About the Parish of Pennycross, Plymouth

 

The Deanery	St Pancras is part of the Deanery of Devonport, one of three Deaneries that make up the city of Plymouth (the other Deaneries are Sutton and Moorside). Devonport has 14 parishes covering the spread of the traditions within the Anglican Church Click here for a map of the parish boundaries

Parish Population	Approximately 10,000 people live in St. Pancras Parish.  It is an urban parish, with people coming from all walks of life.

Schools/Industry	Within the parish, there is a large Community College, John Kitto, with 1,500 plus students and two primary schools, Pennycross and Chaucerway. The YMCA also has its city headquarters in the parish with a large sports and recreation centre. There are two small estates of light-industry.

Nursing Homes/Care Homes	There are a number of Nursing/Residential homes in the  parish. There is also a special needs centre and a home for the  visually impaired.

Housing	A third is post war local authority housing, some now privately owned. There is a wide variety of privately owned housing, from  pre-war terraced, to more expensive housing in the Hartley area.

Neighbouring Churches

Hope (Baptist), Trinity (United Reformed), Pennycross (Methodist), Holy Family (Roman Catholic), Regular joint services are held with Hope Baptist church  and the Pennycross Methodist church

Parish History

The parish of Penniecross or Weston Peverell is recorded as far back as 1086 in the Domesday Book. The first mention of a chapel at 'Penniecross' was shown on a map called "Spry's Plot" published circa 1696,' Spry's Plot is generally accepted as to the record of the line of the Drake's leat, a series of channels started in 1591 to bring a water supply to the town of Plymouth. One of the leats cuts through the 'tything' and evidence 'of it can still be seen in the part of the graveyard across Honicknowle Lane. Historic records illustrate how the church had dealings with all three towns, Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport; the latter being requested to repair a bridge where the leat crossed Ham Lane in 1845 and Stonehouse being asked to remove illegally placed boundary stones on the Pennycross roads in 1848. Originally Weston Peverell, a 'tything' or ward, was not a parish but a 'chapelry' under the control of the Vicar of St. Andrew's. Around 1820 much of the earlier chapel was demolished leaving the part which now forms the chancel of the building we see today. The stone from the old chapel was used to help build the new church. The old font was probably built into the walls and a new one brought from St. Budeaux where it had been used since 1482.  This now stands inside the modern foyer of the church. Before 1820 the rather infrequent services had been conducted by clergy from other churches but mainly the Vicar or Curate of St. Budeaux.  Between 1866 and 1870 major repairs and alterations were undertaken. The building was enlarged and the old horse box pews removed.  It was during these renovations that the base of the original font was discovered. The parish of St. Pancras was created in 1898. The St. Pancras, chalice dating back to 1695, is now kept at the City of Plymouth Museum.  It bears a coat of arms very similar to the arms of the Harris family of Radford. The church register records members of the Prouse family being buried in 1637, 1662 and 1675. The remains of a coat of arms appear on a stone in the wall in what is now Prowse Crescen. The inscription of "H 1792 H" is thought to refer to Humphrey Hall who owned the Manadon Estate from 1767 to 1787. He was related to Rev. G Hal!-Parlby of Emmanuel. Many older people of Plymouth can remember St Pancras' being well out into open country with the church surrounded by fields. During the 1939 - 1945 war the west end of the church suffered bomb damage. The congregation then met in the crypt of St. Martin (which was at the-junction of Weston Park Road and Outland Road) until 1956. Repairs were made 2nd a piece of marble from 81. Paul's Cathedral was built into the south wall of the chancel. The church hall was built in 1964. In the church the choir stalls and old pulpit were taken away and a screen modified in the mid 1970's. The church lounge was constructed in the mid 1980's. In 1998 the congregation raised funds to refurbish the interior of the Church to commemorate the centenary of the parish. In 2000 to mark the Millennium, further fundraising was undertaken to re-roof and refurbish the hall and two banners were embroidered for the west end of the church.

   Click here to show the parish boundary