Union Street, Plymouth

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Union Street in Plymouth, Devon, is a long straight street connecting the city centre to Devonport, Plymouth's naval base and docks. Designed by John Foulston, it was laid out between 1812 and 1820 as a grand boulevard to connect the three towns of Plymouth, East Stonehouse and Devonport.^[1] For some years after its construction, Union Street was the home of the wealthy. According to a guidebook of 1823:

“

…the buildings are neat and handsome, and the streets straight and commodious, particularly those of Durnford-street, Emma-place, Edgcumbe-street and Union-street. These are almost entirely occupied by genteel families, chiefly those of naval and military officers, and other persons holding situations under government. The addition of Union-street … is an improvement of the greatest importance … [it] affords a spacious thoroughfare, and presents … a succession of neat and uniform buildings.[2]

”

Despite its upper-class associations, Union Street was the location of the first outbreaks in Plymouth of cholera in the 1849 epidemic.^[3] At the time, these outbreaks in July of that year were believed to be caused by works connected with the new Millbay railway station, during which the drains of several houses had become blocked and their lower premises overflowed with sewage.^[4]

In 1898 The Palace Theatre opened as a music hall in Union Street. It was damaged by fire only eight months after opening, but re-opened in 1899 as The New Palace Theatre of Varieties. In 1961 it was converted to a bingo hall and continued in this use and as a theatre until 1983 when it became "The Academy" disco. It is a grade II listed building.^[5]

It was the continuing development along and around Union Street that led to the merger of the Three Towns in 1914, and the granting of Plymouth's city status in 1928.^[6]

Frequented by sailors from all over the world, it was once known as one of the West Country's most infamous streets^[7] and red-light districts.^[8] Much of the area was destroyed by German bombing in World War II, more by widening and slum clearance work.^[1] Now it consists of council flats, derelict buildings and late night pubs.

It has a noticeable police presence late at night and early into the morning, to control drunk and lively people. As of 2002, it was also patrolled by military police to maintain a degree of integrity among sailors and marines,^[9] though it is less frequented by service personnel than it once was.^[9][7]

During 2007 and 2008 hundreds of expensive new flats have been built immediately south of Union Street towards the cross channel ferry dock and the local shops and businesses are fast reviving.

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