Explorations in Exeter

Sunday 15 November - Drove to Exeter to see the famous cathedral. It is a very eclectic cathedral with Norman and medieval elements as well as Victorian and modern day renovations and additions. The town itself has lots of delightful old timber-frame buildings but is plagued with modern and mainstream shops. After exploring the Cathedral and a bit of the town we had a lovely lunch overlooking the cathedral and its green then joined a free tour of the Cathedral close. The tour was very interesting and informative despite covering only a small area around the cathedral. We learned about the sundial on opposite the cathedral which has no 9 as the sun does not shine on it at 9 because the cathedral blocks it. We also saw the corbels on the cathedral one depicting the stonemason's daughter and another depicting Bruce the famous pipe-smoking dog, complete with pipe. The Cathedral had one of the first clocks in the country and has nearly always had a cat on the payroll to control the rodent population; consequently it is thought to be the inspiration for the nursery rhyme, "hickory dickory dock". Exeter also boasts the smallest street in England, based on the original lines of a Saxon street and measuring only 25 inches at one entrance but is still technically a street because it a. has a street lamp and b. has doors which open onto it. After the tour we visited the ruins of the norman castle before getting back into the car and heading back to Bristol.