Exeter Quay

After visiting the cathedral we grabbed a bite to eat and headed to the quayside. Exeter was first used as a port in prehistoric times but in 1566 a canal was completed to provide access for ships. Over time the number of ships using the quayside increased and the quay was expanded in the late 17th century. Further expansion occurred in 1830 when a new canal basin was added. However, in 1840 the railways reached Exeter and the shipping began to decline and the quayside is now mostly used for leisure. We found it a pleasant area for a stroll. Old warehouses have found new uses including local crafts and historical elements have been highlighted making it all quite interesting.

Exeter Cathedral

Exeter Cathedral stands on a site which has been at the centre of the city since Roman times. The Cathedral was effectively founded by King Edward the Confessor in 1050 AD although the current building dates back to 1114 AD. The west front image screen is one of the great architectural features of medieval England. Various building works have taken place over the years and the completion of the rebuilding of the cathedral in the Gothic style dates to around 1340 although additional works continued thereafter. High up on the north side of the nave is a projecting balcony built in the middle of the 14th century. It is decorated with carved angels playing musical instruments and is known as the Minstrels Gallery. The original purpose of this gallery is not known, but it may have been used by musicians or singers. The magnificent Bishops Throne is one of the greatest treasures of medieval woodwork in Europe. It was made in the early 14th century using local Devon oak and is 18m (59ft) tall. Dating from 1484, the large dial of the Exeter Astronomical Clock is a working model of the solar system as it was then understood. The sun and moon circle around the earth at the centre of the dial. The clock is reputed to be the source of the nursery rhyme 'Hickory Dickory Dock'. There is a lot to admire within the cathedral, especially the roof, as we found a couple of months ago.                      

Lest We Forget

Colyton Church

Colyton Church serves the village of the same name and we really only visited because it is at the other end of the Seaton Tramway but it turned out to be a pretty impressive place and is worth making the effort to see. As is always the case we did not visit for any religeous reasons - if you do that is fine but we just admired what we saw and took in the historical aspects. The church has its origins in the mid to late 12th century and has been enlarged more than once since. It has a nice lantern tower, some impressive windows and some equally impressive monuments. In its heyday it benefitted from the patronage of some wealthy locals who made money as wool merchants which helps explain the relative granduer of a church in a small village. Even a fire a the beginning of the 20th century was overcome as insurance covered most of the damage and and a fund raiser succeeded in raising money to keep the fabric of the church at an impressive level. Here are a few images of what we saw.

Seaton Tramway

Seaton Tramway opened in 1970 although its roots start with Eastbourne Tramway which had operated successfully for 15 years until forced to close in 1969 and then found a new home in Seaton. The 2'9" gauge tramway runs 3 miles from Seaton to Colyton and uses the route of the former branch line that closed in 1966 following the Beeching review. The line has opened to its current length in stages with the terminus at Colyton becoming operational in 1980. A bridge that used to take the branch line further north to Seaton junction has been removed.

We took a trip on the tramway over the weekend and there appeared to be 4 of the tramway's 13 trams in operation. The line runs through a wetlands nature reserve and has another stop at Colyford terminus and you can get on and off at the stops whenever you wish in the knowledge that the next tram will be along in 20 minutes. It made for a good day out.