The House That Moved & Stepcote Hill, Exeter, Devon

A beautiful 15th century house, it looks as though it's always been there, but over 50 years ago it was moved from its site on the corner of Edmund Street and Frog Street to its new position at the bottom of West Street.

The slum clearance of the West Quarter during the 1920's and 1930's and around Exe Island, plus the blitz bombing during May 1942, meant that many of the historic buildings in this area disappeared. Also, the new inner bypass, which was constructed during the 1960's entailed more loss. This particular building, known as Merchant House, was in a very sorry state at the time. Dated circa late 15th century to 1500 (thought to be possibly earlier), it was one of the oldest surviving houses in Exeter, and was scheduled for demolition, but with pressure from archaeologists was listed in time to be saved.

It took some weeks to prepare, stripping it down to the timber framework and strengthening the whole structure. Iron wheels were placed at each corner attached to hydraulic jacks to ensure that it was always kept upright. Continual checks were made with spirit levels as the slightest move out of alignment would have caused it to fall.

The move was started on 9th December 1961 with the raising of the house and over the next two days was moved to the edge of Edmund Street ready for its journey up the hill, which has a gradient of 1 in 10 in parts. The winches were driven by air compressors and the house was very slowly taken up the street on rails, with the corner jacks constantly adjusted to keep the whole structure upright. Finally placed in its new position four days later, restoration was carried out, which included reinstalling a leaded-light window that had been removed prior to moving.

On the opposite side of West Street is the lovely old St Mary Steps Church with its unusual clock, Stepcote Hill and two similarly historic houses, numbers 10 and 11, the latter known as the Coffin House. I recall reading or hearing that it was partly because of its unusual shape but also because it once belonged an undertaker, but I can't find any reference to it so please don't quote me on that.

Despite the near proximity of the bypass, this is a most delightful corner of Exeter in the West Quarter. So many Mediaeval buildings were lost that it is lovely to be able to enjoy those that were saved. Even though it meant moving them around a bit! ;)

Guildhall, Exeter, Devon

A familiar sight in Exeter's High Street, the Guildhall is one of the oldest municipal buildings in Britain and also reputed to be the oldest civic building still in use today, spanning a term of over 800 years. A Grade I listed building, it is also a scheduled ancient monument; the earliest reference to it in a deed of 1160. The present structure is mainly Mediaeval.

The pillared front portico was added in 1593, constructed with Beer Stone (taken from the quarry situated above Beer Village) as was the rest of the frontage. During recent renovation it was discovered that it was once painted in cream, the details coloured with typically Mediaeval red and blue, and the pillars in gilt.

The magnificent carved oak door is also dated 1593 and was made by local carpenter Nicholas Baggett. A short anteroom beyond it leads into the main hall, used as the city council chamber. 

The chamber is dated 1468-70 and still consists of the original arch-braced roof; its main trusses resting on corbels carved into grotesque animals of a dog/wolf-like nature. However, apart from the roof and chandelier, the rest of the interior was extensively refurbished in the Victorian era. The stained glass, stone floor, gallery and furnishings were all added circa 1863, and the Tudor panelling was heavily restored in 1887.

 

Wooden seating situated around the wall was centered before the bench for court trials, which the chamber was used for until recent times, and is positioned around the central table for current council meetings.

The chandelier was bought in 1789 from Thomas Pyke of Bridgwater, at a cost of £28.13s.

The walls were built using Heavitree Stone, a volcanic stone indigenous to the Heavitree area of Exeter. Those and the side windows were constructed around 1460, whereas the main window at the far end is Victorian.

The panelling contains the shields and names of past mayors, recorders and other civic dignitaries, some dating from the 12th century. Unfortunately my photo below couldn't quite pick up the name and date plate details - I'm not tall enough! The carving, however, is totally delightful and each panel varies in detail.

There are several portraits adorning the walls, one of which is Princess Henrietta Anne, daughter of Charles I. The Princess was born in Exeter's Bedford House in 1644, and the painting was presented to the city by her brother, Charles II.

The balcony at the entrance end, below.

Unfortunately, I neglected to take photos of the portraits as I was so engrossed with the architecture and other features, running out of time in the process. Because the Guildhall is still in use, finding it open to the public is a bit hit and miss. Therefore my mission of the day was to see if it was open, take photos, then get the film processed before catching the next bus home. I was delighted to eventually go inside though, as it's not only steeped in history, but is wonderful to see.

 
Above, more photos of the entrance hall. And finally, a couple more of the fabulous portico.

Thomas Gilbart-Smith Memorial, A3052, East Devon

The Thomas Gilbart-Smith Memorial is situated on the side of the busy A3052 road between Exeter and Lyme Regis. It's not all that far from the crossroads known as Hangman's Stone, and many people think that this was the actual stone. However, this is a stone seat that was erected in 1904 as a memorial to Dr Thomas Gilbart-Smith by his friends and family. On a cycling holiday in Devon with one of his sons, he suffered a heart attack and died at this spot.

The original plaques were stolen and unfortunately the replacements hold the wrong information. His name is wrongly spelt Gilbert, instead of Gilbart, and he was one of the two senior physicians at the London Hospital, along with several other important medical posts.

 
Having a walk to look at some places along this route in 2008, and wandering a lot further than expected, it turned out to be a 10 mile hike taking in several abandoned and derelict explores on the way. It was a good opportunity to see this properly for myself as the road can be very busy at certain times, and whilst travelling in car or bus it isn't so easy to see it other than a quick glance when speeding past. It was also nice to sit down, have a ciggy and enjoy some of the flask of coffee that I'd taken with me.

Dr Gilbart-Smith may not have approved of smoking as he was also a specialist physician for diseases of the chest, although I have a feeling that the good doctor would have approved of a good walk and using his memorial seat to enjoy a rest along the way. 



  

Garden Open Day, Seaton, Devon

During the summer months some private gardens are open for charity and I visited this lovely mature garden one day in May 2011. I thought it was worth including on my former website as it reflects some of the difference between the South-West peninsular and other parts of Britain, and now also posting it on my blog gives me the opportunity to add more to it.
 

As seen in these first two photos there are several tropical palms, as well as other unusual plants and trees. Although not indigenous to Britain, palms thrive well here in the South-West because of its temperate climate and, due to those intrepid Victorian (and earlier) travellers bringing back seeds and plants, they have now become a traditional part of our town and coastal scapes in Devon and Cornwall.

A large garden, there are several paths taking the visitor through the flower beds to separate lawned spaces.

It's such a delight to walk amongst the different varieties of mature trees, and other lovely plants...especially when, like me, your only garden is a rather small balcony overcrowded with planters and flowerpots!

The lovely Rhododendron isn't native to Britain; the species of rhododendrons originate from the range between Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines & New Guinea. Now found all over the world, they are one of the plants that have become naturalised and can have a detrimental effect on native plants. Garden 'escapees' can be found in woodlands, in which they thrive, and where they have overshadowed and killed off ground-loving plants. They are especially considered a nuisance on some South West cliffs, especially in Cornwall, where work parties have been grubbing up as much as possible in order to save the flora and habitats of fauna on clifftops.

The flowers are beautiful and very showy though, and are still a delight to see in gardens such as this.

 
The house (below) built circa 1930, softened by firs and other trees.

Below is a tree which I'd read about but not actually seen before in real life. Cercis Siliquastrum, also known as the Judas Tree, is a bushy, deciduous small tree from the eastern Mediterranean. Also known by the name Love Tree, it has heart-shaped leaves with clusters of bright pink, pea-shaped flowers in the Spring. Its commonest name of Judas Tree is thought to be because it was the tree from which Judas Escariot hanged himself - which doesn't make any sense because of its thin-branched and fragile nature. However, the French name for it is Arbre de Judee, meaning tree of Judea, which makes a lot more sense because Judea is the area where it used to be common.

Below is a tall and twisty Eucaliptus tree, with its delightful silver-grey bark and bluish grey-green leaves. Indigenous to Australasia, it has a great many properties, mostly well-known for Eucalyptus Oil, which is used for cleaning, as a solvent, and for antiseptics, mosquito repellents, in deodorants and toothpaste.

I was quite surprised when researching to find its more unusual uses. Used as a dye for silk and wool, the colours range from yellow and orange to tan, green, a deep rust red and chocolate brown. Also the wood is used for the making of didgeridoos, the traditional Aboriginal wind instruments. Most surprising of all is their ability for prospecting...

 
"Prospecting.

Eucalyptus trees in the Australian outback draw up gold from tens of metres underground through their root system and deposit it as particles in their leaves and branches. A Maia detector for x-ray elemental imaging at the Australian Synchrotron clearly showed deposits of gold and other metals in the structure of eucalyptus leaves from the Kalgoorlie region of Western Australia that would have been untraceable using other methods. The microscopic leaf-bound "nuggets" are not worth collecting themselves, but may provide an environmentally benign way of locating subsurface mineral deposits." 

Taken from Wikipedia

 
And of course, they are also the main food source for several marsupials, including Koalas and some possums.

Altogether a very pleasant afternoon spent strolling around and finding the odd hidden corner full of a huge variety of shrubs and flowers...

...and this lovely black cat, intent on watching something in the undergrowth.

The Millenium Bells, below, didn't come out very clearly on the photo so I softened it up even more to accentuate their snowy white glow.

As well as the garden to enjoy, tables and chairs were set out on the front lawn, along with a stall selling cakes and beverages. Jars of homemade jams and pickles were also on sale so I bought some plum jam...my favourite! I also enjoyed some homemade cake with a cup of coffee and sat at one of the tables, where I was joined by a couple I know, and had a really nice time chatting in the sunshine.

Below, a 'secret garden' kind of entrance from the lane, which can't be seen unless you know what to look for and are prepared to slalom your way between heavily planted bushes.

And finally, I recently took some more photos when walking past the main entrance with gorgeous gates, which I hadn't noticed on the original visit.