Notable Buildings in Exeter

Among the notable buildings in Exeter are:

The cathedral, founded in 1050 when the bishop’s seat was moved from the nearby town of Crediton (birthplace of Saint Boniface) because Exeter’s Roman walls offered better protection against “pirates", presumably Vikings. A statue[2] of Richard Hooker, the sixteenth century Anglican theologian, who was born in Exeter, has a prominent place in the Cathedral Close.

The ruins of Rougemont Castle, built soon after the Norman Conquest; later parts of the castle are still in use as an Assize court, though a new courts complex is under construction and the castle will probably become accessible to tourists as a result.

The Guildhall, the oldest municipal building in England still in use.

The Guild of Tuckers and Weavers, a fine old building that is still used for smart functions.
The Custom House in the attractive Quay area
St Nicholas Priory in Mint Lane.

A number of medieval churches including St Mary Steps which has an elaborate clock.
‘The House That Moved’, a 14th century Tudor building, earned its name in 1961 when it was moved from its original location on the corner of Edmund Street in order for a new road to be built in its place. Weighing more than twenty-one tonnes, it was strapped together and slowly moved a few inches at a time to its present day home.

Many of these are built in the local dark red sandstone, which gives its name to the castle and the park that now surrounds it (Rougemont = red hill). A plaque near the gatehouse recalls that in 1685 Alice Molland the last person executed for witchcraft in England, was imprisoned in Exeter.

Northenhay Gardens located just outside the castle, is the oldest public open space in the whole of England, being originally laid out in 1612 as a pleasure walk for Exeter residents. Much of Northernhay gardens now represent Victorian design, with a beautiful display of trees, mature shrubs and bushes and plenty of flower beds. There are also many statues here, most importantly the War Memorial by John Angel and the Deerstalker by E.B.Stephens. The Volunteer Memorial from 1895, also in the gardens commemorates the formation of the 1st Rifle Volunteers in 1852. Other statues include John Dinham, Thomas Dyke Ackland and Stafford Northcote (a local landowner who was a Victorian Chancellor of the Exchequer).