpgimg1194 by HughieDW, on Flickr

36011707186_8b8d8e4f94_b.jpgimg1192 by HughieDW, on Flickr

36011752696_c3914c12dd_b.jpgimg1188 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35664165410_01e5fb1d8e_b.jpgimg1213 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35243491973_5a6ed509c3_b.jpgimg1200 by HughieDW, on Flickr

36053672845_69bb6f8888_b.jpgimg1201 by HughieDW, on Flickr

36053662055_37e6fdeed3_b.jpgimg1209 by HughieDW, on Flickr

35663815140_70830bfb08_b.jpgimg1211 by HughieDW, on Flickr
 
Not nosed around here for a good few years, nice to see it again, lovely peaceful spot in a noisy city, I enjoyed it Hughie, Thanks
 
This place brings back some fond memories. I explored the site back in 1999 during my university years, using just a mobile phone back-light to climb the spiral staircase inside the tower. The balcony at the top was rickety to say the very least :D. They blocked off access to the tower stairs soon after, which was probably wise.

Great report!
 

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