Tiverton

The only town of any size in the Exe valley is Tiverton, originally Twyfyrde, or two fords, for here the Exeter University Sculpture Walk is joined by the River Lowman. The town developed around what is now its oldest building, Tiverton Castle, built at the command of Henry I in 1106. Unfortunately, the castle found itself on the wrong side during the Civil War. General Fairfax himself was in charge of the successful onslaught in 1645. A few years later, Parliament decreed that the castle should be ‘slighted’, destroyed beyond any use as a fortification. Cromwell’s troops observed the letter of their instructions, sparing those parts of the castle that had no military significance, and leaving behind them a mutilated, but still substantial, structure. Today, it houses a variety of 17th-century armoury and guided tours are available on Sundays.

During the Middle Ages, the citizens of Tiverton seem to have had a very highly-developed sense of civic and social responsibility. Throughout the town’s golden age as a wool town, from the late 1400s until it reached its zenith in the 18th century, prosperous wool merchants put their wealth to good use. Around 1613, George Slee built himself a superb Jacobean mansion in St Peter Street, the Great House, and in his will bequeathed the huge sum of £500 to establish the Slee Almshouses, which were duly built right next door. Later almshouses, founded by John Waldron (in Welbrook Street), and John Greenway (in Gold Street) are still in use. As well as funding the almshouse, John Greenway also devoted another sizeable portion of his fortune to the restoration of St Peter’s Church in 1517. He added a sumptuous porch and chapel, their outside walls richly decorated with carvings depicting sailing ships of the time.

Peter Blundell chose a different method of demonstrating his beneficence by endowing Tiverton with a school. It was in the Old Blundell’s School (National Trust) building of 1604, by the Lowman Bridge, that the author RD Blackmore received his education. He later used the school as a setting for the first chapter of his novel, Lorna Doone. Now a highly-regarded public school, Blundell’s moved to its present location on the edge of town in 1880.

The Tiverton Museum is one of the largest social history museums in the southwest, containing some 15 galleries in all. It’s particularly strong on agriculture – it has a nationally important collection of farm wagons - and the Great Western Railway. One entire gallery is devoted to John Heathcoat’s original lace-making machine.

The more one reads of Devon in the early to mid 18th century, the more one becomes convinced that there must have been a serial arsonist abroad. So many Devonshire towns during this period suffered devastating fires. Tiverton’s conflagration occurred in 1731, but one happy outcome of the disaster was the building of St George’s Church, by common consent the finest Georgian church in the county, furnished with elegant period ceilings and galleries.

A quay on the southeastern edge of Tiverton marks the western end of the Grand Western Canal, which was built in the early 1800s with the idea of linking the River Exe to Bridgewater and the Bristol Channel. It was never fully completed and finally closed in 1920. In recent years, an attractive stretch from Tiverton quay to the Somerset border has been restored and provides a pleasant easy walk. Horse-drawn barge trips along the canal are also available.

A few miles north of Tiverton, up the Exe Valley, is Knightshayes Court, a striking Victorian Gothic house designed by William Burges in 1869. It is a rare survivor of his work. The grand and opulent interiors, blending medieval romanticism with lavish Victorian decoration, became too much for the owner, Sir John Heathcoat-Amory, the lace manufacturer. So he sacked Burges and employed the less imaginative but competent John Diblee Crace. Discreetly covered during the time of the backlash against the High Victorian style, the rooms have been returned to their original grandeur by the National Trust, who were given the building by the builder’s son in 1973. The house is surrounded by extensive grounds that include a water-lily pond, topiary and some rare shrubs.