On the nightwalk

Here are some images from the nightwalk, which launched the project on April 12th 2008 - the sequence of images shows the part of the walk after leaving Marsh Barton (for more images see the website.)

Walking into Brook Road, where it became very dark, with no street lights or ambient light.

on the ground

Things on the ground en route - broken tree, and explosion of road paint

Salmon Pool Bridge

Going across Salmon Pool Bridge, over the canal. It was very dark on the other side.

Fork in the road

On Salmon Pool Lane therre is a fork in the road, either side of a hedge-island. We chose the right hand fork on this occasion

Second Half/impromptu bit of the nightwalk

The nightwalk route officially ended at the Bus Stop on Topsham Road, near the top of Salmon Pool Lane. However, we continued on back towards Exeter City Centre led by a spontaneous guide who said he knew a good route.

Shortcut through County Hall

Though it was night, and the workers of County Hall had long since gone home, our 'spontaneous guide' knew that a shortcut through County Hall was still possible. We walked through brightly lit Cloister type corridors, pathways and passages that cut through the buildings and grounds, from front to back.

Protestant Martyrs

At the Protestant Martyr's Memorial, where Phil told us the history of the Protestant Martyrs in Exeter

Princess Hay

coming into the new Pricess Hay Shopping Centre

Gandy Street

Nearly at the end of the second half/impromptu bit of the nightwalk: on Gandy Street, Masonic Hall

The Nightwalk route

Nightwalk Marsh Barton route

Start at Exeter Central Station
Left into Queen Street
Right into High Street, becoming Fore Street
Left into King Street
Right into Preston Street
Right into Western Way
Cross Western Way at first pedestrian crossing
Continue towards Western Way roundabout
Use pedestrian underpass marked towards Marsh Barton or (as we did) use cycle path in direction of Marsh Barton
Go over bridge over River Exe (Exe Bridge South)
Left into Haven Road, becoming Foundrey Court
Leading into Water Lane
Pass ‘The Range’
Pass the Social Club
Continue on Water Lane, Leading into Tan Lane
Under railway bridge
Pass Recycling and Reclamation Works
Continue on Tan Lane, leading into Exton Road
Leading into Marsh Green Road (East)
Turn right into Marsh Green Road
Past/pause Den’s Delights
Left into Trusham Road
Left into Alphin Brook Road
Straight ahead into Brook Road (small dark road)
Past the Incinerator
Over Salmon Pool Bridge (across canal)
Follow road; and continue when it becomes a track/path
Pass pylon
Cross bridge over river Exe
Continue on path straight through Playing Fields (do not turn off right)
Cross bridge over St James’s Wier (aka – mistakenly – Countess Wier)
Continue into Salmon pool Lane (when the road forks take the right/wrong fork, if desired)
Turn right into Topsham Road
Pause at the first Bus stop
This is the official end of the nightwalk – you can now take a bus back into Exeter
On the night, however, we were then invited to continue our walk back into town by one of the walkers who said he knew a good route. So he led the way on a spontaneous second half, which turned out to create a completely circular walk.
From the Bus Stop retrace your steps along Topsham Road, past the top of Salmon pool Lane, and continue along Topsham Road.
Turn right into the grounds of Devon County Hall, walk up the steps to what looks like a main entrance and turn sharp right,
Walk through an illuminated cloister
Turn left at the end of the cloister and then right, emerging at the end by a car park
Pass a skip, head straight on, following a path with bushes and trees on either side until you reach another building.
Turn right and follow along the side of the building to another car park.
Cross the car park diagonally heading towards an exit drive.
Follow the drive down to Matford Lane.
Turn right and follow the road until you reach Wonford Road, turn left.
When you reach St Leonard’s Road turn right, follow the road up to Magdalen Road and turn left, turn right into Denmark Road and then left down Barnfield Road, pausing on the corner to look at the Protestant Martyr’s Memorial.
Follow Barnfield Road up the hill towards town, crossing the Western Way and Southernhay.
Enter the new Shopping Precinct, follow it up to the High Street.
Turn left then almost immediately right into Gandy Street passing the Exeter Phoenix on your right. Turn left down Upper Paul Street, and right into Queen Street, Exeter Central is on the right – walk complete – we suggest a drink in the bar of the Thistle Hotel opposite the station.

St.Leonard's

We all went off in separate directions to disseminate the flyers, I started to walk to St.Leneords. This was a part of Exeter I had stayed in and remembered fondly. I liked the small parade of shops along Magdalen Rd which all appear to be independently run, a rare delight in our globalised market of faceless conglomerates and franchises. From the gallery I turned left on to the Western Way and walked straight, I put a sticker on the green bridge near the round about and then got distracted from my intended route and wandered towards the end of South Street.




I got a warm welcome in the Big Issue shop and was allowed to put up several stories in their window, Then I was attracted to the large imposing building on the opposite side of the road. I walked up the stone steps and through the open doors to a small entrance hall with glass cases holding posters. Then I peered through the secure door in to the actual entrance hall, it was much larger with statues, flags and an over abundance of notice boards. I excitedly pressed the buzzer, there was no response but the door had been unlocked. I walked through the hall and into an amazing workingmen’s club, filled with heraldry and insignia. Near the stage there was an enormous union jack flag on a mast. The barmen took the posters and said he would consult with the management and might be allowed to put them up.



Then I continued along to Magdalen Street, I put some flyers under windscreen wipers in the car park and then proceeded along to St Leonard’s. On the way I put a poster on what looked like an abandoned building opposite Hotel Barcelona. It appeared to be some kind of addiction centre (there was an addaction sign to the right of the door) but I was certain it had been abandoned so I hovered near the notice board outside. As I was selecting a poster to put on it someone opened the front door. Startled by this unexpected inhabitant I moved on up the road swiftly, I continued up Magdalen Rd towards the small parade of independent shops. I stopped in the Laundrette and stuck a poster on a very prominent notice board whilst leaving some flyers on the windowsill. I spoke to a very nice lady who took one of the posters and also a leaflet about Spacex. I then proceeded to go in to every shop along the parade paying to put up cards in the shop windows. Most of the shops charged but one or two were happy to put them up for free. One shop owner said “ We only charge people if they are selling things, if your not making any money from it then it really doesn’t matter!”

High Street Hitchcock

Cemetary on the hill

The cemetary on the hill was on the route of one of the first walks we did in Exeter - recommended by George the storyteller. Small fragments of blue and white pottery were laid out on the wall on the way down the hill, a little display, selected from what looked like a lot of pieces in the earth just around the corner.