Ruins of Charles Church

After the Battle of Britain phase of World War II, the air raids on Plymouth were rapidly intensified. During the night of 20–21 March 1941 Charles Church was destroyed by fire. The congregation joined St Luke's for a month and then joined the daughter church St Matthias (as did the daughter church St Augustine for the same reason). Ironically St Matthias was never bombed. The bomber pilots used the tower, that juts high over the city skyline, as a guide point.

During the mid nineties the church has again become the subject of renewed debate, partly because it is felt that its setting has been at least overpowered and possibly desecrated by the erection of the controversial Drake Circus Shopping Centre to the North West and because there is a growing campaign to partially restore the church to incorporate some modern glazed roofing to enclose a blitz museum.