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.

Friernhay - railings

Stokes Plastic Bag

See earlier blog post: St Thomas Shopping Centre

Waterstones Walking Section

19/03/08
Flyers were tucked into a selection of books in the Walking Section of Exeter Waterstones (by the old Debenhams building). Did you purchase a book from this section?

Chosen books include:
Navigation For Walkers: Start Finding Your Way to Freedom in the Countryside, by Julian Tippett
Walker's Pocket Companion, by Malcolm Tait
AA 50 Walks: History Walks in Briatin

walkwalkwalk posters at Exeter Central Train Station

Sainsbury's Alphington

20/03/08

Leaflet rack in the atrium of Sainsbury's at Alphington - our flyers were added to the selection of Sainsbury's leaflets (their leaflets were predominantly about healthy eating, with some recipe cards. You could also purchase a miniature ringbinder [displayed in the leaflet rack] to store the recipes in - however, as it was in the rack with the recipes and leaflets, it appeared to be a freebie, especially as it was in the atrium and outside the /purchasing area' - so it seemed likely that the ringbinders would be accidentally stolen.)

This is an enormous shop, with a large section for newspapers and magazines. Flyers were tucked inside the pages of newspapers and magazines. There is also a cafe, with another leaflet rack, where more flyers were put. There are many many products in the store, but we were unsure whether this meant more choice, or more of the same- but- similar products. It's hard to say, but we each bought a very satisfactory picnic lunch. Some flyers were tucked into products on the shelves. Flyers were placed into the shopping trolleys of other customers, and also into the packed plastic shopping bags of customers at the check-out. Flyers were added to the small leaflet racks at the check-out counters.

The first time we came to Alphington Sainsbury's we had been on a walk through Marsh Barton - the continuation of our journey into Alphington made an interesting juncture with the earlier part of our walk through the industrial estate of Marsh Barton...

The Juncture of Marsh Barton and Alphington
The road makes a severe curve and then straightens; Marsh Barton continues ahead, but on our right we see a change of architecture. A footpath leads out of the area, cutting into the grass verge and subtly connecting with the pavement on the Marsh Barton side. We walk into this inlet. Ahead is a row of low, neat, closely and evenly spaced houses of soft light red brick, in a 1970s modern and minimal terrace. They have a repeated pattern of curved ‘mini-porches’ above the lintel of the front door. Opposite is a row of low-rise white painted flats. It is a drastic change of scale and purpose; there is no transition or demarcating boundary between the housing estate and the Industrial Estate. They are simply placed at an oblique angle to one another; the row of houses ending as all cul-de-sacs do, the grass verge of the pavement on the Marsh Barton side sweeping around the corner. It is an abrupt abuttal that makes it clear the two areas are mutually disinterested.

…And on to Alphington/in search of Tea
Each side of the street has a continuous line of pristine front gardens, with bright and beautiful flowers. The road leads on to a T-junction with a busy main road and the village of Alphington. At the junction is an old fashioned house, slightly worn out, with a plaque telling that This was the home of Charles Dickens’ Parents until 1870.

We really want a cup of tea, we have been longing for one, planning one for the last hour and a half of our walk. We search the village of Alphington – Serena asks in the Post Office ‘Where can we get a cup of tea?’ Clare and I wait outside, hopefully. Serena returns ‘There is nowhere to get tea in Alphington except Sainsbury’s. But an old lady said she might start doing it at her cottage. I asked her where her cottage is, but she said “I’m not starting today though" ’. We walk along the busy road realising again that life in villages is incomplete. The road leads into an even larger and busier road, via a large roundabout. It is far to Sainsbury’s. An intricate circuit of roads, entranceways and hedge ways encircles the Supermarket, which is hidden from view. Concessions have been made for pedestrians, however, with pavements and walkways, which run alongside the main road and then edge through the Supermarket complex. We do not pass any other people on foot. There are hedges marking out the vast car park, as if fields had been replaced by a concrete rural. A gap is neatly cut in the hedge for the footpath to pass through. A solitary old lady emerges from the hedge and walks towards us, across the road. She looks worn and grey in the face, is stringy looking and carrying one bag of Sainsbury’s shopping. She is the only other person visible in this car-orientated complex.

We arrive at the Supermarket. It is huge. There is a large café restaurant at the front, but the tables are empty and the counters have no food. Notices are blu tak-ed to the back of two chairs, which form a barrier to the restaurant: ‘We regret to inform you that due to technical problems with the tills our customer restaurant is currently closed. Sorry for any inconvenience caused. Sainsbury’s’. We sit down on the chairs, tea-less, despondently, after our long walk.

The supermarket is so vast we want to know how many square feet it is, it’s impressive. Serena goes to find the manager to ask.

Foot/cycle path railing

19/03/08
This laminated flyer is tied to the railings at the entrance to a pedestrian/cyclist underpass. The railings are quite special, in that they demarcate the boundary between the footpath and the cycle-path. The structure is painted white, and also encorporates a tall post on which is mounted the mini-sign in blue, familiar for all foot/cycle paths, but here appearing like a flag atop the railing structure.

Arm rest on Bus Stop Seat

19/03/08
Laminated Flyer tied to the arm rest of a bus stop seat. This bus stop was very new looking, and in excellent condition, with no broken glass and clean seats.

Railings of Block of Flats

19/03/08
These railings are on the steps that lead to a block of flats. The building looks like it might be an Old People's Home, or Homes For Old People, as they are now called.

Railings of Pedestrian Underpass

19/03/08

Abandoned Petrol Station

19/03/08
Laminated flyer tied to railings around abandoned petrol station