Red Exeter

This was before the heavens opened!

These are the ruins of St Catherine and Almshouses, built in 1457 to house 13 poor men of Exeter. Built with the distinct red stone of the area - Heavitree stone & a bit of ashlar or Beer stone. Much of it was covered by an Inn built in the late eighteenth century. In 1894 it was restored & given to the Church Army to be used as a hostel. The bombing of the city in 1942 destroyed what was left of the Almshouses & instead of the City Council clearing the ruins, it landscaped them instead as a memorial to that dreadful night.

Behind it stands the great cathedral dedicated to St Peter completed in 1400 & has the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England!

Luckily I missed the downpour in some comfort as I hurried into a book shop & read my way through the rain!