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A large chandelier hangs from the centre of the roof. It was made by Thomas Pyke of
Bridgwater and installed in 1789. Apart from this and the roof, all the internal fittings are Victorian, including the stained glass, the gallery, the furniture and the stone floor (all 1863) and the heavily restored
262:
were once under the portico. The elaborately carved oak door, dated 1593, was made by
Nicholas Baggett, a local carpenter. It leads via an anteroom to the council chamber which apparently dates between 1468 and 1470, though it was much restored in Victorian times. The oak panelling around the main
305:
Under the council chamber there is an early 14th-century cellar. This was once a prison that was known as the "pytt of the
Guyldhall". In the 16th century another prison, for women, was built on the ground floor at the back of the building. It remained in use until 1887. In 1858 a room was built
226:
The current building was constructed between 1468 and 1470. The roof timbers and walls are thought to date from 1466. Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating of the timbers give a range between 1463 and 1498. It was refaced between 1593 and 1596 at a cost of £789 in an ornate
Italian style that was
189:
has been the centre of civic government for the city for at least 600 years. Much of the fabric of the building is medieval, though the elaborate frontage was added in the 1590s and the interior was extensively restored in the 19th century. It is a Grade I
367:
The guildhall is still used for civil purposes such as official receptions, mayoral banquets, some City
Council meetings, other meetings and exhibitions and occasionally as a magistrates' court.
375:
The main chamber displays on the wooden panelling many heraldic escutcheons displaying the arms of various persons who held high office within the City
Corporation, covering much of the
215:
It is certain that the hall has been on its present site since the 14th century, and most probably since the second half of the 12th century. It is also known that there was a
326:
The front room above the portico, which was once the council chamber, was converted into the mayor's parlour in 1903. In 1911 the council chamber was the location for an
919:
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58:
251:. During renovation work it has been noted that the stonework had once been painted in cream with details in red and blue and the pillars
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as being "as picturesque as it is barbarous". The portico that juts out over the pavement is dated 1594 and its four sturdy
663:
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in 1974. The mayor's parlour, which had a plaster ceiling dating from about 1800, was given a replica ceiling in 1986.
861:
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hall probably dates from 1594 when the portico was added. The arch-braced roof with seven bays is original; its main
149:
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in Exeter by 1000 AD whose hall was most likely here too. On this basis it has been claimed to be the oldest
339:
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of Exeter; it continued to be the local seat of government after the formation of the enlarged
8:
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The former Jury Room was restored, after damage from a collapsed ceiling, in 2023.
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30:
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The guildhall on election night in 1880. Painting by Alfred George Palmer in the
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387:(d. circa 1637) and later expanded upon by Colby, Rev. Frederick T., in his
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Tudor panelling (1887). Above the fireplace is a bust of Queen
Victoria by
306:
above this to store the city's records; it was later used as a jury room.
353:
For much of the 20th century the guildhall was the meeting place of the
313:
View of the
Guildhall and High Street. Painting by Alfred Leyman in the
236:
516:
405:
240:
775:
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and 16 smaller paired pillars framing large windows that have both
252:
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239:. The upper floor, also in Beer stone, is more restrained with
178:
41:
710:"Exeter's historic Jury Room restored after ceiling collapse"
400:
264:
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It was in Exeter
Guildhall that, in the aftermath of the
835:(Revised and updated ed.). Chichester: Phillimore.
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rest on carved corbels representing grotesque animals.
235:
columns are surmounted by highly decorated corbels of
428:
572:
891:
808:Blaylock, S. R. (1990), "Exeter Guildhall",
16:Municipal building in Exeter, Devon, England
532:
530:
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517:Hele's School Historical Society. (1947).
477:. Chichester: Phillimore. pp. 42–44.
29:
810:Devon Archaeological Society Proceedings
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920:Government buildings completed in 1470
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737:. Exeter City Council. Archived from
610:. Exeter City Council. Archived from
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379:. The heraldry was identified in the
164:Location of Exeter Guildhall in Devon
685:Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70
687:. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997.
561:
13:
900:Buildings and structures in Exeter
850:
552:
521:. A. Wheaton & Co. p. 31.
500:
453:
439:National Heritage List for England
14:
936:
905:Grade I listed buildings in Devon
873:. Exeter Memories. Archived from
707:
342:. The guildhall, which is also a
925:Guildhalls in the United Kingdom
855:
774:Colby, Rev. Frederick T (1873).
576:(1989) . Cherry, Bridget (ed.).
334:, between the Liberal candidate
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701:
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579:The Buildings of England: Devon
332:second general election of 1910
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792:10.1080/00665983.1873.10851599
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509:
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315:Royal Albert Memorial Museum's
299:Royal Albert Memorial Museum's
1:
910:Tourist attractions in Exeter
538:"The Guildhall – High Street"
434:"Guildhall, Exeter (1103905)"
411:
915:City and town halls in Devon
833:Two Thousand Years in Exeter
7:
653:Blaylock 1990, pp.128, 146.
394:
370:
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871:"History of the Guildhall"
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664:"Exeter Election Petition"
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223:in England still in use.
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776:"The Heraldry of Exeter"
780:Archaeological Journal
634:"Monmouth Rebels 1685"
608:"The Hall - Structure"
389:The Heraldry of Exeter
377:heraldry of Devonshire
318:
317:collection (218/1970).
302:
301:collection (333/1997).
282:on 14 September 1685.
207:
177:on the High Street of
98:Architectural style(s)
864:at Wikimedia Commons
497:Blaylock 1990, p.123.
473:Meller, Hugh (1989).
338:and the Conservative
312:
296:
205:
741:on 27 September 2011
614:on 27 September 2011
101:Ornate Italian style
877:on 21 November 2010
558:Hoskins 2004, p.70.
519:Exeter—Then and Now
506:Hoskins 2004, p.24.
475:Exeter Architecture
346:, became a Grade I
288:Henry Hugh Armstead
70: /
869:Cornforth, David.
761:View of Devonshire
381:View of Devonshire
344:scheduled monument
319:
303:
272:Monmouth Rebellion
221:municipal building
208:
128:Reference no.
74:50.7233°N 3.5318°W
860:Media related to
582:. Harmondsworth:
574:Pevsner, Nikolaus
540:. Exeter Memories
515:See for example:
328:election petition
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735:"Introduction"
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879:. Retrieved
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743:. Retrieved
739:the original
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616:. Retrieved
612:the original
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206:The interior
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881:10 December
816:: 123–178,
786:: 235–263.
745:10 December
618:10 December
77: /
53:Coordinates
894:Categories
763:, Chap. XV
714:Devon Live
639:6 December
544:6 December
412:References
340:Henry Duke
237:Beer stone
120:Designated
62:50°43′24″N
822:0305-5795
669:25 August
445:25 August
406:Guildhall
350:in 1953.
278:held the
258:The city
241:strapwork
114:– Grade I
65:3°31′54″W
48:, England
831:(2004).
719:4 August
395:See also
371:Heraldry
249:transoms
245:mullions
38:Location
802:Sources
265:trusses
233:granite
198:History
187:England
131:1103905
839:
820:
691:
590:
481:
260:stocks
253:gilded
179:Exeter
42:Exeter
401:Guild
217:guild
183:Devon
90:Built
46:Devon
883:2010
837:ISBN
818:ISSN
747:2010
721:2023
689:ISBN
671:2019
641:2020
620:2010
588:ISBN
546:2020
479:ISBN
447:2019
247:and
93:1470
788:doi
383:by
896::
814:48
812:,
784:30
782:.
778:.
712:.
563:^
527:^
455:^
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432:.
419:^
391:.
290:.
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194:.
185:,
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449:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
