City of Exeter
Clockwise: The Cathedral, The Clock Tower, Devon County Hall, Cathedral Close, The Iron Bridge.
Official logo of City of Exeter City Council's Coat of Arms
Motto: Semper fidelis
The District of Exeter shown within Devon
Coordinates: 50°43′18.48″N 3°32′1.02″W / 50.7218°N 3.5336167°W / 50.7218; -3.5336167Coordinates: 50°43′18.48″N 3°32′1.02″W / 50.7218°N 3.5336167°W / 50.7218; -3.5336167
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Ceremonial and shire county	Devon
City status	Time immemorial
Non-metropolitan district	1974
Government
• Type	Exeter City Council
• Lord Mayor	Stella Brock
• Members of Parliament	Ben Bradshaw Hugo Swire
• HQ	Civic Centre, Paris Street
• Wards	18
• UK Parliament	Exeter East Devon
Area
• Total	18.4 sq mi (47.6 km2)
Population (2010 estimate)[1]
• Total	119,600
• Density	6,630/sq mi (2,561/km2)
• Demonyms	Exonian
• Ethnicity (2001)[2]	97.64% White 94.74% White British 0.60% White Irish 2.30% Other White   0.66% Asian 0.26% Indian 0.06% Pakistani 0.13% Bangladeshi 0.21% Other Asian   0.20% Black 0.06% Black Caribbean 0.13% Black African 0.02% Other Black   0.83% Mixed 0.16% White & Black Caribbean 0.10% White & Black African 0.32% White & South Asian 0.26% White & Other   0.67% East Asian and Other 0.34% Chinese 0.33% Other
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
• Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Postcode district	EX1-6
Area code(s)	01392
Website	www.exeter.gov.uk

Exeter (ⁱ/ˈɛksɨtər/ EK-si-tər) is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the County Council. The city is on the River Exe, about 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Plymouth, and 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Bristol. According to the 2001 Census, its population in that year was 111,076, while the mid-2010 estimate was 119,600.^[3]

Exeter was the most south-westerly Roman fortified settlement in Britain. Its Exeter Cathedral, founded in the early 12th century, became Anglican at the time of the 16th century Reformation.

Exeter has been identified as one of the top ten most profitable locations for a business to be based.^[4] The city has good transport links, with Exeter St David's railway station, Exeter Central railway station, the M5 motorway and Exeter International Airport connecting the city both nationally and internationally. Although a popular tourist destination, the city is not dominated by tourism.

History[link]

Prehistoric and Roman times[link]

The favourable location of Exeter, on a dry ridge of land ending in a spur that overlooks a navigable river that was teeming with fish, and with fertile land nearby, suggests that it would have been a site that was occupied early.^[5] The discovery of coins dating from the Hellenistic period in the city indicates the existence of a settlement that was trading with the Mediterranean region as early as 250 BC.^[6]

The Latin name for Exeter, Isca Dumnoniorum ("Isca of the Dumnones or Devonians"), suggests that the city was of Celtic origin. This oppidum, (a Latin term meaning an important town), on the banks of the River Exe certainly existed prior to the foundation of the Roman city in about AD 50, however the name may have been suggested by a Celtic adviser to the Romans, rather than by the original inhabitants of the place.

An illustration of Exeter in 1563, entitled Civitas Exoniae (vulgo Excester) urbs primaria in comitatu Devoniae

Such early towns, or proto-cities, had been a feature of pre-Roman Gaul as described by Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico ("Commentaries on the Gallic Wars"), and it is possible that they existed in neighbouring Britannia as well. Isca is derived from a Brythonic Celtic word for flowing water, which was given to the Exe and, elsewhere, to the River Usk on which Caerleon in Monmouthshire stands. This element is clearly present in the Modern Welsh names for Exeter (Caerwysg) and the River Exe (Afon Wysg). The Romans gave the city the name Isca Dumnoniorum in order to distinguish it from Isca Augusta, modern Caerleon. Excavations in the 1970s and 1980s established the presence of a Roman military fortress at Exeter (constructed around AD55) almost certainly for Legion II Augusta. In 2010 part of a Roman military works depot and supply base was excavated at the St Loyes site on Topsham Road; it lay on the line of the Roman road between the fortress at Exeter and a small fort at Topsham.

Significant parts of the Roman wall remain, though most of the visible structure is later. Most of its route can be traced on foot. A substantial Roman baths complex was excavated in the 1970s,^[7][8] but because of its proximity to the cathedral, it was not practicable to retain the excavation for public view. Exeter was also the southern starting point for the Fosse Way Roman road.

More than 1,000 Roman coins have been found in the city indicating its importance as a trading centre. The dates of these coins suggest that the city was at its most prosperous in the first half of the fourth century. However, virtually no coins dated after AD 380 have been found, suggesting a rapid decline.^[9]

After the Romans left Britain in the early 5th century nothing is known of Exeter for about 270 years, until around 680 when a document about St Boniface reports that he was educated at the Abbey in Exeter.^[10]

Celtic & Saxon times[link]

Exeter in 1844. A print by William Spreat showing St David's shortly after its consecration in 1844

The Saxons arrived in Exeter after defeating the Britons at the Battle of Peonnum in Somerset in 658.^[11] It is likely that amongst the ruins of the Roman city there was plenty of room for both peoples, and the Saxons allowed the Britons to continue to live in their own quarter of the city under their own laws. This was almost certainly in the same area as the ancient British settlement—in the locality of the present-day Bartholomew Street.^[12] Until 1637 this street was known as Britayne in memory of the fact that it was once the British quarter.^[13]

In 876 Exeter (then known as Escanceaster)^[14] was attacked and briefly captured by the Danes. Alfred the Great drove them out the next summer,^[15] and in the following years made Exeter one of the four burhs in Devon, repairing the Roman city walls in the process.^[16] In 893 the city held off another siege by the Danes.^[16]

In about 928 King Athelstan caused the walls to be thoroughly repaired and at the same time drove out the Britons from the city.^[15] It is not known whether or not these Britons had lived in the city continuously since Roman times—they may have been immigrants from the countryside when Alfred made the city a burh.^[17] According to William of Malmesbury, they were sent beyond the River Tamar, thereby fixing that river as the boundary of Devonshire, though Athelstan may have been restoring an old Dumnonian boundary.^[18] The quarter vacated by the Britons was then apparently adapted as "the earl's burh", and was still named Irlesberi in the 12th century.^[15]

In 1001 the Danes again failed to get into the city, but they were able to plunder it in 1003 because they were let in, for unknown reasons, by the French reeve of Emma of Normandy, who had been given the city as part of her dowry on her marriage to Æthelred the Unready the previous year.^[15]

Medieval times[link]

In 1067, possibly because Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, mother of King Harold, was living in the city, Exeter rebelled against William the Conqueror who promptly marched west and laid siege. After 18 days William accepted the city's honourable surrender in which he swore an oath not to harm the city or increase its ancient tribute. However, William quickly arranged for the building of Rougemont Castle to ensure the city's compliance in future. Properties owned by Saxon landlords were transferred into Norman hands, and on the death of Bishop Leofric in 1072, the Norman Osbern FitzOsbern was appointed his successor.^[19]

In 1136, early in the Anarchy, Rougemont Castle was held against King Stephen by Baldwin de Redvers. Redvers submitted only after a three month siege, not when the three wells in the castle ran dry, but only once the large supplies of wine in the garrison that they were using for drinking, baking, cooking and for putting out the fires started by the besiegers, were exhausted.^[20]

The city held a weekly market for the benefit of its citizens from at least 1213, and by 1281 Exeter was the only town in the south west to have three market days per week. There are also records of seven annual fairs, the earliest of which dates from 1130, and all of which continued until at least the early 16th century.^[21]

Tudor and Stuart times[link]

Plaque on St Mary Steps Church commemorating the old West Gate and some of the military campaigns in which it featured

In 1537, the city was made a county corporate. In 1549 the city successfully withstood a month-long siege by the Prayer Book rebels. The Livery Dole almshouses and chapel at Heavitree were founded in March 1591 and finished in 1594.

The city's motto, Semper fidelis, is traditionally held to have been suggested by Elizabeth I, in acknowledgement of the city's contribution of ships to help defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588;^[22] however its first documented use is in 1660.

Exeter was at first a Parliamentary town in the English Civil War in the largely Royalist South West, but it was captured by the Royalists on 4 September 1643, and it remained in their control until near the end of the war, being one of the final Royalist cities to fall into Parliamentary hands. During this period, Exeter was an economically powerful city, with a strong trade of wool. This was partly due to the surrounding area which was "more fertile and better inhabited than that passed over the preceding day" according to Count Lorenzo Magalotti who visited the city when he was 26 years old.^[23] Magalotti writes of over thirty thousand people being employed in the county of Devon as part of the wool and cloth industries, merchandise that was sold to "the West Indies, Spain, France and Italy".^[24] Celia Fiennes also visited Exeter during this period, in the early 1700s. She remarked on the "vast trade" and "incredible quantity" in Exeter, recording that "it turns the most money in a week of anything in England", between £10,000—£15,000.^[25]

Georgian and Victorian times[link]

The High Street ca. 1895

Early in the Industrial Revolution, Exeter's industry developed on the basis of locally available agricultural products and, since the city's location on a fast-flowing river gave it ready access to water power, an early industrial site developed on drained marshland to the west of the city, at Exe Island. However when steam power replaced water in the 19th century, Exeter was too far from sources of coal (or iron) to develop further. As a result the city declined in relative importance, and was spared the rapid 19th century development that changed many historic European cities. Extensive canal redevelopments during this period further expanded Exeter's economy, with "vessels of 15 to 16 tons burthen [bringing] up goods and merchandise from Topsham to the City Quay".^[26]

In 1832, the pestilence cholera, which had been erupting all across Europe had reached Exeter. The only known documentation of this event was written by Dr Thomas Shapter, one of the medical doctors present during the epidemic.^[27]

The first railway to arrive in Exeter was the Bristol and Exeter Railway that opened a station at St Davids on the western edge in 1844. The South Devon Railway Company extended the line westwards to Plymouth, opening their own smaller station at St Thomas, near the lower end of Fore Street. A more central railway station, that at Queen Street, was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1860 when it opened its alternative route to London. Butchers Lloyd Maunder moved to their present base in 1915, to gain better access to the Great Western Railway for transportation of meat products to London

Wartime and post-war times[link]

Exeter was bombed by the German Luftwaffe in the Second World War, when a total of 18 raids between 1940 and 1942 flattened much of the city centre. In 1942, as part of the Baedeker Blitz and specifically in response to the RAF bombing of Lübeck, forty acres (160,000 m²) of the city, particularly adjacent to its central High Street and Sidwell Street, were levelled by incendiary bombing. Many historic buildings were destroyed, and others, including the grand Cathedral of St Peter in the heart of the city, were damaged.

Large areas of the city centre were rebuilt in the 1950s, when little attempt was made to preserve Exeter's ancient heritage. Damaged buildings were generally demolished rather than restored, and even the street plan was altered in an attempt to improve traffic circulation. The post-war buildings are generally perceived as being of little architectural merit, unlike many of those that they replaced, such as Bedford Circus and a section of the ancient city wall.

Despite some local opposition,^[28] the Princesshay shopping centre has been redeveloped between the Cathedral Close and the High Street. The development was completed and opened on time on 20 September 2007.^[29][30] There are 123 varied residential units incorporated into the new Princesshay.^[31]

In order to enable people with limited mobility to enjoy the city, Exeter Community Transport Association provides shopmobility^[32] for use by anyone suffering from short or long-term mobility impairment to access to the city centre and shopping facilities, events and meetings with friends and company.

Previously regarded as second only to Bath as an architectural site in southern England, since the 1942 bombing and subsequent reconstruction Exeter has been a city with some beautiful buildings rather than a beautiful city. As a result, although there is a significant tourist trade, Exeter is not dominated by tourism. In May 2008 there was an attempted terrorist attack on the Giraffe cafe in Princesshay.

Governance[link]

The Exeter Crown and County Courts Building.

Exeter Civic Centre

Exeter is in two parliamentary constituencies, the majority of the city is in the Exeter constituency but two wards (St Loyes and Topsham) are in East Devon. Exeter itself is relatively marginal, and since World War II its Member of Parliament has usually been drawn from the governing party. The Exeter MP is Ben Bradshaw and Hugo Swire represents East Devon. Exeter is part of the South West England European constituency, which elects 6 MEPs.

Exeter's city council is a district authority, and shares responsibility for local government with the Devon County Council. In May 2012 Labour became the majority party on the council. Exeter City Council's bid for the city to become a Unitary Authority was initially approved by ministers in February 2010. A judicial review was called by Devon County Council and the Court held that the Minister had acted unlawfully in granting Unitary status to Exeter at the same time, however, following the 2010 general election the new government announced in May 2010 that the reorganisation would be blocked.^[33][34]

From Saxon times, it was in the hundred of Wonford.^[35] Exeter has had a mayor since at least 1207 and until 2002, the city was the oldest 'Right Worshipful' Mayoralty in England. As part of the Queen's 2002 Golden Jubilee celebrations Exeter was chosen to receive the title of Lord Mayor. Councillor Granville Baldwin became the first Lord Mayor of Exeter on 1 May 2002 when Letters Patent were awarded to the city during a visit by the Queen. The Lord Mayor is elected each year from amongst the 40 Exeter city councillors and is non-political for the term of office.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have their headquarters based at Middlemoor in the east of the city.

Public services[link]

Home Office policing in Exeter is provided by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.

The fire service is provided by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, which is headquartered at Clyst St. George near Exeter. It has two fire stations located at Danes Castle and Middlemoor.

The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust has a large hospital located to the south east of the city centre. Ambulance services in Exeter are provided by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The West Trust Divisional HQ and 999 control is in Exeter which provides cover for Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and the Isles of Scilly.

Geography[link]

The River Exe

The city of Exeter was established on the eastern bank of the River Exe on a ridge of land backed by a steep hill. It is at this point that the Exe, having just been joined by the River Creedy, opens onto a wide flood plain and estuary which results in quite common flooding. Historically this was the lowest bridging point of the River Exe which was tidal and navigable up to the city until the construction of weirs later in its history. This combined with the easily defensible higher ground of the ridge made the current location of the city a natural choice for settlement and trade. In George Oliver's The History of the City of Exeter, it is noted that the most likely reasons for the original settling of what would become modern Exeter was the "fertility of the surrounding countryside" and the area's "beautiful and commanding elevation [and] its rapid and navigable river".^[36] Its woodland would also have been ideal for natural resources and hunting.

Exeter sits predominantly on sandstone and conglomerate geology, although the structure of the surrounding areas is varied.^[37] The topography of the ridge which forms the backbone of the city includes a volcanic plug, on which the Rougemont Castle is situated. The Cathedral is located on the edge of this ridge and is therefore visible for a considerable distance.

Climate[link]