Following on from Cathedral Close, the adjacent road of Cathedral Yard runs parallel to the north of the cathedral. These first two photos were taken on Midsummer day in 2009, quite late in the evening, and there wasn't anyone around unusually. The other photos were taken in April 2011.
I did think I needed to revisit for more photos, as I only had a few. However, when checking the original prints for the date I also found more photos that I hadn't scanned...which was good news as it's a bus journey of one and a half hours, which I'm not feeling up to that at the moment.
The photo below was taken from the cathedral green and shows an overall look at part of Cathedral Yard up to where it meets Cathedral Close on the right hand corner.
Below was taken closer, where we'll start with the Cathedral buildings on the left hand side. The first building was The Royal Clarence, built circa 1768, and which was sadly mostly destroyed by fire in October 2016. I thought this part in the photo was separate from the hotel, which indeed it once was as the Exeter Bank, but it was internally altered to become part of the hotel circa the early 19th century.
The rest of the frontage is seen below. A Grade II Listed Building, it was originally built for use as Assembly Rooms, then later became one of the first paying guest establishments to be called an hotel.
Architecturely, it has been changed considerably over the centuries with new bays on the first floor, the partial covering over of a Tuscan porch by a large porte-cochere and the addition of late 19th century iron balustraded balconies on the former bank frontage. The semi-circular window of the attic on the 'bank' building makes a rather delightful feature to what is a fairly plain frontage overall.
The two buildings between the Royal Clarence and the building to the left on these two photos are Nos 16 & 17. The two buildings were joined together and became the Well House Tavern in 1984. A well, thought to be of Roman origin, was discovered in the basement of number 16 in 1933, hence the name, although it is now dated to Norman times. However, there are also the remains of a Roman bath too.
Both are Grade II Listed Buildings comprising five storeys built in the 16th & 17th centuries with timber framing and gabled front with modern shop fronts on the ground floor. There is also some Saxon stonework so some of the fabric was extant then and built upon during the later centuries.
Fortunately, the building was mostly saved from the 2016 fire, the interior damage rebuilt and is now in use again.
Which brings us nicely to the next building, No 18, also originally called the Mansion House and rebuilt circa 1910. This is where the fire started in 2016 and which quickly gutted the building, before spreading across the roof of the Well House to engulf the Royal Clarence.
Another Grade II Listed Building, it comprises four storeys of striking red brick with stucco dressings and a French style mansard roof. The interior was exquisite, described here in an article from Exeter Memories - "the first floor room was in a Rococo, Louis Quinze style–the walls were panelled with mirrors and elaborately painted frames in a Pompeian style, and facing, polished black fireplaces supported with stone lions. The centrally placed wooden staircase and double gallery may have been 18th Century, as were some door cases. ...the unique creation of Elihu Edward Brand... The loss of this little known, extraordinary interior, in the fire of October 2016, is a tragedy for the city." For more of its extensive history you can read the rest of the article here.
The window shape is also echoed in the two doors with their egg and dart moulding surrounds, one each side on the front, one of which is seen below.
I did miss some out when taking photos because they didn't stand out at all, skipping to number 23. Number 22 is a Listed Building though, so I'll just briefly mention it here. An 18th century front rebuilt as a facsimilie of the original and that's about it, apart from the amount of windows & storeys, etc. ;)
Which brings us to the wonderful Victorian Gothic building at no. 23.
Owned by The Edinburgh Woollen Mill, this lovely building is dated circa 1880s and is of Bath stone ashlar with red brick dressings. A Grade II Listed Building, it's described as having a spiky roof. I wasn't aware that was an architectural term until I looked it up, lol, but there we go; we learn something every day! The stone mullioned windows and upper oriel windows are an absolute delight with their transom lights, modillion frieze, pointed gables and attractive tracery cornices.
And next door to that is the Natwest Bank at No 24.
Another Grade II listing, built in the 18th century, consisting of three storeys with six sashed windows on the top two floors. The projecting arcade on the ground floor was added in the 19th century and comprises rusticated columns with arched windows and a parapet with ball finials.
And below, a view of the left side of Cathedral Yard taken from across the green with a clearer view of the bank frontage on the right.
The next two buildings shown in a the above photo are the former Tinley's Tearooms and the City Bank respectively.
I was quite surprised that Tinley's was built in 1825 as it looks quite Art Deco, the style of which was fashionable in the 1920s and 30s. I love the curved side and it looks quite striking amongst the other buildings. Also a Grade II Listed Building.
The short side road, seen above, was once the site of Broadgate, which was one of the seven city gates. Demolished in 1825, the front of Tinley's was rebuilt, incorporating No 2 Broadgate at the rear. The back part still has the 17th century timber frame.
The City Bank, now housing Halifax Bank, is a suitably imposing four-square structure. Interestingly, this side, being the rear, was once a separate building to the front, which is on the High Street. They were joined together to make one building and the join can just about be seen along the side road.
The Cathedral Yard building is mid 19th century Italianate, whereas the High Street one was built in the early 20th in the Classical style. Rusticated ashlar columns flank the central door with the city arms above.
The last one on this side of the road is St Petroc's church. This side is the rear, the front being on the High Street. What I find interesting is that this part was built in the 19th century, whereas the front is of Mediaeval origin circa 15th and 16th centuries. The north side is still in use as a church but part is now divided off and the Cathedral Yard entrance leads into premises for a homeless & socially deprived people charity.
A Grade II* Listed Building, it has been squeezed between other buildings and added to in such a complicated and mazelike way that Nikolaus pevsner described it as `among the most confusing of any church in the whole of England.'
There is a lot of information about this lovely church and as I only have photos of this side I'll be taking more of the other side and the interior for a separate article later on.
And on the other side of Cathedral Yard tucked into a corner known as Little Stile is Three Gables.
This lovely Tudor terraced building is dated 1540 and was originally occupied by craftsmen who worked for the cathedral. Comprising three timber framed properties (3 to 5 consecutively) it's a Grade II Listed Building.
Number 3, above, showing the oriel windows, which were altered some time since the original build. The two photos below are both of No 4 with the fabulous ground floor window made of Ham Stone. That and the impressive oriel windows on the upper floors are reproduction 17th century style, installed by the stained glass artist Frederick Drake who aquired the property in 1894.
I only have these four photos of Three gables but they, as well as some further information, can also be read about on their own article here.
And finally, another photo across the Cathedral Green with Cathedral Yard on the right hand side and Cathedral Close behind me.
And that's about it for Cathedral Yard. I have other Exeter articles in the pipeline, which really will need more photos so they'll be a while just yet. I'll be finishing off some that are more local though, so plenty coming up...eventually! ;)
Cheers. :)
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