A walk along the walls, part 8

 

In the last issue, I included the sentence: ‘If another writer took you by the hand, for a walk around our neighbourhood, they might point out other “things”.’  I took that advice and on New Year’s Day, when I walked this route, I looked out for any wild plants that were in flower in the edge of the roads and pavements, spared from weedkiller.  There were six species flowering; a month later, there were two or three more, but far more greenery as plants put out their leaves. So my other “things” were wildflowers.

This walk starts in Magdalen Road, and we wander down towards the city, turning into Fairpark Road.  The lower part of Magdalen Road is lined on the right with the wall of the almshouses, very attractive stonework.  On the left, the scene is mixed, as houses have been built at different times.  Because the walls here are north-facing and are exposed to the weather and spray from the road, the stone supports lichens, mosses and other plants. 

Once in Fairpark Road, the walls are neat and do not show many signs of change.  Then wander down the steep passageway on the right. The buildings on the right occupy the site of the St Mary Magdalene Hospital, a hospital for lepers built in the 12^th century.  And that ancient building is why Magdalen Road and Magdalen Street got their names, though the final “e” in the hospital name got lost over the years.  The wall on the right of the passage is somewhat plain; on the left, there is a field wall from the 19^th century, using the ubiquitous sandstone.  Below that are walls that date from the building of Temple Road at the foot of the slope.  Once again, the walls support a variety of plant life.  The north wall of Bull Meadow is part of the support of the viaduct across the valley, and is faced with mixed stone.  The viaduct opened soon after Queen Victoria’s accession; the people of Exeter were complaining about the difficulty of crossing the valley, and it is likely that the residents of new houses in St Leonard’s were among the voices calling for change. 

Close to the city, the walls of the two old cemeteries are a confusion of brick and stone, with additions to old field walls topped with brick.  The site of the leper hospital was an orchard until the early 20^th century, and the story of how the area became a public park is one of squabbles between local people and the City Council.  It is detailed online as a page of Exeter Memories.

Walking away from the viaduct takes you to the boundaries of the houses in several streets, the back of the former school (now a place of worship) and the back of the Bull Meadow Clinic, an interesting example of 1920’s architecture when it was built as an “Infant Welfare Centre”.  There is a gap which leads into Lansdowne Terrace, whose ten houses date from the mid-19^th century.  As you walk along, there is one set of railings which escaped being salvaged in the Second World War.  Since the terraced houses below Lansdowne Terrace are much later, we can only imagine the semi-rural view that the first residents enjoyed.

This brings you to Holloway Street; now you can walk back to your start through the terraced streets, or retrace your walk through the park.  But before you do, look at the junction with Roberts Road.  Anything odd?  There is a line of paving across the road, a relic of a much older road surface.