CJE in Exeter

A Brief - but so important - Visit

2011-08-08T09:48:00.000+01:00

Saturday 16th July 2011

For more photos - see wedding webpages.

Farewell

2010-09-15T00:27:00.008+01:00

I said farewell to my hosts on 7th September after a great couple of weeks. Thankyou both very much.

Exeter Cathedral - Bishop Bronscombe

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The tomb of Bishop Bronscombe, between the Lady Chapel and the Chapel of St Gabriel is the finest in the cathedral.

Bishop Walter Bronscombe - known as Walter the Good - became Bishop of Exeter in 1257 and probably attended the consecration of Salisbury Cathedral in 1258. This is thought to have inspired him to rebuild Exeter on a larger scale in Gothic style. The present building is largely the result of his plans. He died in 1280.

In the background can be seen the effigy of Bishop Stafford on the other side of the Lady Chapel in a similar gilded monument.

His effigy in black basalt has survived with its original painted colouring. The bishop is shown wearing the magnificent robes of a prelate of his time.

An angel carries his shield.

The brilliantly gilded monument is later than the effigy itself, having been made in the Fifteenth Century.

Dolbury Hillfort

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Dolbury Hillfort, on the Killerton Estate, was built on a volcanic stone outcrop and was used by Iron Age settlers between 400 BC and 43 AD.

The hilltop was enclosed with a high earth bank and surrounding ditch.

The hill was landscaped in the seventeenth century and the tree clad the summit is known locally as The Clump.

The hill has views across the Devon countryside as far as Cadbury Hill n North Somerset.

As Helen and I discovered, the embankment is not something one can run up n a hurry!

Flowers at Frog End

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Killerton House - Hannah More

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This painting in Killerton House is of Hannah More and is by H. W. Pickersgill.

Hannah More (2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833) was an English religious writer, Romantic and philanthropist. She can be said to have made three reputations in the course of her long life: as a poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, as a writer on moral and religious subjects, and as a practical philanthropist. I have read her biography and a number of her works and she is a fascinating character.

Exeter Cathedral - Roofs

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The bosses in the roof of the nave inspire people to look up but I wonder how many folk notice the other roofs in the cathedral, This is the Lady Chapel Roof

The roof of the South transept.

The Chapter House roof.

A Fifteenth Century angel in the Chapter House roof.

The roof of the Chqpel of St John the Evangelist.

Killerton House - the grounds

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The grounds or Killerton House contain some magnificent trees and there are views over the Devon countryside.

The toilets are housed in the former dairy.

The bark of a Snake Bark Mqple.

These two Tulip Trees are champion trees - i.e. the largest of their kind in the country.

Autumn Crocus.

In 2002 this Giant Redwood had a diameter of 7 feet and a height of 125 feet.

Cones forming on a Cryptomeria japonica.

A tall specimen of Tsuga heterophylla.

Where sheep may safely graze.

Comon Frog.

Giant Polypore (Meripilus giganteus).

Dovecote.

Creation - a Celebration

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The book of these wonderful works can be purchased from Amazon price £28.50.

Frog End - Dragonflies

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Common Darter

Migrant Hawker

Justin Knowles

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Justin Knowles, artist and teacher, was born in Exeter in 1935 and was one of the most innovative artists of his generation. Hn the 1960s and 70s he established himself as a major artist but in 1973, just as his future as a major modern British abstract artist seemed assured, his uninsured studio caught fire in mysterious circumstances. It cost him most of his finished work, his work in progress and all his materials. What Knowles called "the silent time" began. After his 1973 show at Waddington Galleries, it would be 24 years before he exhibited again. The Devon home had eventually to be sold and Knowles returned to Islington. He began teaching in Exeter, commuting twice a week, and turned his attention to publishing and other businesses. In 1996 he began exhibiting again and in 2002 he was commissioned to make this cross and figure for Exeter Cathedral.

Exeter Cathedral - Martyrs' Pulpit

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The pulpit was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott who carried out restoration work at the cathedral in the 1870s.

It depicts the martyrdom od Saints Alban and Boniface and of Bishop John Coleridge Patteson, a Devonian who became the first Bishop of Melanesia in the South Pacific and was martyred in 1871. The pulpit was erected in 1877.

Exeter Green Fair - September 2010

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Killerton House - Laundry

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A box mangle.

An ordinary mangle.

Scrubbing board.

Dolly peg.

Dolly tub.

Drying racks.

Irons.

This small iron was used for collars, I think.

I don't know what this unusual shaped iron was for.

This iron would be filled with coals to keep it warm.

For the interesting story of a was day in the Potteries using some of thes implements see this site.

William - Frog End's cat

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Killerton House

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The reception room of the house is laid out as it might have been during the War when the house was occupied by two evacuated schools. His how the school secretary's desk might have appeared.

One of a number of second world war posters to be seen.

Sir Thomas Dyke Acland commissioned portraits of the members of Grillion's Club, a London dining club which he helped to found in 1813. They include Lord Shaftesbury, Lord John Russell, and W E Gladstone.

The upstairs of the house is given over to a fashion through the ages exhibition. These silk brocade shoes with matching pattens were from between 1720 and 1740. Such shoes were often made from the same silk as the dress and were fitted with buckles varying from steel to silver set with diamonds.

Killerton House had been in the Acland family since the early seventeenth century and when the Civil War broke out John Acland declared himself for the King, even tough the rest of the Exeter area was strongly parliamentarian. For this the king rewarded him with a Baronetcy in 1644.

The 'Great Sir Thomas', Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, the Tenth Baronet painted in 1818. He did much to improve the grounds and house.

The study.

Sir Francis Nicholson (14 November 1753 – 6 March 1844) was a British artist. He worked in watercolour and oil, and is mainly known as a landscape artist. This self-portrait was painted when he was 89 years old.

Budlake Post Office

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Exeter Cathedral - Rondels

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All around the nave of the cathedral are embroidered cushions, called the Exeter Rondels, covering the stone seats.

They describe the story of the cathedral from its beginnings to modern times and athe work of volunteers.

The names of the Bishops, deans and monarchs accompany the scenes throughout the ages.

This rondel describes the creation of the elephant misericord, a mid-thirteenth century carving.

Misericords are seats which when tipped up provide a ledge on which one could prop oneself during long services. Those in Exeter are among the earliest in England.

Bumble Bees at Frog End

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Common Carder Bumble Bees (Bombus pascuorum)

Large Red-tailed Bumle Bee (B. lapidarius)

Red-shanked Bumble Bee (B. ruderarius)

Sidmouth Clock Tower

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Exeter Cathedral - bosses

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In architecture, a boss is a knob or protrusion of stone or wood. Bosses can often be found in the ceilings of buildings, particularly at the intersection of a vault.

Some of the bosses at Exeter Cathedral weigh as much as two tons. This model of a boss is at ground level and is designed to show visitors how big the bosses are.

This boss depicts the murder of Thams Becket in 1170. Born in 1118 he was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162. He was later also known as Thomas à Becket and his death made him an instant martyr.

These bosses depict the Green Man. A Green Man is a sculpture, drawing, or other representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit. The Green Man motif has many variations and is found in many cultures around the world' It is often related to natural vegetative deities and is primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth or renaissance, representing the cycle of growth each spring.

Some of the bosses represnt other creatures - both real and mythical.

Killerton House - Garden Terrace

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Immediately next to the house itself at Killerton is a terrace garden dating from 1905.

Two large Coade stone vases dated 1805 stand at each end of the perennial beds.

Replica of an eighteenth century sundial engraved by Benjamin Martin.

Butterflies at Frog End

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Red Admirals

Painted Lady

Speckled Wood

Small Whites

Killerton House - the Bear Hut

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One of the more fascinating creations in the grounds of Killerton House is the Bear Hut.

This was built by the gardener and nurseryman John Veitch as a surprise for Lydia Acland, the wife of the 10th Baronet, on the Acland's return from their honeymoon in 1808.

It was often referred to as the Hermit's Hut until used to house a pet black bear brought back from Canada in the 1860s by their grandson Gilbert.

The hut is in three different sections, one floored with cobbles, one with log sections and the third with deer knuckle bones. June Loudon in her book 'Gardening for Ladies' considered the knuckle bones to be 'decidedly in bad taste'.

The ceilings are basketry, matting and deerskins respectively.

The stained glass in the hut is sixteenth century from the Netherlands and was picked up in the Aclands' travels.

Exeter Cathedral - Minstrels' Gallery

2010-09-06T14:25:00.000+01:00

This unique Minstrels' Gallery is carved with fourteen angels playing musical instruments. In fact this is a screen in front of a room which acts as an echo chamber and it is pierced so that the sound can float down into the nave below. At Christmas and various other occasions choristers still use this to create a remarkable disembodied sound.

Thatching - Sidmouth

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Exeter Cathedral - cat hole

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This cat hole in a door in the South Transept of Exeter Cathedral is centuries old.

It gave the cat access to the South tower in order for it to keep down the rats and mice in there. In the Fifteenth Century the Cathedral accounts allowed a penny a week for the cat's food.

Woodbury Park

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This is where Helen and Ian will be getting married next year. (The helmet logo is tha of Nigel Mansell who owns the country club and golf course).

No use looking in there - I heard the splash!

I think that is the largest tree fern I have ever seen.

Killerton House Chapel

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This chapel in he grounds of Killerton House was built in 1841. The architect C R Cockerell was scathing in his view of the commission given to him by Sir Thomas Acland which was to base the design on that of the chapel of Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury. He wrote that if Sir Thomas was 'still bent on Joseph of Glastonbury, do not think of neutralising, castrating and emasculating the copy of that noble building & flattering yourself that you have what will be worthy of the original - either have an original work altogether or a correct reproduction.'

This beautiful rose window in the West wall was based on one a Barfeston in Kent.

For pictures of the pulpit see Rambles.

Killerton House

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On Thursday we went to Killerton House and Gardens - a National Trust property gifted in 1944 by Sir Richard Acland.

The House is not particularly remarkable (though I shall do a post about the interior on another day) - being built in 1778 - but the gardens, part of a 6,399 acre estate, are fantastic. The house, designed by John Johnson, was originally intended as a temporary dwelling while a grander building was created on the slopes higher up but the larger house never materialised.

The entrance porch is one of a number of additions to the house, having been added in 1924 by Sir Francis Acland, the fourteenth Baronet.

The ship's cannon on the forecourt are from the Acland family's yacht 'The Lady of St Kilda' in which Sir Thomas Acland and his wife \lydia made many intrepid voyages in the 1830s. The guns were last fired in 1935 to celebrate the double victory of Sir Francis Acland and his son Richard in the general election.

The house looks out over beautiful East Devon countryside.

Exeter Cathedral - Chapel of St Saviour and St Boniface

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Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter, 1504-1519. He founded Manchester Grammar School and was a co-founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

Exeter Cathedral - kneelers

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Otterton Mill

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This is Otterton Mill where Helen and Ian's wedding reception will be.

In addition to being a fully working mill there is a cafe and food and craft shops.

Exeter Graffiti - Smythen Street

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Exeter Cathedral - Bishop Stafford

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One of the finest monuments in Exeter Cathedral lies between the Lady Chapel and the Chapel of St John the Evangelist. It is the monument to Bishop Stafford who died in 1419. His efffigy was placed in a later gilded monument with flying angels and inscriptions.

Some of the graffiti in the soft alabaster are centuries old.

Otterton

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Otterton is a delightful village not far from Sidmouth. It has lots of cob and thatch cottages and a delghtful mill (about which I shall blog later).

The village is located on the east bank of the River Otter about a mile inland of Ladram Bay, on the Jurassic Coast. It was first settled by the Saxons and because of its favourable location and rich resources was by 1000 AD the centre of one of the major rural communities in Devon.

Moth Trapping at Frog End

2010-09-02T23:10:00.027+01:00

Autumn Green Carpet

Some of the moth species we got when we ran the trap at Frog End on 29/30th August.

Brimstone

Common Quaker

Cypress Pug

Flame Shoulder

Setaceous Hebrew Character

Purple Clay

Foxglove Pug

And this Jersey Tiger came into the garden in the sunshine.

Exeter Cathedral - St James Chapel

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On 4th May 1942 a bomb landed on the Chapel of St James, destroying it completely. Exeter was bombed in retaliation for the bombing of Lubeck by the allies. When rebuilt the Chapel was the scene of an act of reconciliation with the President of that city.

The colours of the Devonshire an Dorset Regiment.

This candle burns to remind us of those members of the armed services serving abroad in places of danger in the cause of peace and justice.

Although the chapel was largely rebuilt as it had previously been a conemporary touch was the addition of a carving showing the master mason, George Down.

A carving at the side of the entrance arch depicts the then head verger's cat, Tom, who lost one eye in a fight with a rat.

The rat is depicted on the other side.

Sidmouth - Connaught Gardens

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Sidmouth's Connaught Gardens are very colourful and well-maintained. A real ribute to the local parks and gardens staff.

Sidmouth

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On Tuesday we went to Sidmouth. Part of the objective was to explore the rock pools but the tide was in - the web lied about the tide times.

This house on the cliff edge is a mere snip for £895,000. It probably is not as near the edge as it appears and the estate agent's website shows it has a fascinating interior. Nevertheless it's a bit too close to the drop for my liking.

Jacob's Ladder leads down from the clock tower to the beach.

Sidmouth lies within a wedge of the Otter Sandstone (245 - 235 million years old) exposed due to faulting to the west of the town that interrupts the general eastward dip of the rock layers on the Jurassic coast. Westward the Otter Sandstones disappear from the cliffs under Peak Hill replaced at beach level by the Mercia Mudstone group (235 - 204 million years old). Approaching Sidmouth from the west there is a fault that exposes the Otter Sandstones again and results in them suddenly appearing in the cliff face adjacent to the younger Mercia Mudstones. East of the town the eastward dip causes the Otter Sandstones to disappear again below beach level to be replaced by the Mercia Mudstones. Both sequences are red indicating they formed in an arid environment.

The Otter Sandstone at Sidmouth is particularly well known as a source of Rhynchosaur fossils. These strange creatures grew to about 2m, walked on four legs and fed on plants that grew in the sandy river plains. They are described as mammal-like reptiles and have no close relative today. Although the fossils of Rhynchosaurs are very rare important specimens have been collected form the Otter Sandstone at Sidmouth and Ladram Bay. The Otter Sandstone is regarded as a globally important site for Triassic fossils.

Pond Dipping

2010-09-01T16:13:00.001+01:00

Some of the creatures found while pond dipping at Frog End.

Tadpoles

Baby Newts

Water Slaters

Southern Hawker Dragonfly larva - of which there were many.

Another Hawker Dragonfly larva.

An unknown creature that looked like a sawfly larva.

Chudleigh Knighton Heath

2010-09-01T10:06:00.026+01:00

On Bank Holiday Monday we payed a visit to Chudleigh Knighton Heath.

As last time there were Zebra Spiders.

A Gatekeeper butterfly.

A Common Darter.

Stover Country Park

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And some more views from Stover Country Park.

A Brimstone butterfly.

Stover Country Park - Emerald Damselflies

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At Stover Country Park there were lots of Emerald Damselflies on the wing.

Stover Country Park - the aerial walkway

2010-08-31T18:43:00.000+01:00

Last year's visit to Stover Country Park also included photos of the aerial walkway, definitely one of the key attractions at the park. Gazing downamongst the tree canopy is very ineteresting.

Unfortunately my bird photos were hazey - which was a shame because they inckluded a Willow Tit, a species I haven't photographed before. An excuse for another visit next year...

There were also Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Greenfinches and Nutchatches on the aerial feeders.

Stover Country Park - bird hide

2010-08-31T15:43:00.000+01:00

Last year I blogged about visit to Stover Country Park. This year's visit was equally enjoyable and interesting, beginning at the bird hide which overlooks the lake.

Echinacea

2010-08-29T18:57:00.011+01:00

B & Q in Exeter had some lovely Echinacea on sale yesterday.

Woodbury Common

2010-08-29T08:50:00.001+01:00

On Saturday Helen and I had walk on Woodbury Common, part of the Pebbledbed Heaths (owned by the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust), some eight miles southeast of the city of Exeter. The view from the heath over to the sea is wonderful.

The highest point is Woodbury Castle, an Iron Age hill fort at approximately 185 metres (607 ft) above sea level, in a commanding position with views up and down the Exe Estuary and across Lyme Bay in both directions. The structure is a prehistoric military type of earthwork.

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)

Young Acorns on Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur )

Knopper Gall, caused by the gall wasp Andricus quercuscalicis, on Oak.

Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Heather (Erica vagans)

Blackberries (Rubus fruiticosus)

Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

Small Heath butterfly (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Fox Moth caterpillar (Macrothylacia rubi )

Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa)

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Venn Ottery Devon Wildlife Trust Reserve

2010-08-28T20:12:00.025+01:00

Next door to the RSPB Reserve (separated by a field which I have counted in this posting) is a Devon Wildlife Trust reserve.

Male Common Blue on Bird's-foot Trefoil.

Eyebright.

Keeled Skimmers - in the field that separates the two reserves.

Venn Ottery RSPB Reserve

2010-08-28T10:22:00.020+01:00

On Friday we had a walk in the sunhine on Venn Ottery Common RSPB reserve and then into the Devon Wildlife Trust's Venn Ottery reserve (about which more later).

Looking toward Tipton St John.

A Common Darter.

Rowan, also known as Mountain Ash.

A Fox Moth caterpillar.

Bracken.

Oak.

Buckfast Abbey gardens

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Hops.

In addition to its Lavender garden, Buckfast Abbey has a physic garden which includes various medicinal plants, food and herbs.

Fairmile Clock

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At Fairmile near Ottery St Mary there is this clock. It was erected in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamnd Jubillee.

Buckfastleigh Butterflies

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Just a few of the delightful butterflies and plants to be found in the Buckfastleigh Butterfly House.

Clipper butterflty.

An unknown species.

Lacewing.

Caterpillar of the Owl butterfly on a Banana tree.

A Malachite emerging from its cocoon.

Unknown plant.

Birthwort - a pitcher plant.

An Atlas moth with a wingspan of 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). They are considered to be the largest lepidopteran species in the world with a total wing surface area of around 400 sq cm or 65 sq inches. Atlas moth cocoons have been employed as purses in Taiwan.

A Citrus Swallowtail.

Buckfast Abbey Lavender Garden

2010-08-27T13:51:00.012+01:00

Buckfast Abbey has a lavender garden with an amazing number of species and varieties of Lavender.

The South Devon Railway

2010-08-27T11:49:00.000+01:00

On Thursday we went to Buckfastleigh - terminus of the South Devon Railway.

We didn't go specifically to see a train but one was kind enough to depart while we were there.

Devon Cheeses

2010-08-26T05:49:00.000+01:00

Ian took Helen and I to Otter Nurseries on Tuesday. Then we went next door to Joshua's harvest store. These splendid apple trees are outside in the garden/orchard.

While we were there I bought some local cheeses.

Curworthy Black Wax is produced by Curworthy Cheese at Stockbeare Farm in Jacobstowe, near Okehampton. The semi-hard cheese is made from full-fat, pasteurised Friesian cows’ milk. It has a light, buttery taste when young becoming more full-flavoured and mellow with age. No colouring or preservatives are added, except for salt. Matured for three months, the cheese is coated in black wax. It was very pleasant and reminded me of Gouda.

Meldon is also produced by Curworthy . The semi-hard cheese is made from full-fat, pasteurised Friesian cows’ milk and vegetarian rennet. The cheese is the same as Curworthy cheese but with the addition of English ale and mustard. Matured for three months, the cheese is coated in yellow wax. It was pleasant enough but I wouldn't rave over it.

Ticklemore is made by Robin Congdon who learned to make cheese in France, principally in the Roquefort style. His dairy sits above the valley of the Dart. Ticklemore is a gentle, very pale, goat’s milk cheese with a white bloomy rind. It is a peculiar UFO shape: an innovation of Robins is to mould the cheeses in colanders he used to get from Woolworth’s. The natural grey/white blooms on the crust form during the maturing process. The flaky pate has tiny eyelet holes scattered throughout and the taste is fresh, light and gentle. Perfect for cooking as well as part of the cheeseboard. The one we bought had added garlic and chive and was very tasty indeed.

The Kitchen at Frog End

2010-08-26T04:00:00.017+01:00

Helen and Ian's new kitchen and dining room is fantastic. Every bit as good as Helen's blog postings suggested and there seems so much more space. As yet I haven't taken any pictures that really do it justice. I find room interiors quite hard things to photograph successfully.

Escot Park

2010-08-26T00:27:00.011+01:00

On Tuesday afternoon we drove out to Escot Park near Ottery St Mary where we have booked a slot on a Beaver watch later in the week.

(With apologies to all arachnophobes!)

And apologies to all anatadaephobes as well...

Car Park

2010-08-25T20:21:00.000+01:00

It's amazing the difference a bit of decoration can make to what would otherwise be a boring concrete car park.

Frog End

2010-08-25T19:31:00.011+01:00

At Frog End both front and back gardens are looking great and the new greenhouse and the decking (in progress) are yet more tributes to Helen and Ian's hard work.

After lunch yesterday Helen showed me around the greenhouse.

Otter Nurseries

2010-08-25T15:04:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday we had a wander around Otter Nurseries where I photographed some Hibiscus.

The Alstroemeria were also beautiful and yet neither are plants I'd have at home.

Rougemont Castle

2010-08-25T10:20:00.000+01:00

This is the gatehouse of Rougemont Castle. It was built shortly after 1066 in the reign of Willam the Conqueror.

Rougemont Castle is the historic castle of Exeter.

The castle was first built in 1068 to help William the Conqueror maintain control over the city. It is perched on an ancient volcanic plug, overlaying remains of the Roman city of Isca Dumnoniorum. The castle is named after the red stone found in the hill, and used in the construction of the original buildings, of which only ruins remain.

On the castle wall.

One of the views from the castle walls, looking over Northernhay Gardens.

A Gallery in the Gardens

2010-08-25T09:14:00.001+01:00

Set among the flowers and shrubs in Rougemont and Northernhay Gardens this year are some artistic surprises - reproductions of eleven paintings from the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.

George Philip Reinagle (1802-1835)
A first rate man-of-war driving on a reef of rocks, and foundering in a gale, 1826.

Albert Charles Bown
Bedford Circus after the Blitz, 1942

Stanhope Alexander Forbes (1857-1947)
The 22nd January 1901 - Reading the news of Queen Victoria's death in a Cornish Cottage

As on my previous visits the gardens are in excellent condition with flowerbeds full of colour and not a single piece of litter to be seen - a real tribute to Exeter City Council's Parks and Open Spaces Department.

I'm Back...

2010-08-24T18:13:00.000+01:00

I'm back in Exeter. Been here 24 hours and only taken a hundred or so photos so far.... I guess there'll be some sorting to do before I do some blog posting.

Korean Fir (Abies koreana) - Bicton Park

2009-12-03T17:58:00.013Z

Bicton Park - The Tropical Hose

2009-11-28T17:53:00.000Z

Bicton Park Botanical Gardens is said to be Devon's most magnificent historic gardens, museum and children's play areas. It is at Budleigh Salterton, Devon. These photos are mostly from the -

St Martins Church

2009-05-26T15:26:00.006+01:00

St Martin's Church, built principally of Heavitree sandstone, stands close by the Cathedral in Exeter. It was consecrated on 6th July 1065 in the time of Edward the Confessor and a year before William of Normandy invaded England and took the throne from Harold Godwinson, King Harold II.

The church was dedicated to 'The Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Cross, and Mary Mother of Christ, and St. Martin, Bishop, and All Saints". That sounds to me like someone was covering all their bases and making sure they didn't offend anyone! A little of the original masonry exists in the walls of the nave.

The roof is a typical Devon waggon roof.

The altar rails - visible at the bottom of the above picture - have twisted balusters and were set close enough together to keep dogs from the altar, as prescribed by Archbishop Laud in the 1630s.

The monuments are a notable feature of the church and this one to Philip Hooper shows him kneeling at a prayer desk with a skull and a pile of books. More skulls are placed below the monument - all in all a fairly gruesome affair.

The windows all date from the 14th or 15th Centuries and the large window in the South wall of the nave is made of white Beer stone which was much used in the cathedral. The large windows fill the church with light - a sharp contrast to what one would expect from its cramped situation in the corner of the Cathedral precinct.
There is some medieval glass in the windows and the South window has the three shovellers heads of Bishop Lacy (1420-1455) who gave a window (presumably this one) to the church.

What a mess

2009-05-24T12:42:00.003+01:00

It is amazing how a simple notice can boost the image of an area - in this case the city centre in Exeter.

This tree is poorly. The root system can no longer sustain the crown. As a result it has been necessary to remove th grass from around its rootss. The area of ground looks a bit of a mess - but no worse than the 'grass' areas of many town centres.

Nevertheless, Exeter City Council, proud of their city centre have put this notice by the tree. It explains the situation and apologises. But in my view it does much more than that - it shows that Exeter cares - about its enviroment and about its residents and visitors.

Iris

2009-05-19T06:34:00.001+01:00

The Yellow Flag Irises are flowering in the South West Pond at Frog End.

I took a couple of photos and played with one to create a black and white picture. I do like the effect of black and white.

Cricklepit Mill

2009-05-18T00:09:00.012+01:00

At the kind invitation of Devon Wildlife Trust I had a trip around Cricklepit Mill near the Quay and a fascinating visit it was.

My guide explained the history of the mill and the fulling industry. Fulling was a finishing process in which the woven or knitted cloth was subjected to moisture, heat and friction causing it to shrink considerably in both directions and become compact and solid.

The Mill dates from mediaeval times, though much of the present building is 19th century, and there are records of mills on the site from the 13th century.

The mills - of which there were a number here at one time - were also used for grinding corn and this wheel powered two millstones which can still be operated thanks to the restoration work done by the Trust and its partners.

All the mill wheels are undershot - that is, the water flows underneath them rather than dropping onto them from above.

Some of the magnificent machinery.

Martin, the millwright, was working on restoring a third mill wheel while I was there.

This was the drying house. It has been reconstructed in such a way that the shape of the former building can be seen. The brick pillars represent where the wooden ones would have been. Between the pillars would have been space for the air to go through. Inside the building the tenterhooks can still be seen.

The modern part of the Trust offices stand on the site of the Mill owners cottage and its adjacent tenements. The roof is covered with turves of Sedum.

The cottage had access on the ground floor from the mill and the upper floor from Cricklepit Lane - this medieval street.

More detail about Cricklepit Mill can be found on Exeter Memories.

Around the West Gate

2009-05-17T10:40:00.000+01:00

All four of the gates in Exeter's walls went in the early nineteenth century but this is the site of the West Gate. It was successfully defended against attacks by rebels in 1549 and saw William of Orange enter the city with his army in 1688. It was demolished in 1813. The area would look a lot nicer without cars in the way but I suppose if I were in a car I'd be grateful for the parking.

The old city wall survives in many places around the centre and its height can be told by gauging it against such things as this lamppost. I wouldn't have liked to attack the city knowing I'd have to get over that height with people firing arrows or guns at me or dropping things onto me.

Nowadays one of its main attractions is the flowers that grow out of the cracks between the stones.

This is the Parish Church of St Mary Steps.

The church is situated in West Street and is noted for the ancient clock projecting from the tower with three figures popularly known as Matthew the Miller and his two Sons. The dial is embellished with designs representing the four seasons. Above the dial is an alcove containing three automatic figures; seated in the centre is a statue of Henry VIII [r. 1509-1547], and when the clock strikes the hours he inclines his head at each stroke. On each side of the central figure is a soldier with a hammer in one hand and a javelin in the other; beneath their feet are bells on which they strike the quarters with the hammers.

Next to the church is Stepcote Hill - the oldest surviving street in Exeter.

Its name comes from the Old English word for steep, rather than from step.

The hill had been used as the main route into Exeter from the river since Roman times. Strings of pack horses would bring wool and cloth up the hill from Cornwall and Plymouth.

It was also used by William of Orange and his troops in 1688. They were followed by a procession of almost 2,000 people.

If you need a drink when you get to the top of the hill you can call in at the Fat Pig.

I've seen fatter!

All this and a bookshop too!

At one stage this part of Exeter had the worst living conditions in SW England and you can learn more about Stepcote Hill at Exeter Memories. The site includes a photo from around 1900.

Eighteen months or so

2009-05-17T06:18:00.002+01:00

Helen and Ian moved into Frog End in September 2007.

This is the difference they have made to the back garden in that time.

September 2007

August 2008

May 2009

Two ponds, a lawn, fencing, flowerbeds, trees, vegetable garden - it's all a bit different, isn't it. Not bad for about 20 months when you bear in mind they've worked on the house as well.

Rambling at Frog-End

2009-05-16T10:40:00.009+01:00

Rambling at Frog-End.

Daughter-who-takes-photos is described by GB as Niece-who-loves-nature. One aspect of nature that she doesn't like is anything arachnological! So when she found a nest of 200 baby Garden Spiders she was kind enough to call me to photograph them but kept well clear herself.

One of the spells of sunshine on Saturday brought out some hoverflies. This is Episyrphus balteatus, a common species.

The clematis has had lots of flowers on for a while now - it is Clematis 'Pink Champagne'.

This Ichneumon fly was wandering over the Hydrangea searching for eggs or caterpillars in which to lay its own eggs. The sharp thing at its rear end is not a sting but an ovipositor for piercing things so as to lay its eggs inside them.

These Primula japonica are among the flowers helping to make the back garden look attractive at this time of year.

And the Sweet Rocket and Geums have just come out in the last week.

The House That Moved

2009-05-15T23:06:00.006+01:00

GB has blogged about people moving house in New Zealand on a couple of occasions. This is another house that moved. The House That Moved, looks like it has always been in its present position and is a favourite on the tourist itinerary.

Once known as Merchant House, it was in the way of a new road being built in Exeter in 1961 and was scheduled for demolition. It dated from about 1500, although some thought it may be as old as 14th century. It was certainly one of the oldest surviving houses in Exeter. In a poor state of repair, it didn't seem that important a loss to some people but with pressure from archaeologists, it was 'listed' just in time, as an important building of architectural and historic significance, and the demolition was halted. Exeter City Council, with help from the government decided to spend £10,000 to have the house moved out of the way of the new road.

A London company was contracted to move the house about 100 yards from its site on the corner of Edmund Street and Frog Street to a new position by the old West Gate. It took several weeks to prepare the house for the move - the timber framework of the house was criss-crossed with strengthening timbers and iron wheels placed at each corner attached to hydraulic jacks. No iron bolts, screws or supports were used against the original timbers, to prevent damage. The structure was top heavy, so during the move, the jacks would be used to ensure that it was always kept upright, with frequent checks made using spirit levels. During the move a mouse was seen wandering about in the timbers!

After its move it was occupied by an antique dealer, then a gem dealer and now it is a wedding dress shop. It has a rear kitchen, a first floor hall, or principal living room and on the top floor was the solar, or principal bedroom.

A visitor to Frog End

2009-05-15T12:46:00.003+01:00

Frog End has had a visitor for a couple of nights running. He has upset a few plant pots and knocked a few logs around.

Hopefully Helen and Ian will not mind that and think his visits are in a good cause - there are certainly fewer slugs around this morning.

Bishop Blaize

2009-05-15T00:56:00.005+01:00

Bishop Blaize is believed to have been a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia who was martyred under the reign of Licinius in 298 AD. He received a message from God to go into the hills to escape persecution. Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals who were sick. Blaize walked among the animals, curing them of their illnesses. Recognizing Blaise as a bishop, they captured him to take him back for trial. On the way back, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. When Blaize was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally Blaize was killed by the governor. He became the patron saint of clothworkers because it is alleged he was scourged with iron combs before being beheaded. He is also said to have saved a boy from choking and consequently is the relevant saint for throat ailments. The inn sign shows the Bishop holding a woolcomb, the symbol of his martyrdom.

This was the first public house to be built just outside the city walls and there has been a pub here in Commercial Road since 1327. The building looks like two terraced cottages with the higher leat running behind to Cricklepit Mill and, at one time, other fulling and gristing mills. Standing next to the drying racks for the woollen trade, the building was used in medieval times as a meeting place for the local mill owners. The lower leat used to run across the front of the building, and customers had to cross a small bridge to reach the entrance. The leat was covered over around the mid 1960s.

On Wednesday morning I was shown around the mill by a very helpful and knowledgeable young lady from Devon Wildlife Trust who mentioned, inter alia, the Bishop Blaize and it's connection with fulling. On the Internet I came across some information about the Bishop which also forms a nice link with the Trust. Blaize is the patron saint of wild animals because of his care for them.

Catholic.org suggests that to follow in his footsteps one could take time as Saint Blaize did to find out how you can help wild animals. Find out what is being done to support and protect the wildlife in your area. There is wildlife everywhere, even in cities. Even a birdfeeder can help God's creatures survive. Aternatively, you could join your local Wildlife Trust.

Along the River Exe

2009-05-14T12:52:00.020+01:00

Along the quayside and the river the cracks in the walls have plants sprouting from them and are a mass of colour. This is Ivy-leaved Toadflax.

I think this is a clover of some sort but I have yet to identify it.

These daisy-like flowers are Mexican Fleabane. It is abiundant around the quay area.

The water in the Exe is remarkably clear for such a big river.

This splendid Ceanothus was outside some flats on the waterside.

I wonder if there is a message in it?

This is Trews Weir on the River Exe.

Trews Weir Suspension Bridge was constructed in 1935 and in the 1990s it was re-furbished and re-opened to the public.

Looking back at the weir and quay.

Looking downriver from the bridge.

I crossed over the bridge and had a walk along the other bank - the canal side - for a while but decided the scenery had looked better on the Eastern side.

This is Water Speedwell (Veronica anagallis-aquatica).

I was really glad I had this spell on the Western side because otherwise I would have missed this potter or mason wasp (possibly Ancistrocerus antilope).

That's assuming you live to get fined!

I carried on walking down the riverside until I came to Belle Isle Park where this beautiful Weeping Willow was hanging over the water's edge.

Further along more willows, lime and hawthorn all overhung the water.

This is Comfrey. Once I made battered comfrey leaves, following a country recipe book I had. They tasted like furry dishcloths. not an experiment to be repeated.

This netting was placed around a swans nest but whether to protect the swans from people or vice versa was not clear. Sadly, a swan on a nest just down the river was attacked and killed by a bull terrier last week. That made the headlines in the Exeter newspaper - a bit different to the gang shootings that all too often are the headlines back home.

The swan had four eggs. According to a resident, out for a stroll, last year this nest had seven eggs but despite all seven hatching only one survived the first week. It is thought the others were killed by a Mink.

The cob was in close attendance on the river.

All in all a beautiful walk in ideal weather.

Exeter Quay

2009-05-14T00:19:00.012+01:00

Exeter has had a quay since Roman times. Despite rival traders at Topsham attempting to block the river in the 16th century to stop traffic reaching the city the quay successfully traded with the rest of world for hundreds of years.

Wool and cloth from the area was exported and this customs house was built in 1680. Imports included olive oil, wine and salt cod.

The Customs House can be seen on the right of this picture. It is one of the earliest brick buildings in Exeter and said to be the oldest customs house in the country. In the middle of the picture is the fish transit shed and on the right can be seen part of a sculpture made from machinery parts.

It was the arrival of the railways in the mid 19th century that saw the beginning of the end for the quay as a commercial venture. Nowadays the quayside is a tourist area of antique and craft shops and eateries, scattered with bits of machinery acting purely for decoration.

Outside the Customs House are a pair of cannons that were cast in 1796. You have to be next to them to appreciate the size of those things and to imagine the death they might have dealt in the Napoleonic Wars. In fact they were sent back from the Peninsular War as surplus to requirements and have never been fired.

By the Customs House is this delightful old bridge under which the Higher Leat flows into the Exe. Swans galore swim around here. I only realised afterwards that the home of the Devon Wildlife Trust is in a nearby building - Cricklepit Mill - this will be the subject of a separate posting.

This is the Wharfinger's House . It was built in 1778 as a residence for the wharfinger whose job it was to collect the wharfage fees.

This is Quay House which dates back to 1680 and was used to store wool and cloth before it was loaded onto boats.

The Prospect Inn on the quayside is in a part of Quay House and consequently dates back to the 17th Century.

This sign however may be rather economical with the truth since there has only been an inn using the building since the Fountain Inn was established there in 1830. One day I'll get all my photos in order and have a folder full of inn sign pictures. One day!

This is Cricklepit Suspension Bridge. It was built across the Exe in 1988.

I walked past the various craft businesses set along the quayside including this one whence came one of GB's chopping boards last year.

When I win the lottery I shall buy myself a coffee table, a mirror, a chopping board, a cheese board and anything else I can get from this place - they are all first class.

Some more photos of the quay can be found on one of my postings from last year.

Lots of information about the quayside and this area in general can be found on this website.

St Nicholas Priory - Exeter

2009-05-11T09:12:00.000+01:00

St Nicholas Priory

St Nicholas Priory was built in the 11th century on the orders of William the Conqueror. The part which survives today is just one side of what was a four sided Priory.

The priory was closed down by Henry VIII during the dissolution in 1536 and part of it was demolished. Local women attacked the men who demolished it.

After the religious building closed down this wing became a house. It was taken over by a local merchant, William Hurst, around 1580 in the time of Queen Elizabeth I.

After the Hurst family died out in 1604 the building fell into disrepair and it was rescued by Exeter City Council in 1913 and turned into a museum. In 2006 it closed for major repairs and re-opened last year.

St Nicholas Priory - the downstairs.

The Priory was lived in by 12 monks and this, the cellar, is probably the oldest room in Exeter. It was used to store food for the monks, their guests and to provide food and drink for the poor.

When the building was a Priory this room was probably just a simple room but when the Hursts lived here it became the parlour and is set out as it would have been in 1602.

The panelling and Elizabethan plaster- over-mantle are similar to how they would have been in the Hurst's day. The panelling was actually taken from a neighbouring property for installation in here when it became a museum. The panelling was painted by copying a pattern from another local property.

Elizabethan inventories (lists of goods attached to wills) from Exeter were used to decide what items to display on the dining table and elsewhere in the house.

If you want you can have a game of shovelboard (similar to shove ha'penny) while you are here.

This is the kitchen and it has two great hearths. One is for roasting food and the other for boiling food. The trestle table is set with medicines supposedly being created by Mary Hurst for her son, Nicholas, who was ill.

It probably looked pretty similar during the time of the priory as it did later, in the Hurst's time.

Whilst some of the equipment may look strange it has the same purpose as items in a modern kitchen - heating, storing, baking, preserving, chopping, weighing, pouring, mixing and serving.

Not many modern kitchen have a salt box for salting the meat to preserve it - like the hare hanging on the wall.

St Nicholas Priory - the upstairs

Like the downstairs, the upstairs is divided into different rooms. One of them - the great chamber - is very large and is the grandest room in the house. It was probably where the guests stayed when the building was a Priory.

William Hurst had a painted frieze running around the room and he painted around the windows.

The room never had a ceiling and you were meant to see the roof beams.

These shoes are made in the Tudor style but at least one pair was similar to ones I had when I was a child. (Mind you, that may say more about my age than about the unchanging styles of footwear!)

There were Tudor and Stuart chests all around this room and the carvings on them were attractive.

Next to the great chamber was this smaller room which was probably a luxury chamber when the building was a Priory as even then it had an en-suite! The Hursts added a plaster ceiling which curved under the beams but this has since disappeared. Around the walls are the remains of hooks on which would have hung cloth wall-hangings in Elizabethan times. The bed is an original Tudor one.

Whilst the en-suite was convenient it was probably rather smelly and the fact that the waste went down alongside the kitchen cannot have helped with sanitation.

If you are ever in Exeter I can thoroughly recommend calling in at the Priory and congratulate Exeter City Council and its partners in doing such a splendid job of making it come alive again.

In the garden at Frog End again

2009-05-11T04:09:00.006+01:00

The back garden at Frog End from the study window.

From the back door.

Where the patio will be; the kitchen garden and the greenhouse.

On Sunday there were three juvenile Goldfinches in the garden.

The juvenile lacks the colourful head of the adult bird.

It’s no use cheeping at me - I’m a baby too!

In the middle of the night on Sunday night / Monday morning I was at the back door having a quiet smoke when a Hedgehog emerged from right beneath my feet. Needless to say the camera was upstairs and by the time I had gone up for it there was no sign of her. I waited ages but there was no noise and they are loud and shuffley creatures so I suspect she had zoomed out at the bottom of the garden. Hedgehogs are always depicted as rolling into a ball when threatened but in my experience they just as frequently run away and they can get up a fair speed when they wish.

St Michael's and All Angels

2009-05-09T19:18:00.002+01:00

For the last 10 years the spire of St Michael's and All Angels Church on Mount Dinham, Exeter, to the west of the Guildhall shopping centre, has been a breeding site for a pair of Peregrine Falcons.

I watched for a while today but didn't manage to spot one.

Exeter Cathedral West Front

2009-05-09T18:58:00.004+01:00

The wonderful West front of Exeter Cathedral is being renovated bit by bit.

Time has taken its toll on the soft stone and many of the saints and angels are in need of repair.

A 'before and after' shot which shows how much skill the stonemasons are exhibiting.

Otter Nurseries

2009-05-08T05:11:00.009+01:00

A trip to Daughter-who-takes-photos would not be complete without a visit to Otter Nurseries. Usually I have seen it in the late summer so there was a different range of plants when we went last Wednesday.

Irises are among my favourite plants and they are one of the things I shall miss flowering in the garden while I’m down here in Devon and then up in the Hebrides.

There was a fine selection of Rhododendrons and Azaleas in flower.

An evergreen Clematis and a Clematis 'Wada’s Primrose' - a strange name for a white one!

Otter Nurseries also sell a wide variety of indoor plants including Phalaenopsis - supposedly one of the easiest Orchids to grow.

They have everything else you could need (or simply fancy) for your garden - including this cute character.

Friend-who-loves-Otters was admiring a bench that he thought he could make but then his eye was caught by another one with this on it. No contest!

This is a Gentian. I do find blue is the most difficult colour to reproduce most accurately with the camera. It rarely comes out as it was in real life and once you start playing with the colour of the photo the rest of the image is altered as well. One tip I learned some time ago is to photograph blue flowers in the shade as the blue is then truer to its real value.

This is the beautiful Iceland Poppy (Papaver nudicaule).

Damselflies

2009-05-05T21:05:00.001+01:00

There have been Large Red Damselflies emerging from Helen and Ian's ponds for a couple of weeks now.

And there are fat bodied aphids chomping their way through the Lupin leaves.

Bystock

2009-05-05T17:23:00.000+01:00

On Sunday afternoon we went through the lanes to Bystock Nature Reserve.

The water lilies in the pool have very large leaves and look beautiful in the sunshine.

The reserve is a mixture of boggy pools, heath and woodland.

The bog has boardwalks for ease of crossing and the Common Lizards use these for sunbathing.

Fern fronds emerging.

Just North of Bystock is a huge quarry.

A flock of gulls were sitting at the edge of one of its pools.

They suddenly took the air in a great disparate cloud.

Thanks as usual to Ian for his chauffeuring and to Helen for making it appear that photographing anything and everything is not totally daft!

Stover Country Park

2009-05-04T19:59:00.017+01:00

On Saturday afternoon we went to Stover Country Park.

This is a young Oak Apple Gall (Biorhiza pallida) on an Oak.

We walked around the lake. This is a Coot nesting on an artificial platform in the lake.

And a Great Crested Grebe on its nest.

I like it when Reserves have notice boards telling one of exceptional things to look out for at the moment.

We saw two pair of Great Crested Grebes nesting.

There are plenty of Mallard on the lake. I just love it when the sun catches the sheen on a duck's head.

A Mute Swan.

There is an excellent aerial walkway in the country park.

It takes one into the tree canopy with aerial views of the wildlife.

We saw Grey Squirrels feeding on the ground, birds on hanging bird feeders and a Brown Rat which was darting in and out of the undergrowth. The latter's fur looked remarkably red in the sunshine. It was quite strange seeing Grey Squirrels from this angle.

All along the walkway there are attractive sketches and sayings and informative drawings. Some of them are from children's sayings and drawings.

Hanging in a Beech tree in the canopy.

Round the edge of the lake are a number of smaller ponds.

This is the bus stop outside the park.