Category: Mystery
-
Were there tennis courts in Stoke in the past?
When looking at old maps of the Stoke neighbourhood, we noticed tennis courts marked near Penlee Gardens (off Molesworth Road) on the 1907 map of the area. Stephen Johnson (who runs the Cyberheritage Facebook group) shared a photograph from 1870s, looking south from one of the large houses at Penlee Villas (looking out over the…
-
Which house in Stoke Village used to be a Barclays Bank branch?
Kevin Avery shared images of the inside & outside of an old Barclays Bank branch in Stoke Village, Plymouth on the Devon The Past in Pictures Facebook group We noticed the building was numbered no. 72, and looks to have the same type of architecture as the houses on the east side of Devonport Road…
-
What was the Blockhouse Park barrage balloon?
Barrage balloons were used during World War 2 to protect vulnerable and important locations, such as urban areas, factories and military bases. Flying into the sky from heavy steel cables tethered to concrete blocks or to a winch on a six-wheeled lorry, these balloons prevent enemy aircraft from performing manoeuvers. Bombers were forced to fly…
-
What is the link between Stoke, Morice Town, Ford & St Michael’s Mount?
If you’ve ever visited Penzance, or watched scenes of High Tide Castle in the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, you’ll probably have seen St. Michael’s Mount – the majestic castle on an ancient tidal island near Marazion in Cornwall. Since 1659, St. Michael’s Mount has been home to the St Aubyn family…
-
Who has lived in Acre Place?
Local resident Roland Doxsey has lived at Acre Place (Stoke, Plymouth near Devonport Park) since 1983, and has always been curious about the history of the house he lives in and the local area. During the COVID lockdown, he set about compiling his research into a book on the topic of his street and the…
-
What is our connection to David Bowie & the film Labyrinth?
In the 1980s, local resident Sarah Bowden worked as a production assistant on “Inside the Labyrinth” which is a behind-the-scenes documentary of the Jim Henson film Labyrinth (1986), starring David Bowie. We set up a special screening of the documentary at The Village Hub, where Sarah shared her stories of working on set, hanging out…
-
What is The Village Hub’s Wildlife Corridor?
The Village Hub had been interested for some time in expanding its green fingers into the back lane behind our courtyard garden, believing that the back alleys in our area could be a huge untapped resource for local communities. Before & After – what’s possible in the back lane between houses?Image credits: Rachel Dobbs /…
-
What is the Blockhouse Flax Circle?
Planting the Blockhouse Flax Circle is a new annual tradition established by local resident Vicky Putler of The Flax Project CIC. Each year since March 2022, Vicky has been working with friends, neighbours and local people in the area to plant a circle of flax (the plant that grows fibre for making linen, and flaxseed…
-
What is the Blockhouse Wassail?
The Blockhouse Wassail was established in January 2023 by The Village Hub’s Culture Club to help local people connect with each other and with the trees and nature in Blockhouse Park. Our Wassail continues historical traditions in cider producing regions of the UK (like Devon & Cornwall) where local people would sing songs to the…
-
What was Stoke Village like before there were cars?
We were sent this image of Devonport Road, in Stoke Village (previously known as Tavistock Road) that shows the high street without any cars! One of the big difference you might notice are the changes in transportation between then and now. In the historical photograph, we can see people walking, people using horses & carts,…