CREDITON
FESTIVAL
2009
Tourism - Boniface 2004 - Town Trail
Crediton Town Trail
The town of Crediton has a long, distinguished and well-documented history. We hope that visitors to Crediton will enjoy using this Town trail to find their way to places of interest.
The origin of the name Crediton (or Kirton) is thought to be derived from 'tun' (farmstead) on the River Creedy at the east of the town. Nothing has, so far, been found to indicate where the first hamlet, and the lord's hall, stood, but it is assumed to have been somewhere approximately where the east end of the town is today. The foundations of a Roman British farmstead or home have been found just outside the east end of the town.
Winfrith, who was born in Crediton in 680AD, and was later known as Boniface, became one of the greatest early Christian missionaries, founding the Christian church in parts of Europe which are today Germany and the Netherlands. St Boniface is the patron saint of those countries.
Woollen cloth was made in Crediton as early as the 12th century. By the 14th century, the town was known for the quality of the cloth produced. By the 15th and 16th centuries, the manufacture of finer cloths known as kerseys began to bring prosperity to the town.
The trade was in decline in the 18th century due in part to the external wars of that century, including the American War of Independence, and partly to the industrial revolution and the removal of most of the cloth making trade from the West Country to the north of England. In the 18th and 19th centuries the preparing of leather kept many Kirtonians in work together with the making of shoes, harnesses etc.
PARISH
CHURCH OF THE HOLYCROSS
During the Civil War (1642-1649) the town was affected by the changing fortunes of both sides, being alternately occupied by rival armies. In 1644 Crediton was visited by Charles I who reviewed his troops on Lords Meadow. A year later Fairfax's men paraded there.
In the 18th century Crediton experienced a series of damaging fires, the worst of which was in 1743. About 460 homes were destroyed, 14 people killed and 2000 inhabitants 'reduced to the most melancholy circumstances'. When the homes were destroyed weavers' looms and other tools of the town tradesmen were burnt too.
The Crediton Town Trail starts from the town's main car park at the top of St Saviour's Way. Places of interest are numbered on the map to enable visitors to join the trail from other parts of the town - for example, the Parish Church (8) or the Town Hall (2), or the railway station (21).
To commence the Trail, turn right out of the car park into St Saviour's Way and head towards the High Street. Straight ahead is the Congregational Church (1) opened in 1865. Records indicate that tenders for building the church were accepted only from its own members living in the town, the result being a fine building (Grade II listed) to seat 650 people at a cost of £1600. At the bottom of St Saviour's Way turn right into the High Street and cross the road with care. From here you will see the general style of architecture of the main street, looking at the upper floors of the buildings and the lower floors where later shop fronts have been built.
Continue along the High Street, remembered by many visitors for its sloping camber. The building on the comer of Searle Street was Crediton Public Rooms (now known as the Town Hall)(2) Built in 1852, the Hall contained an Assembly Room and a Public Reading Room. The Assembly Room was used for Music Hall performances, for concerts and talks. In the early 20th century this hall was used as a 'picture house' on Saturdays until the early 1930s.
Continue on the left hand side of the High Street, turn left at the Ship Hotel into Market Street. Crediton was first granted a weekly market in 1231. An annual Fair of three days was granted in August to include St Lawrence Day and, in 1309 a spring cattle Fair came into being. This Fair continued until 1957.
In 1836, the year of the Town Improvement Act, Union Road was made which
joined the two parts of Crediton, East and West Town, into one continuous
road. Mr James W Buller, of Downes, Lord of the Manor, built a new market
for the townsfolk of Crediton, partly in order to clear the improved
High Street of cattle. Only a small part of the once extensive market
remains, that called the Pannier Market to the right of Market Street.
Three other similar buildings which formed a square
have been demolished. Weekly markets ceased to be held in 1962 and, today,
the market area (3) is largely occupied by the unsympathetic buildings of the
Devon Fire Service.
The building at the bottom of Market Street, which now houses the Mid Devon District Council offices, was built in 1847 and served as the town's police station for over 120 years (4).
Turn right into Parliament Street. On the left, opposite North Street, is the Manor House (5). Continue along Parliament Street towards the library. The road then becomes Belle Parade. The name evokes the memory of French naval prisoners at the beginning of the 19th century who, having given their word (parole) not to escape, were allowed to walk there.
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On reaching the library turn right down a path beside the
building leading into Newcombes Meadow. Walk along the path, past the
bowling green and
pavilion, towards the statue to St Boniface (6), passing a well (dedicated
to St. Boniface) to your left - one of two Holy wells in the town, the
second being Libbets Well, situated near the church, possibly dedicated
to St
Elizabeth.
Cross over Church Street to enter the Parish Church of the Holy Cross (8), Crediton's most famous building. Expect to take some time within the most famous building in Crediton that has known centuries of prayer. In 739 AD King Aethelheard gave land in 'Credie' to Forthhere, Bishop of Sherborne, to found a monastery. In 909AD Crediton was chosen as the See of the first bishop of the area. The See continued until, in 1050AD, Bishop Leofric moved the See to Exeter, which was more easily defended. |
| Work commenced on a Norman collegiate church in 1150 (the lower part of the tower of this Norman church survives as the base of the present tower) and it would seem that work continued in the 13th and 14th centuries. However, by the beginning of the 15th century a part of the building was in a ruinous condition and consequently most of the church was rebuilt around 1410. |
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When the collegiate church was dissolved in 1547, during the reign of King Henry VIII, the townspeople of Crediton bought the church from the King for £200. The church was then controlled by twelve appointed Governors - and still is today
In 1991 the Boniface Centre (9) in Church Lane opened, to be used by the town, the church and visitors.
When leaving the church, turn left and walk along East Street. On the opposite side you will see Haywards School (10) which moved to this site in 1860. Ernest Bevin, the famous Labour politician and post-war Foreign Secretary, was a scholar at Haywards School until he left in 1890.
Continue along East Street. At the end, cross Mill Street with care into the area known as Tolleys, the traditional birthplace of St Boniface. A few yards to the right is Buller Square (11), which has cottages around three sides of the courtyard.
Return to Mill Street and turn left to follow the road
towards Exeter. On reaching the Crown of Crediton (Previously known as
The White Hart) cross the road, again with care, and turn right into
Park Road. Winswood House (12), a thatched house on the left, belonged
to the Drake family in the early 20th Century. Further along Park Road
is the Roman Catholic church dedicated to St Boniface (13). It was built
in 1969 and has the national shrine to the Saint. In the church porch
there is a foundation stone inscribed in Latin. The stone comes from
Ratgar Basilica in Fulda where St Boniface is buried, and was given to
the church by the Bishop of Fulda.
Continue by turning right into Dean Street (14), possibly the most ancient street in Crediton. The Chantry, on the right-hand side, has a tunnel in the cellar high enough to walk along upright, although the entrance is now bricked up. The tunnel leads towards the churchyard and possibly links up with a tunnel known to exist beneath a property in Union Road. Opposite the Dean Street entrance to Haywards School is 'Cockles Rise'. The house at the bottom to the left is all that remains of one of the oldest houses in Crediton.
Turn left up Bowden Hill and bear right into Park Street and the attractive Union Terrace. On the left are the Spurway Almshouses (15) They were built about 1555 at the bequest of Humphrey Spurway, a clothier of Crediton. Note the plaque on the wall in the centre of the almshouses.
This is the only remaining 'fire' mark sign' (a sign of insurance) in Crediton.
At the bottom of Union Terrace, bear left into the High Street. Opposite Searle Street turn left into Silbury Place (16), an example of a Crediton court - a collection of weavers' cottages. Each court would have had a well and an area for drying yarns. There are many of these courts, now private, behind High Street.
Should you wish to complete the Crediton Town Trail at this point, continue straight up the hill past the new houses to the car park.
However, to follow the additional West Town section of the Trail retrace your steps and continue walking along the High Street.
Walking on the left hand side of the High Street, you will see St Lawrence Green across the road. Still keeping to the left, turn left into Landscore and, at the 'Y' junction take the right fork into Threshers. On the right, off the road, in a court yard stands the ancient chapel of St Lawrence (17). Built about the year 1200, this chapel had a 'reclusorium' for an anchorite living a solitary life in his cell. The chapel was for some years converted into cottages before being restored by Mrs Drake of Winswood, in 1924, in memory of her husband. The east and west walls and part of the north wall are thought to be those of the original building.
ST LAWRENCE GREEN
Return to St Lawrence Green (18) where there is the base and part of the shaft of a stone cross in the centre of a flower bed. This was originally the part of the town cross which stood in the High Street approximately at the bottom of St Saviour's Way, where it marked the limit of market area. St Lawrence Green was first laid out as a garden to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
To the north west of the green is Queen Elizabeth Community College (19), formerly Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, the Charter being from Edward VI, and confirmed by Elizabeth I. Before moving to the Western Road site in 1860, the school was held in the Lady Chapel of the Parish Church.
QUEEN ELIZABETH'S SCHOOL
To continue, walk along the back of the green and turn right down a narrow path which leads to the High Street. The building on the corner is said to have been the Cock Inn. It is believed cock-fighting took place near here, (20), as, although the area is served by three entrances it is otherwise hidden. A look-out could therefore be placed at each entrance.
Turn left into the High Street and walk along as far as the Congregational Church. Cross the road into St Saviour's Way and return to the car park.
A further walk may be taken from Park Road corner on the Exeter Road. Follow the long cob wall on the right into Four Mills Lane. At the end turn left and then right into Station Yard. In 2001 the 150th anniversary of the Crediton to Exeter Railway and opening of the Station (21) were celebrated. The booking hall has been renovated and decorated in the colours of the L&SWR. There is a permanent exhibition which at present includes a photographic history of the line.
Retrace your steps to return to the High Street and St Saviour's Way.
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Acknowledgement
Text prepared with assistance from Babs Stutchhury.
Published by Mid Devon District Council,
Devon March 2002