Church and Religion

Timeline

Church and Religion Prehistory

Remains of human burials from the Bronze Age have been found near Exeter.

Church and Religion Roman Fortress

The legionary soldiers were pagans who worshipped many gods and goddesses. Evidence for their beliefs have been found from cremation burials. Several cremations were found outside the legionary fortress on the road to Topsham. The soldiers had been buried with many objects to use in the afterlife including pottery from southern France, gaming counters and rare Roman glass vessels, and metal figurines of goddesses and animals.

Church and Religion Roman Town

For most of the Roman period the people in Exeter worshipped a range of gods and goddesses. Several small statuettes representing these gods have been found from the Roman town. There is only very slight evidence of Christianity in the later Roman town. A single sherd of pottery has an early Christian symbol, a ‘Chi-Rho' monogram, scratched into the surface. It is the only evidence for Christianity in Roman Devon.

Church and Religion Dark Age Town

In the centre of Exeter, now apparently deserted, a burial ground came into use during the 5th century. It was probably a Christian cemetery. This area is now covered by the grass of the western side of Cathedral Close. In this same area a minster (monastery) was established by the late 7th century; here Boniface was educated around AD 680.

Church and Religion Saxon Town

The minster grew in size in the 10th and 11th centuries, rising to Cathedral status in 1050. During late Saxon times many small chapels came into existence in the town, which became the parish churches of the medieval city.

Church and Religion Norman Town

Following the Norman Conquest a massive church-building campaign was begun in England. In 1114, Bishop William Warelwast, nephew of the Conqueror, began an imposing new Norman cathedral. Although much of this was subsequently remodelled the two towers on each side of the transepts are the principal surviving monument of the Norman church in Devon.

Church and Religion Medieval City

Exeter's parish churches flourished in the Medieval period. The Cathedral also went through elaborate building programmes, such as that led by Bishop Grandisson in the 1340s. An image screen was added to the West end which including the figures of kings and knights. The work was brought to a halt by the Black Death.

Church and Religion Tudor City

The Reformation brought about enormous changes in Exeter society. St Nicholas Priory was dissolved in 1536, and soon after Henry VIII's commissioners organized the destruction of its church. In the early 1570s parish churches were required to replace their old medieval chalices, used in the Catholic mass, with communion cups for Protestant worship. Old silver chalices were melted down to make new vessels. The Exeter goldsmiths produced most of the new cups needed by the many hundreds of Devon parishes.

Church and Religion Civil War

After the cathedral's Dean and Chapter had been disbanded, the city chamber decided in the 1650s to pull down their medieval cloisters as they no longer served any purpose. The area was put to practical use by building a new cloth market in 1657. It consisted of long first-floor rooms supported by timber posts above an open ground floor.

Church and Religion Golden Age

The repression of religion during the Commonwealth was followed by a period of greater religious tolerance after the Restoration of Charles II. In Exeter congregations of Dissenters' gathered at meeting houses, such as the Bow Meeting, and the James and George Meetings.

Church and Religion Georgian City

Religious freedom allowed the church of St Nicholas in Mint Lane to become Exeter's first Roman Catholic church since the Reformation. Non-Conformist religions grew, such as the followers of Wesley and Joanna Southcott (1750-1814). She was a domestic servant in Devon who moved to Exeter aged 40 and started to receive her first visions. She later moved to London where her prophecies attracted a wide circle of followers.

Church and Religion Victorian City

In 1870-7 the distinguished architect George Gilbert Scott carried out a restoration of the interior of the cathedral; the final cost was £50,000. Scott cleared away most of the Stuart and Georgian furnishings, replacing them with works in medieval style, and cleaned the walls and vaults. He left the Cathedral essentially as it is today.

Church and Religion Modern City

The cathedral suffered a single direct hit during the Blitz of 1942, when the chapels flanking the south choir aisle were demolished. Fortunately the Bishop's Throne, a masterpiece of medieval woodwork which stood in the choir, close to the site of the blast, had been removed at the outbreak of the war.

Hoard of coins from the Valiant Soldier Inn site, Holloway Street
Sculpture of a bird
Marble portrait head
A soldier’s ring from Pennsylvania
A panther from Holloway Street
A lamp from Holloway Street
A Figurine of Victory from Holloway Street
Bronze Age Burial
Excavation of part of the Saxon minster
St Mary Major church
The first seal of the Cathedral Chapter
St Martin’s Church
The parishes of central Exeter
Late Saxon cross–shaft
A burial in Cathedral Close
Location of the Anglo–Saxon cemtery
The Broadgate statuettes
Figurine of a Dea Nutrix
Sherd with a Christian monogram
View of central Exeter from St Leonards
View of the south tower following recent repairs
Reconstruction of St Nicholas Priory, Exeter
The Undercroft of St Nicholas Priory
Reconstruction of the lavabo at St Nicholas Priory
Architectural fragment from St Nicholas Priory
Part of a Norman arch from the Norman House in Preston Street
A fragment of a Norman doorway
A fragment of a Norman arcade
St Mary Arches
Capital from the Black Lion Inn, South Street, Exeter
Fragments of a late Norman arcade
Casting a bell for Mary Major Church
The interior of Broadgate
Spreat’s view of Exeter Cathedral
The Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace
Exeter Cathedral
Carter’s drawing of the Cathedral west front (north end)
Reconstruction drawing showing the operation of the Catacombs
Carter’s drawing of the Cathedral west front (south end)
The Cathedral nave
The tomb of Bishop Stafford
The Minstrels’ Gallery
Bishop Marshall’s tomb
Mouldings in the Lady Chapel
The Bishop’s Throne
Architectural drawing of the cathedral choir
The Cathedral Choir
The Cathedral Chapter House
A boss from the Bishop’s Palace
Reconstruction view of the College of Vicars Choral
The College of the Vicars Choral in the late 19th century
A holy water stoup from the College of the Vicars Choral
Reconstruction view of the Annuellars’ College
The fireplace from the Precentor’s house, Cathedral Close
Detail of an angel from the Chantry fireplace
The initials of John Coombe from the Chantry fireplace
A view of the guest hall at St Nicholas Priory
A view of the guest hall at St Nicholas Priory around 1900
Polsloe Priory
Reconstruction view of the west range of Polsloe Priory
View of the kitchens at Polsloe Priory under excavation
Two late 13th–century finger rings worn by nuns
Seal of Prior Thomas Dene
An angel in alabaster
The medieval vestment from St Mary Arches church
Crucifixion scene from the St Mary Arches vestment
Detail showing St Paul from the St Mary Arches vestment
Old Heavitree Church
St Leonard’s Old Church
Head in Beer stone
Glass panel of an angel by the Exeter Cathedral Master
The face of the angel
The feet of the angel
A bell cast by Robert Norton of Exeter
The founder’s mark on the bell cast by Robert Norton
Fragment of a knight’s tomb, Greyfriar’s church
A fragment of a Valencian lustreware dish
Joanna Southcott’s quilt
A gold ring from Flowerpot
An alabaster panel
St Loyes Chapel
Animal bones from Polsloe Priory
The hall of the Vicars Choral
The demolition of St Nicholas Priory
An Elizabethan Communion cup and cover
Perspective painting of the reredos of Exeter Cathedral in the 1630s
The Matthew the Miller clock, St Mary Steps church
The dial of the Matthew the Miller clock
The figure of ’Matthew the Miller’
The engraving and marks on the Bow Meeting dish
The alms dish of the Bow Meeting
William Peckitt’s Great West Window at Exeter Cathedral
The Cathedral Cloisters before clearance
The Cathedral Cloisters after clearance
Cathedral Close before improvements
View of Cathedral Close
Miles Coverdale medal (obverse)
Miles Coverdale medal (reverse)
St David’s Church
The Bedford Chapel
Exeter’s first Roman Catholic church
The Joanna Southcott beakers
The Cathedral Close cemetery
Baptist’s cups
A Communion flagon
Bust of Richard Vivian
The tankard of the Vicars Choral of Exeter
’The Last Judgement’ by John Weston of Exeter
A panel from William Musgrave’s tomb
The cloth market in the cathedral cloisters
The interior of the Cathedral quire before Scott’s restoration
The interior of the Cathedral quire after Scott’s restoration
A group of four floor tiles from the cathedral
The church of Allhallows–on–the–Walls
View of St Michael’s church
St Matthew’s church
The Exeter Diocesan Training School
The interior of the St Luke’s College chapel
A Victorian Sunday School medal
Glass from the hospital chapel
Damage to the cathedral
Exeter Cathedral and the Close in 1943
The Cathedral Close in the 1950s
Design for the ceiling of the chapel of the University of Exeter
A Roman lamp from Lion’s Holt
Coin of Nero found in Alphington Road (obverse)
Coin of Julius Caesar found at Hamlin Lane allotments
Location plan of the Exeter fortress and annexes, and Valiant Soldier cemetery site
A soldier’s burial goods, from Holloway Street
A soldier’s burial goods from Holloway Street
A soldier’s burial goods from Holloway Street
A blue glass jar from a soldier’s burial
A blue glass jar from a soldier’s burial
Coin of Nero found in Alphington Road (reverse)
Coins of Trajan
A Roman coin from Cowick Fields (obverse)
A Roman coin from Cowick Fields (reverse)
Roman coin found in Union Road (obverse)
Roman coin found in Union Road (reverse)
Reconstruction of the appearance of the Norman cathedral
The groin–vaulted cellar room at St Nicholas Priory
A detail of a scalloped Norman capital
Two shaft fragments from the cloister of St Nicholas Priory
Norman capital from the St Nicholas Priory lavabo
Daniel King’s view of Exeter Cathedral
Daniel King’s view of the West Front at Exeter Cathedral
The development of Exeter Cathedral
Measured drawing of Exeter Cathedral’s West Front
Sculptures in the West Front of Exeter Cathedral
The quarries supplying Exeter Cathedral
Measured drawing of Exeter Cathedral
Decorated window tracery at Exeter Cathedral
Decorated window tracery at Exeter Cathedral
Tracery patterns in the choir at Exeter Cathedral
Elevation drawing of Exeter Cathedral choir
Exeter Cathedral nave from the high vaults
The geology of a bay of Exeter Cathedral
Sculpture of the Annunciation at Exeter Cathedral
Medieval floor tiles in Exeter Cathedral
Archaeological study of the high roofs at Exeter Cathedral
Dendrochronology in progress at Exeter cathedral
The roof of Exeter Cathedral Chapter House
The vault of Exeter Cathedral’s nave
The timber vault in Exeter Cathedral
The timber vault in Exeter Cathedral
Measured drawing of the north tower vault
The floor above the vault in the Cathedral’s north tower
The Dean and Chapter’s fire engine
The development of the nunnery of Polsloe Priory
Timber screen at Polsloe Priory
Fragment of a sculpture of the Virgin and Child
St Petrock’s church
Archaeological survey of St Petrock’s church
Misericord showing a woman picking nits from her daughter’s hair
Seal of Topsham
Detail of the Hogenburg Map showing the Cathedral
Elizabethan wall painting at St Nicholas Priory
The ‘Tudor Room’ at St Nicholas Priory
View of the Matthew the Miller clock before restoration
JL Pearson’s cloister at Exeter Cathedral
The lierne vault of JL Pearson
Guy Fawkes night at Exeter Cathedral
St Luke’s campus of the University of Exeter
View of Exeter from St Leonard’s churchyard
The seal of John Bull, Archdeacon of Barnstaple
Stoke Canon charter