Comprising two streets circumventing the cathedral green, Cathedral Close runs along the east side and Cathedral Yard to the north. As there is rather a lot to get through, I'm splitting the streets into two separate articles.
Cathedral Close was once an essential part of the Cathedral, housing various members of the clergy and cathedral activities. Apart from number 10, which still belongs to the cathedral, their history has since run along separate and interesting paths.
Starting at the eastern entrance to the lane that leads to Cathedral Close, above and below, is the delightful 'Mayor's Bridge'. Built in 1814, it enables the mayor to walk along the top of the city walls during the annual treading of the civic boundaries, without having to descend from one side and ascend again on the other. This delicate iron footbridge is a Grade II* Listed Building.
The photos were taken at different times and with different film but as I like both - and as I don't have all the places photographed with both - I've decided to use a mix of the two. Just in case anyone wondered! ;)
Exeter is one of a
small handful of cities in which the cathedral holds its own 'state
within a state', a little like the vatican in Rome...albeit on a much
smaller scale!
There
was always an uneasy alliance between the cathedral and civic
authorities, as attested to by some of the delightful stories from
the Mediaeval church rolls. In one account, the city men chased a felon into the
sanctity of the cathedral itself during a service, whereupon the large
body of clergy immediately rose up, drew cudgels and short swords out
from beneath their seats, and set upon the trespassers.
Studs can be seen set into the ground along Cathedral Yard and entrances - to show where the cathedral boundaries lie - and during certain occasions chains are drawn across street bollards to prevent access. However, relations with the civic dignitaries are much better these days and the clergy no longer brandish weapons at them! ;)
The next three photos show two buildings on the left side. As the other buildings stop at numbers 12 & 13, and there are listings for 14, 15 & 15A, I think these on the left must belong to No 14. Having seen a photo of 15 & 15A, a much larger and fancier building, it's probably around the corner somewhere, although I don't recall seeing it.
The rest are on the right, opposite the cathedral and running alongside the lovely cathedral green.
The first buildings from this end are numbers 12 and 13, which share a frontage.
This building fits in so beautifully with the others that it looks as if it was built at the same time. Unfortunately, all but the stone arch surrounding the door was destroyed during the Beidecker Blitz of WWII in 1942. Originally a gatehouse to the building behind, it was reconstructed in 1953 with local Heavitree Stone - a red sandstone from Heavitree, which is on the eastern outskirts of the city - and over the years has blended in perfectly as it weathered.
Another massive and yet far more ornate door belongs to Number 10, seen below. Made from Devon Oak, it was one of several produced for the city. The coat of arms on the wall above belonged to Bishop William Cotton (1597-1621).
Dated from about 1500, the house still belongs to and has been used by the Cathedral since it was built. The door leads into a courtyard with a wicket gate inserted for easy pedestrian access. It also includes the frontage of number eleven, accessed from the courtyard inside.
It's so impressive that whenever I see another great door I would love to do a 'Crocodile Dundee', whip out a photo of this door and say 'Call that a door? This is a door!' ;)
The next block along comprises numbers 8, 9 and 9a, which is a Grade I listed Building. Once one building it was a courtyard house for Cathedral Canons. Later on the building was separated into the three properties.
Number 8, circa 1450, has no frontage but is only accessed through an arched gateway and an open passage to a Grade I two-storey hall containing the Law Library and a Grade II* Notaries House. Distinctive by its course Heavitree Stone below with black & white timbering above, the top storey juts out over the ground floor, supported on curved oak brackets resting on stone corbels. The gateway entrance is of Beer Stone from the quarry just above Beer village.
Number 7 Cathedral Close now houses the Devon & Exeter Institution, which is a members only society dedicated to preserving books and documents about Exeter as well as promoting the arts and science in the south-west.
Originally a gatehouse to the building behind, this fabulous Grade II* building was altered circa 1814 - after being sold to the Devon and Exeter Institution - to form the top storey with its four windows and strip of half-timbering with painted sundial above and roof cupola. The lovely arched doorway encompasses a fanlight and slender side windows.
I love seeing how buildings have evolved and changed during successive eras of fashion, especially when there are still remains of the former style in evidence. The two adjoining buildings, below, shows a 'mirror image' ghost of an arch on the left one, which was blocked and Georgian sash windows were added.
That one, number 6, was originally the sub Deanery to the cathedral, being a part of the Annuellar's College. Altered circa 18th century, this is another Grade II* building. The sash windows are an absolute delight with their unequal panes.
Number 5 was also originally part of the extensive Annuellars College site and is a Grade I listed building. I don't have a close-up photo of it, but you can see it in the photo below, next to the black and white buildings. One of its more famous encumbents was Charlotte Treadwin, a lace maker and designer, where she lived with her workshop and showrooms for around fifty years.
Again, no close-ups of numbers two, three and four, but they can be partially seen above on the left. They are all Grade II* listed buildings and form a group with Mol's Coffee House (No I next door). All timber framed buildings, circa 17th century or earlier, they were altered later and have late 18th or early 19th century shop fronts on the ground floor.
Which brings us to Mol's Coffee House, above and below, which is probably one of the most photographed buildings in Exeter. Dated 1596, it was originally part of the cathedral building built in 1528 to house the Annuellars. The front facade was added much later circa 19th century, as was the top storey gallery together with the curly gable - curly being the actual description in the listing and not one of my own terms!
The pointy gable of the building on the right, seen below, belongs to number two - pointy being my own term this time, as it's really called a pitched roof! ;)
Mol's was supposedly the haunt of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh, among other Elizabethan seafarers, but this may be apocryphal and something that Mol, the Italian owner, may have put about to make his establishment more appealing.
There's a fair bit of history and speculation about this amazing building but I'll leave it for now and I might write a separate article another time. More photos to get first!
Next to Mol's is St Martin's Church, consecrated in 1065. I'll be writing more about this in a separate article too, once I've visited to look inside and take more photos. Meanwhile, the only ones I have are these B&W film photos circa 1991, when I was studying a module of City & Guilds Photography.
And some street musicians. :)
Although not in Cathedral Close I also want to include photos of The Ship Inn which is just around the corner in Martin Lane, plus the two buildings fronting it in Catherine Street. Reputedly another favourite haunt of Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake and other swashbuckling notables of the day, it was built circa the 15th century then heavily rebuilt and refurbished in the 19th. There's a rather nice carved overhanging timber front but I couldn't get a decent close-up of it at the time.
Near the corner of Cathedral Green, where the Close and Yard meet, is the statue of Richard Hooker. Born in 1554 in Heavitree on the eastern outskirts of Exeter, he was an influential theologian who helped to develop, and was a founder of, the Church of England.
There he is below...complete with seagull!
Which takes us to the Cathedral Yard, which I'll be writing about in a separate article. Coming up next if I can get to Exeter for more photos soon, but if not I'll finish something else first. Cheers. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment