Plymstock facts for kids

Plymstock is a lively area located on the east side of the River Plym in Devon, England. It's a big suburb of the city of Plymouth. Plymstock used to be a separate village, but it grew a lot and became part of Plymouth in 1967.

Quick facts for kids Plymstock
Civil parish
Pomphlett Lake
Country	England
Primary council	Plymouth
County	Devon
Region	South West England
Status	Parish
Population
• Total	24,103

Where is Plymstock?

Plymstock is located on the eastern side of the River Plym. It's part of an area called the South Hams. Plymstock is made up of several smaller villages. These include Billacombe, Elburton, Goosewell, Hooe, Mount Batten, Oreston, Pomphlett, Staddiscombe, and Turnchapel. The main village, Plymstock proper, is in the middle of all these. The local church is called St Mary and All Saints.

Shopping and Services

The main shopping area is called The Broadway. It was built in the 1960s and is just for people walking. You can find many shops there, including supermarkets like Iceland and Lidl. There are also banks, estate agents, a library, a fire station, and a small police station.

Near Pomphlett, there's a large Morrisons supermarket and a McDonald's restaurant where you can drive through. In 2011, about 24,758 people lived in Plymstock.

Plymstock's Past

The first time Plymstock was written about was in the Domesday Book. This was a big survey of England from 1086. Its name, Plemestocha, comes from an old English word. It might mean "a farm with a plum tree" or "a farm belonging to Plympton".

Over time, some things in Plymstock have changed a lot.

• Old railway lines that went through the area have been removed.
• Bridges and stations from those railways were taken down.
• The land where they used to be has now been built on.
• Pomphlett Mill was demolished, and a roundabout was built in its place.
• Pomphlett Creek, which was once popular for rowing, has been partly filled in. Much of it is now covered in silt.

Until the 1900s, Plymstock was mostly a farming area. But before and after the Second World War, it started to grow quickly. Many homes were built as people moved there to live outside Plymouth but still work in the city. In 1961, about 14,700 people lived in Plymstock. On April 1, 1967, Plymstock became part of the City of Plymouth. Today, it's a large residential area in the southeast of the city, where most people own their homes.

Things to Do and Learn

Plymstock has many public spaces for sports and activities.

• There's a huge public sports area at Staddiscombe.
• Elburton has three rugby pitches.
• Staddon Heights has a major golf club.
• There's also a driving range near Elburton where you can practice your golf swing.

Schools in Plymstock

There are many state primary schools in the area for younger children. For older students, there are two large comprehensive schools: Coombe Dean School and Plymstock School. If children do very well on the Eleven-Plus exam, they can attend one of the three grammar schools in Plymouth.

In 2008, Coombe Dean School wanted to put up two windmills to generate electricity. However, local councillors stopped the plan because some people living nearby didn't want them.

Getting Around

Frequent buses connect most parts of Plymstock to other areas of Plymouth. You can take a bus to the railway station or Derriford hospital. There's also a water taxi that links Mount Batten with Plymouth's Barbican area.

Local Legends

There's an old story about a rich man named Childe. He supposedly left a message saying that the first person to bury him would get his lands in Plymstock. The monks from Tavistock were greedy and buried him, claiming the lands. People say that the ghosts of monks carrying a bier (a frame for carrying a coffin) have been seen at Childe's Tomb.