Barne Barton

Bull Point Barracks

Barne Barton is an area within St Budeaux, Plymouth, Devon, England.

Geography

Barne Barton is located to the North West of Plymouth about 2 miles by road, or 1 mile as the crow flies, from the Tamar Bridge. From the southern side of the hill, there are panoramic views of the River Tamar and Cornwall.^[1] The north-western part is called Bull Point, but is normally included in the area.

History

Barne Barton in the sixteenth century was a farm (the words 'Barne Barton' actually mean 'Barne Farm') and produced essentials such as meat, wheat, grain and potatoes. Its situation by the Tamar enabled its produce to be transported up stream to old settlements such as Tavistock.

At one time Barne Barton was one of the largest naval estates within England providing accommodation for those serving in HMNB Devonport, Plymouth and on those warships stationed there. As the might of the Royal Navy reduced, so did the number of sailors. This reduction in manpower subsequently necessitated a reduction in the number of military married quarters required for serving personnel. As the size of the Navy continued to shrink, the first part of the military estate in the Bull Point area was sold by the MOD at a discounted purchase scheme to serving members of HM Forces with Naval Personnel given first priority and they ended up in private ownership. After further reduction in the size of the royal Navy a large chunk of flats in Savage Road and Roberts Road and Wilkinson Road were passed over initially to Plymouth City Council and about 2 years later houses in Kelly Close along with the Plymouth City Council Flats were passed over to Devon and Cornwall Housing Association. The MOD retained a number of houses in Roberts Road, Poole Park Road and Gray Crescent which were refurbished with new kitchens and bathrooms but kept empty for over 3 years. These houses were subsequently sold along with all other MOD homes to a private enterprise who were tasked with maintaining them in case they were required for future MOD use. They were eventuality refurbished by Anniston Homes and were sold off to the general public. None of the former MOD homes are owned by Plymouth City Council, however they do have a large housing stock in the area surrounded by Barne Road, Scott Avenue and the lower end of Foulston Avenue this housing stock is now owned by Plymouth Community Homes and is shorty due for modernisation and the end of 2010-2011.

The belief is held by long standing residents in the area that this transition from military ownership to civilian ownership was the start in the decline of the area. Barne Barton is known locally as "The forgotten island" due to lack of funding and maintenance by successive councils. However, the South West Regional Development Agency released a "vision" for Barne Barton in 2002, which has yet to come to fruition.

Schools

A new school has recently opened which amalgamates both Barne Barton and Bull Point primary schools due to lack of external facilities and cramped classrooms. The new school is called Riverside Primary School.

The old Barne Barton Primary grounds are now a high density housing development.

On the location of the old Bull Point Primary school, there is now situated an independent school run by Focus Schools for 7-18 year olds.

References

1. "The River Tamar, Cornwall a short guide with pictures". Cornishlight.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-10.

• The geographic coordinates are from the Ordnance Survey.

External links

• Bus Service
• Riverside Primary School
• Focus School Plymouth

Coordinates: 50°23′48″N 4°11′18″W / 50.39667°N 4.18833°W