"Quickies" 13 - Conquerors Witches and Alms

This is the incongruous architectural result of World War II bombing in Exeter. This is the St. Catherine's Chapel site, left as a memorial to the bombing of the city in May 1942.

This well known chapel and almshouses were founded by Canon John Stevens DD, (Doctor of Physick), in 1457, to house thirteen poor men. A surviving petition states that Stevens had bought "...a parcel of ground, void at the time of purchase and not built upon, adjoining to the closure of (the) cathedral church". The almshouses and chapel were constructed in the following year.

In 1562, the Rector of St Petrock's, the Rev William Herne, left in his will 13d weekly to each inmate. (£12.60 today)

During the second war, servicemen were billeted in the buildings. The bombing of May 1942 destroyed the Almshouses and Chapel. An eleven year old James Bell sheds some light on how the almshouses were destroyed during the blitz.

"I remember going into the Chapel, in Catherine Street at 12 noon on the 5th May 1942, walking around and sitting in the pews, There was no sign of the fire which eventually destroyed it – the building next to it was on fire. I was only ten years old!"

The National Fire Service were stretched, after the raid, and they were concentrating on burning buildings in other parts of the city. The ruins were sold in April 1959 and in 1961 they were transformed into a memorial to the destruction wrought on the city during the blitz. Exeter Memories

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These are the imposing remains of Rougemont Castle Exeter, below, which today border the publicly accessible Rougemont Park. Red Hill translated into French, Rougemont, gives a big clue as to who built this.

Exeter had been a stronghold held by the Romans centuries earlier but when the Norman invasion took place in 1066 England fell to the French speaking Normans at the Battle of Hastings. Exeter was the centre of opposition in the West Country, to the new occupation, and it took two years for William the Conqueror to arrive here to quell that rebellion.

In 1068 William's forces arrived at what was described as "a wealthy and ancient city, strongly fortified". It was still at that time protected by it's Roman walls, which had been reinforced in 928 by King Athelstan. The wall, giving some defence, a siege ensued that lasted 18 days. Within those Roman walls the Normans eventually took control and built Rougemont Castle.

William's approach to castle building here, became the template for control of the whole country. It crowned a strategic position on a hill of volcanic red rock, hence Rougemont. This position gave its occupants sight of all of the city and beyond. You can still see the distant landscape around the city today from this vantage point.

This part of Exeter City was for a long time after, under the control of the Crown, rather than local authority. This made it the most loyal city in the nation. Queen Elizabeth I looked upon it so favourably that she bestowed upon it the title "Semper Fidelis", "ever faithful", which still features on the city Coat of Arms to this day.

There is no public access inside the castle apart from special events. All the buildings inside the castle were swept away in the 1770's, to make way for a new courthouse. The intact Georgian buildings of the castle remained the seat of royal power in the county and continued to serve as home to the Crown Court and the County Court. In 2004 the court moved to a new building and the site was sold to a developer. Today it is an entertainment venue. In 2011, the former Court 1 reopened as the Ballroom, with its arched windows lowered to floor level.

"Following nearly a thousand years of Crown occupation, the Exeter Castle, its courtyard and the backdrop of the Northernhay Gardens now provide one of the most unique event & wedding venues in Devon and arguably in the South West. We offer modern yet traditional spaces for culture, commerce & living." Exeter Castle

The Bideford witch trial resulted in hangings for witchcraft in England. Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards from the town of Bideford in Devon were tried in 1682 at the Exeter Assizes at Rougemont Castle. Much of the evidence against them was hearsay, although there was a confession by Lloyd, which she did not fully recant even with her execution imminent. These women have been labelled as the last witches to be hanged in England.