This is a very short article with just two photos - and they aren't even showing the whole thing! I did want to share them though, as I rather like the images plus it's a lovely bit of history too.
St Stephens Bow is a low arch beneath, and part of the church of St Stephen, connecting to the building next door. The arch covers a passage which runs through from the High Street and was built in the 13th century when the church was extended. The room above is known as the Bow Room.
It is said that when the visiting King Henry VI and the Royal procession went beneath the arch to go to the cathedral in the mid 15th century, the bishop standing at the other end had boasted to his entourage that the king would bow down to him, which he had to as the arch is very low...hence why it's called a 'bow'.
The window above the arch is of the Bow Room, once a side chapel and former church sanctuary, it is now also a meeting place.
Coming up shortly is a rather much longer article about some of the black & white buildings seen in Exeter, in which I've also included some buildings with Elizabethan/Tudor style facades...some genuine and some added much later. As always I'll explain more in the post itself about their various histories.
I've been dying to do something with all my Exeter photos that were taken of aspects of the city - shop fronts, odd details, decorative ornaments such as bas reliefs and small statues, etc - and I'm really excited to make a start with them.
Cheers. :)
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