The rebuilding of the frontage of the Guildhall
in 1592-4 was the most important civic project of its day. It provided
a first-floor meeting chamber for the council of twenty-four who
controlled the city's affairs. |
Following the construction of the canal between
Exeter and Countess Wear in 1564-6 the city chamber undertook a
succession of projects to improve both the canal and the port facilities
at Exeter quay. The general history of the canal has been extensively
studied. However the character and development of the quay were
not well understood until excavations there by the Exeter Archaeological
Field Unit in 1885-6, combined with a re-assessment of the pictorial
and documentary evidence, produced a much fuller understanding of
its development. The sequence of improvements at the quay may be
seen in the series of reconstruction drawings shown below and in
subsequent
sections.
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