OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
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TRAMWAY SERVICES IN OLD PLYMOUTH

THEATRE ROYAL to PEVERELL CORNER

The

Commencement (see note A below)

Plymouth Corporation Tramways’ next route left the Compton line at Hyde Park Corner and ran off along Peverell Park Road to Peverell Corner, by the Hope Baptist Chapel.  Although the line was declared officially opened on Thursday January 1st 1903 it had not in fact been inspected by the Board of Trade at that time.  That event took place on Monday January 12th and was evidently successful as permission was given to start the service on the following day, Tuesday January 13th 1903.

Peverell Park Road with its tram lines. Peverell Corner is in the distance.
The tram pole where the children are standing was partly
painted blue, which denoted a request stop.
From a postcard.

Original Route (see note B below)

Th

Subsequent development (see note C below)

This meant that the people of Peverell and Pennycross could get into Plymouth very easily.  But Tavistock Road (now Outland Road) was actually in the Borough of Devonport so the shopkeepers of Fore Street felt a bit annoyed that their business was going to the neighbouring Town.   As a result, Devonport Corporation were persuaded to construct an extension to the Devonport & District Tramway Company's system, from their line at Milehouse along the Tavistock Road to Tor Lane.  This line was opened on Saturday October 31st 1903 and leased to the Company.  The single fare from Tor Lane to Fore Street was 2d.

It was decided by the Tramways Committee in April and agreed by the Council on May 9th 1904 that during the summer that year the cars from Peverell to the Theatre Royal would be extended along the Plymouth, Stonehouse & Devonport Company's line to the Borough boundary at Manor Street.  Although it has been claimed this was only short-lived, it is not clear as to whether this actually happened.

Colonel Druitt from the Board of Trade made his inspection on Friday August 4th 1905.  After this inspection, Colonel Druitt visited the track outside Hyde Park Elementary School, which had been converted from single to double.   He also sanctioned the abolition of the compulsory stop at Gifford Terrace before descending the hill to Hyde Park.  In future it was a request stop.

Unification with Devonport, 1916

On and as from Monday October 23rd 1916 the Theatre to Peverell Corner service became Route 2, Theatre Royal to Fore Street, Devonport, via Peverell, Milehouse  and Stoke.  It was 4 miles 28 chains in length.

1937 Renumbering Scheme

When the whole network was renumbered on Monday April 5th 1937, the .

Note A:  Wherever possible an exact date of commencement of a service is shown.  However, in a lot of cases no precise date has been recorded so reference will be made to official returns to the Council or other documentary evidence to narrow the date down as much as possible.

Note B:  This gives the roads and streets the service passed through.  A road or street name in brackets indicates that it has not been confirmed beyond doubt that the road or street was used by buses on this route but it is a "best guess" based on the author's knowledge of the practice at the time.  If it is subsequently confirmed by either documentary or photographic evidence that the road or street was traversed by this service then the brackets will be deleted.

Note C:  Where deviations to the original route are shown they will be from and to a road or street named in the "Original Route" section so that the alteration in route can be easily followed.