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 (Stoke Village).
However, the house numbers on this street have changed since this photograph was taken! As we have learned when looking at old maps & directories of the area, Devonport Road was previously known as Tavistock Street (pre-1890) and Tavistock Road (post-1890 until ??). Looking at an OS map from 1953 shows banks at both 72 & 73 Tavistock Road (now 83 & 85 Devonport Road).
From this, we can tell that the old Barclays Bank branch in the photograph was at no. 72 Tavistock Road (matching the numbers from the OS map and photograph). The road layout and buildings in the section of the road have not changed since 1953, so by overlaying this with the current maps (in 2024) we can tell that this building is now known at no. 83 Devonport Road.
When we look at another detail in the old photograph, we can see the low wall between the pavement & property remains. We can look at the pattern of the blockwork for another clue!
And, looking back in time (over recent years) using the “See more dates” function on Google Maps Street View, we can also see the shadow of the Barclays Bank signage on the building in the photographs captured by the Google Street View Car in 2009.
So, stepping back in time, we can see that the inside of no. 83 Devonport Road, used to look like this… when it was in use as a branch of Barclays Bank serving Stoke Village!
You might notice in the first image a sign referring to the Bank Holidays Act 1871, which established specific public holidays (known as bank holidays) in the UK. This act was superseded by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, which remains in force until the present day.
Using this information, we can also guess that the photos here were taken before 1971.
There is also a nameplate for Mr. G R Rowe (perhaps the Barlacys branch manager or cashier?)
Contributors:
- Rachel Dobbs
- Kevin Avery