Devonshrre. (KELLY's • • in Bedford Circus Is a Bronze Statue
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
208 EXETER. • DEVONSHrRE. (KELLY'S • • In Bedford circus is a bronze statue,. on a granite pedestal, mansion called " Bedford House," taken down about 1773, 8 feet high, of the late Will1am Reginald, uth Earl of in which the Princess Henrietta Anne, 4th daughter of Devon, erected in 188o and executed by Mr. Stephens. Charles I. was born on the r6th June, 1644. A monumental 111haft of Dartmoor granite, 20 feet •high, Uongemont Castle, which stands on a red tgneons rocky was erected in 1909 to Exeter Protestant Martyrs at eminence, at the northern angle of the city wall, and about the junction .of Barnfield road and Denmark road; 200 feet above the sea level, was formerly a fortress of around the four sides of the column are large recessed considerable strength and importance: the structure was tablets, modelled and cast in bronze and raised in high rebuilt in the Norman period, but the existing remains relief, re:12resenting various incidents in the lives of consist only of the gateway, part of the walls and an the two martyrs. There are recreation grounds in the ancient tower near the gateway, now covered with ivy, Bonhay road, on the borders of the river Exe, and in and presenting an exceedingly picturesque appearance. Newtown, in the parish of St. Sidwell; the last, called On the south and south-east the castle ditch still "Belmont Pleasure Ground," is 5 acres in extent, and remains and is considered a very fine example of an was opened in July, 1886. The neighbouring streams ancient British earthwork. Within the precincts was afford abundance of amusement to the angler. the attached collegiate chapel of St. Mary, founded in The Miles' Memorial Drinking Fountain and Clock the r2th century, with four prebendaries, but no dean Tower, at the end of Queen street, erected by Mrs. W. or other head: the building-, consisting of chancel and Miles, in 1897-8, to comm~morate the 61st year of the nave, was destroyed in '1774• but the prebends were reign of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, and to per continued, till in r863 there were two only, and now but petuate th~ memory of the late William Miles esq. 1s a one, that of Carswell, remains. structure of Chndleigh limestone and red Corsehill stone, In the 16th and 17th centuries, the city was completely in the Renaissance style, from designs by Mr. T. A. surrounded with crenellated walls, forming a parallelo Andrews, .architect. The lower portion of the tDwer gram about half a mile in length from east to west, and forms the fountain, and has at the angles, four engaged three furlongs wide, the castle occupying an area about columns, which serve as ,standards for lamps ; on the t5o yards wide at the north angle ; there were also forti upper base of the tower are small cornices and carved fied gates at the principal points of the compass, another pediments supporting ·carved groups of sea-horses. On on the south-west, called "the water gate," and bastions the north and south sides are large drinking troughs for at intervals : in 1769 the north gate, a massive structure cattle, executed in granite. On the east is a fountain with a lofty turret on the west side, was taken down, for wayfarers, anci. on the west side is the door for access and in 1774 the donjon and sally-port of the castle, with to the tower. On the south side is an arched recess filled a tower gateway, the chapel, and castellan's house, were by a bronze commemoration tablet with inscription. On all destroyed, and in 1784 the east gate, rebuilt c. 1498, the opposite side are the donor's arms and motto. The which had huge flanking towers on the outside and a large main portion of the tower is circular with clustered square-- to*er within, also perished : the west gate was colnmns at the angles. The clock projects somewhat removed, together with the water gate, in r8r5, and in 1 bey(}nd the face of the shaft, and has four dials, each 4 r819 the south gate, which, like the east gate, had hnge feet 6 inches in diameter, and is surmounted by an oc towers on either side, and was the finest. of the series, tagonal cupola containing the bell upon which the clock was swept away ; of the walls, the greater part, in a more strikes, and the whole terminates in a wrought iron and or less perfect condition, still remains, and portions 11re copper vane. visible at many different points. The Buller Memorial, erected in .1905 in front of Bury Amonjf the distinguished natives of this place may be meadow, is an equestrian statue in bronze, by Adrian mentioned Bartholomew, bishop of Exeter (u62-84), Jones, of the late General Sir Redvers Duller V.C., Richard Blandy, bishop (1245-57), Waiter Bronescombe, G.O.B.~ G.C.M.G. mounted on .a granite pedestal; on bishop (r258-8o), Sir Thomas Bodley (r544-r6r3), Simon the panels are various inscriptions. The monument was Ocldey. professor of Arabic at Cambridg-e (r_678-I72o), unveiled by the 3rd Earl Fortescue, Lord Lieutenant of John Bridgman, bishop of Chester (r6rg-52); Tom Devon, 6th September, 1905. D'Urfey, dramatist and poet (r63o-r723), Lord Gifford, In addition to the religions communities previously Master of the Rolls (177o-r826), Sir Vicary Gibbs, chief noticed there were others ; the chief of these being th£> justice of the Common Pleas (1752-18r8), Peter, Lord Benedictine priory of St. Nicholas, originally an rtppendage King, Lord Chancellor (1669-1734), Sir W. Petre; to Battle Abbey, in Sussex, but refounded under a charter Cardinal Stephen Lang-ton, d. 1228; Princess Henrietta of William II. and made an independent house, though Anne, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans maintaining subsidiary relationship to Battle, from which (r644.:Jo), Richard! (the "Judicious") Hooker D.D. its priors were named, and under the full jurisdiction of (r553-16oo), to whose memory a life-sized marble the Bishops of Exeter. On the dissolution of tha. lesser monument, in sitting position, has recently been placed monasteries, it was surrendered in 153(i, by William 1\.. in the Cathedral close by Robert H, Hooker esq. a Cnllnmpton, then prior, the revenues being estimated a1. relative; Herman Merivale C.B., D.C.L. (1806-74), and £147• and the site and buildings were granted to Sir Edgar Bowring Stephens .A..R.A. sculptor (1815-82). Thomas Dennis knt. Portions of the fabric, some of The city still retains a few of the fine old houses which, Norman and others of very late date, still exist, and till about 1768. abounded ; one of these, formerly known part of the stte has been purchased by the Catholics. as "Mol's Coffee House," and erected about 1596, stands The Clnniac priory of St. James de Marisco, without in the Close, and has boldlylJrojecting lnty.s rising through the walls, was founded before II43 by Bald win de Redvers, three storeys and supporting an open gallery, behind 2nd Earl of Devon, generally _styled Earl of Exeter, and whirh is a fourth storey, with a voluted gable; the house was a cell to the abbey of St. Martin des Champs. at stands on the site of a college of Annnellors or Charity Tours, but the foundation included only a prior and four priPsts, and the cellar or undercroft. and some of the walls monks. of this colleg-e still exist in the basem~t of the present The Franciscans or Grey Friars were established in building-: the fraternity was _dissolved in I.'l47-8; Oft' the Exeter on a site in the north-west quarter of the city, near first floor is a. !fine oak-panelled room, the cornice of Snail Tower, between 1220 and 1240, but in 1287, Edmund which is adorned with 46 shields of arms, many repre (Plantagenet), Earl of Cornwall, translated the convent senting Knights of th{l Garter. The building was opened -to a fresh site without the south gate: in 1507, the firs' as a coffee house during the Commonwealth, by a man bnildin~s of the11e friars was granted to the city, and in named Mol, said to be an Italian, and continued to Rerve 1535, by order of Henry Vill. a sermon was preached by as such and as a club until 1829, whPn it was reopened Hugh Latimer, Bishop. of Worcester, afterwards mar. by John Gendall, as a fine art repo8itory, and is now oc tyred : this house was surrendered by its last warden, cupied by Messrs. Worth & Co. picture restorers; ill John Cardmaker, or Taylor, in 1538. In July, 1883, ex th~ High street are other good examples, one eavations on the later site yielded large quantities of of which, of the r7th centur'y, has been care human remains, and a ledger stone, inscribed to Brother fnllv restored, although the ground floor is modPrn· Roger Davnatt D.D. ob. 13 December,._ 1516. ised ; and some spPcimens will be found in Fore The Dominicans or Black Friars were settled here in street. In Bampfylde street is Bampfylde House, once 1258, by Sir 0. de Dyneham, and their monastery stood on the residence of the family of that name ; it has a court --the north side of the cathedral, but without the clese : yard with quaint entrance porch, and the interior includes the church of this house was the burial place of~ number a fine panelled room, with some good carving, ~md an .of distinguished personages, among these being, it is Plaborate chimney-piece with 8 quartered shield of the believed, JRmes de Andley, Baron.