Thursday 26 October 2017

Goat Island, World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast, Devon



This enchanted place came into existence during what is known as the Great Landslip, when on Christmas Eve 1839 a huge chunk of the coastline broke away and slid towards the sea, leaving a massive chasm between it and the land. It quickly became famous, attracting many sightseers, and was especially noted as the first natural event to be studied and described by scientific means. William Conybeare and William Buckland, eminent scientists of the day, were on hand to observe, explain and provide insights, which are still useful to current research today.


The geology of this area consists of slopes of greensand and chalk on top of clay. Known as a blockslide, the landslip was formed by excessive rainfall lubricating the join between the clay and greensand, enabling the top layers to slide. This particular area comprised 15 acres and weighed an estimated 8 million tons. The front edge of the landslide was uplifted out of the sea and formed a reef, although it only lasted for a short while. At the time, however, consideration was given as to whether it could provide a port for the Royal Navy.



Goat Island became a huge attraction. It had been part of a wheat field and on the following year, in August, a ceremonial harvest was held. A procession was led by four young maids in white dresses and carrying gold-painted sickles adorned with ribbons, followed by a brass band. The corn was cut (no doubt helped by refreshment from good Devon cider) and much of the crop was sold as souvenirs. Many people visited by paddle steamer, and thousands of visitors came to walk and see the unusual landscape, including Queen Victoria. Music was written about it and many delightful prints and engravings were made, providing a valuable record of how it looked at that time.



Today, it is quite isolated. It can be seen, in part, from the Undercliff path, but the access isn't generally known about, or part of the 'tourist trail'. Now very overgrown, it's a fairly strenuous walk to get to, but quite short, and once there it's a glorious haven with amazing views of the sea, Beer Headland, the coastline and the chasm...although only the treetops can be seen now instead of the dramatic landscape after the landslip occurred.



  Fantastic views.



Managed by Natural England, the grass is given an annual crop...much like the original crop of 1840, although there is no wheat there now.



Like the rest of the Undercliff it has its own micro-climate, and because it's pretty isolated various rare plants thrive there, including several varieties of orchid, along with a plethora of meadow wildflowers.



I took these photos in June 2007 when I had a walk there with my friend who lives in the village of Axmouth. Interestingly, she told me that the guitarist John Renbourn named one of his compositions after Goat Island, which he knew about through regular visits to a musician friend of his who also lives in the village. I once met John when he was part of the group Pentangle, at a very early pop festival held in the grounds of Woburn Abbey (1969 I think). After the first day, my friends and myself bought drinks at a local pub, and as the pub was packed we took our pints to a small courtyard behind the building where we found the group. Two of my friends were excellent guitar players and they had a jam session with John and the others. I can't remember if I had my guitar with me or not, but in any case I certainly wasn't up to their level then to join in! Happy days. :)


 
Although not actually on Goat Island itself, this lovely old stile overgrown with wild honeysuckle is on the walk there.







West of England Eye Infirmary, Exeter, Devon



How I came across the building was one of those odd coincidences that just can't be made up. I had an appointment to attend the actual eye infirmary clinic, which is now situated in the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital. Having time to spare until my bus journey home, I decided to go and look for the Jewish Cemetery, which I once came across many years ago (see the previous post for the cemetery).


Having researched its location to be in Magdalen Road, I walked down there, found it and took some photos. I saw this building, wondered what it was and had a wander along the road. Accosting a friendly local lady, I asked her if she knew what this was. Imagine my surprise when she told me that it used to be the eye infirmary!

  
This particular building was begun in 1901, although the original West of England Eye Infirmary was first built in 1808, being the only second eye hospital in Britain, and the first one in the South West. The original building was in Holloway Street, and was then moved to this site in Magdalen Street in 1813. After having been enlarged and extended, it was finally demolished to make way for this new building.

The eye infirmary was closed in 1992 and the clinic was transferred to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital in Barrack Road, Heavitree.



At one stage it became part of Exeter University for a while. It was eventually sold on to become the Hotel Barcelona; the building then refurbished to become a 42 room hotel with the addition of a modern architecture bar constructed in glass and steel, and subsequently opening in 2001. Apparently, many of the original features had been retained within the building.


However, it closed its doors in December 2008 for further refurbishment. This was meant to be for a period of 12 months in order to carry out extensive refurbishment and extension work, following a successful planning application. These photos were taken in November 2009, shortly before it was due to be re-opened. Fortunately, it looks as though the exterior of the building, at least, has been retained in its original form. The green hoarding was there temporarily during renovations of course, but I rather like the colour against the sun-drenched orange of the red brick.


A Grade II listed building, it was built between 1902 and 1908 in the Baroque Revival style to the designs of Alfred Brumwell Thomas, and was constructed using dark red brick with ashlar stone dressings and stone banding/string courses. The chimney stacks echo the design of brick banded with stone, contrasting nicely with the slate roof.


All the original windows remain, most of which still retain their original small-pane sashes. The north entrance is flanked by shallow turrets topped with elaborate domed stone finials, between which there is a tall freestanding stone plaque with pilasters and a scrolled pediment inscribed "The West of England Eye Infirmary, rebuilt 1901".

Interestingly, the curved sweep of the brickwork either side of the central plaque is echoed beautifully by the curved brick walls surrounding the entrance courtyard.



The main, central doorway is in a recessed porch with this rather grand segmented-headed archway with a keystone and moulded eared architrave, with smaller versions of the same architrave around the ground floor windows.


And finally, this lovely obelisk finial on top of the gateposts.






 

Monday 23 October 2017

Jewish Cemetery, Exeter, Devon



The Jews cemetery is situated at Bull Meadow just below Magdalen Road, opposite Wynards Almshouses and a short distance outside the city wall. I first came across this cemetery in 1991, when a friend who was giving me a lift home had to make a stop nearby. I had some time to walk around and found the cemetery, which was very overgrown and looked abandoned, but quite entrancing. I had no idea where I was at the time, but having been reminded of it in 2009 I found its whereabouts with the use of maps and research and decided to pay it another visit.


I was surprised at how different it looks to how I remember it, which I put down to the vaguaries of memory, and because it has since been well cared for. However, I later discovered that there was another reason...more about that later! A delightful place although, unfortunately, not accessible for a wander around.


After the Jews were expelled from England in the late 13th century, it wasn't until the 18th century when the Hanoverians had acceded to the throne that Jews of German origin began to settle in Exeter. Thirty-three years later the Jewish community took out a lease of the burial ground in 1757. The Synagogue was later built on land leased in Mary Arches and subsequently consecrated in 1764, and is the third oldest Synagogue in Britain. 


The first lease for the plot was issued for 99 years within the traditional Devonshire 'lease for three lives', then was revised and reissued in 1803. The lease was reissued several times, with the addition of further leases for extra plots, until 1951 when they completely expired. This went unnoticed, along with the non-payment of any rent, until the proposal to build an inner bypass would have meant compulsory purchase of the cemetery and exhumation of the graves. The scheme was eventually abandoned and the burial ground was sold outright to the Jewish Synagogue congregation in 1977.

Although another cemetery at Exwick is now used for Jewish burials, the ground is still used for the occasional burial, and is maintained and opened for specific visits by relatives and descendants.


The 18th century wall is Grade II listed, and was repaired in the 1980s, at which time the chapel (Ohel) was rebuilt and new gates were fitted.

Further up the lane leading to the Jewish cemetery there is another, separate cemetery, which was used for the burial of dissenters who refused to worship under the Church of England, and weren't allowed to be buried within Anglican cemeteries and churchyards. The photo below shows a glimpse of it through a gap in the wall.  The building behind it is the erstwhile West of England Eye Infirmary, now an hotel.




As for my memory playing tricks, I discovered why when editing my website article in 2015 (on my now defunct website). At the time of my first glimpse in 1991 I took a couple of photos from across Magdalen Road (and now regretting that I hadn't taken photos of the cemetery itself). I wasn't sure of the exact year so I dug out my old photos to check the date. Much to my surprise I realised that the photos were of the Dissenter's Cemetery and I hadn't seen the Jewish one at all. That too looks very different as it's no longer overgrown, and the lovely brick arch is boarded up with wood, so my enchanting old cemetery is in essence no longer there. Mystery solved!


The now boarded gateway, and below, the photos taken in 1991. A bit dark, but you can just about see the arch of the gateway to the left of the photos, with trees behind.



And finally, an overall view of the cemetery below, including a small building which cannot be seen through that lower gate...and which I think might be the Ohel, although it seems quite small from this view.



 



Episcopal School House, Exeter, Devon



I came across this building completely by chance, whilst having a wander around the city one Sunday in June 2009. It's situated alongside a long, ecclesiastical looking bulding behind St Michael's & All Angels Church on Dinham Hill, and I wondered if it once was the vicarage. Despite several searches, I couldn't find anything about it. However, I eventually posed the question on the forum of the 'Exeter Memories' website and was kindly given some information by the site owner, David Cornforth.


The long building, which appeared to be undergoing restoration work, was the former Episcopal School, built in 1861 along with two houses for the school teachers. David told me that this house mirrors another building at the other end, and that these may have been the accommodation for the teachers. Interestingly, the two teachers consisted of a male teacher for the boys and a female one for the girls - and as this was the Victorian age, then I suspect that not only was the arrangement of buildings an aesthetically symmetrical one, but that the teachers' houses were also kept well apart in order to maintain propriety! ;)


Built in the Victorian Gothic style, with delightfully gothic doors, Tudor style windows and higgledy-piggledy rooftops with gables; the dark red brick contrasting pleasantly with stone quoins.


Robowatch! ;)


Having discovered it from the rear lane, it seemed quite derelict with rubble, broken windows and herras fencing surrounding the rear and sides. It wasn't until I walked around to the front that I could see how delightful it actually is. I thought that it might be in line for restoration, along with the Episcopal School, so I needed to go back and see what happened to it...




...which I did, only to find that the whole area was fenced off and restoration was well under way. The little lane was blocked off too and it wasn't possible to see or get near enough to take any more photos.


I always meant to go back and see what happened to it and what the school itself looks like now. A good reminder to add it to my list of Exeter places to visit. :)





Hole in the Wall, Exeter, Devon



First of all, I must apologise for the mixture of bad and not so bad photos. I had a 'bad hair' day with my camera, which had all sorts of problems. I'd been using a new Minolta XE-1 for a few weeks after my old Minolta SRT 101 seized up, and a vague dissatisfaction with it had gradually turned into quiet desperation! Fortunately I found an SRT 101b on e-bay and I'm a much happier bunny these days. I did take a few more photos on a later visit but not enough to replace all of the first ones...and those ones weren't too brilliant either! You can't win can you! ;) So they are a mixture of both.


Anyway, on with the history & info... 


 
...which isn't much at all, apart from the fact that it's a pub! ;)


However, what I really found interesting is that the building might have been something along the lines of a mill or warehouse at one time. There are various windows with shutters along the building. Some of these look more like loading bays and are quite high up, indicating the possible use of a winch to load produce in and out of the building. One is the lovely blue-painted shutter above (my favourite photo of the day); the photo next to it was taken after the shutters had later been painted black. The pub was shut at this point, with a sign advertising it to be up for sale.




Having said that, the building may well have started out as an Inn, due to the same factors. The bricked up entry (above) can be seen in the upper side wall. Situated on Little Castle Street, the original route to the castle gate, it's difficult to see how carts managed to travel up and down...let alone turn around! It's a very narrow cobblestone street with a drainage ditch running along the centre.



Another street running parallel, called Castle Street, was built to replace Little Castle Street in 1772, as an easier, wider route to the castle entrance. Interestingly, the Mediaeval buildings inside the castle walls were demolished in 1773 and the palladian style County Assizes was built in their place. Therefore, the new road may well have been established in order for large carts of stone and other materials to be taken up to the gate entrance. The buildings between the two streets are dated from the 18th century.


The photos above and below were taken at the rear of the building. Now fenced off, the area behind belongs to Bradninch Hall, which was built in the late 18th/early 19th century. I haven't been able to ascertain its original function or owner as yet, but it may well have been part of the modernisation of the area pertaining to the new assizes. However, if that area was originally a yard belonging to the Hole in the Wall, then that could explain how carts were turned around.



And below, a view of the street looking up towards the castle gate. The Hole in the Wall is on the right of course, and the buildings to the left are the 18th century 'new builds' between Castle Street and Little Castle Street, many of which are faced with delightful slate and wooden tile hangings. A quaint and lovely part of Exeter.
:)