Plymouth’s Bombed Out Church

A few months back I was stuck in the city centre of Plymouth waiting for a bus. I had a few spare minutes, so I decided on looking at the old abandoned church – Charles Cross Church – and taking a few photos.

Charles Church is instantly recognisable: it is surrounded by a busy roundabout and is no longer in use, due to being heavily bombed in the Second World War. Unlike other buildings in the city centre, it was not rebuilt or entirely bulldozed down; instead, it has remained as a continual reminder of Plymouth’s wartime blitz experience.

However, its history stretches back 300 years deeper into the past, having been initially built in the first half of the 1600s during the reign of King Charles I (hence its name). For centuries it was a key hub of religious and social life in Plymouth, until falling victim to German bombs in 1941.

Today a plaque can be read which commemorates Plymouth’s sacrifice in the Second World War:

Built 1641, consecrated 1665, completed 1708. Named in honour of King Charles I. Ruined by enemy action, 21 March 1941. Partially restored 1957, by the City in co-operation with the Ministry of Works.

The idea of restoration having been sponsored by the Old Plymouth Society, as a memorial to those citizens of Plymouth who were killed in air-raids on the city in the 1939-45 War.

For the past seven decades, the remains of the church have served as a key feature of Plymouth’s landscape. Much around it has been built and rebuilt, as shown in images in which the church is juxtaposed by the “wafers” of Drake Circus shopping mall. However, it is a shame that the church is very much inaccessible: the busy roundabout must be encountered, which discourages visitors. Perhaps the site could be put to better use as an exhibit or museum of sorts, rather than left alone and unvisited. But either way, the remains retain a distinctive vibe and reminder of Plymouth’s past.