Editing Exeter Cathedral

{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox church
| name             = Exeter Cathedral
| fullname         = Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter
| image            = Exeter-28Ap11-wyrdlight.jpg
| imagesize        = 
| imagealt         = 
| caption          = 
| pushpin map      = United Kingdom Exeter Central
| pushpin label position = 
| pushpin map alt  = 
| pushpin mapsize  = 220
| map caption      = Shown within Exeter
| coordinates      = {{coord|50|43|21|N|03|31|47|W|region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| osgraw           = 
| osgridref        = 
| location         = [[Exeter]], [[Devon]]
| country          = United Kingdom
| denomination     = [[Church of England]]
| previous denomination = [[Roman Catholic]]
| tradition        = [[Anglo-Catholic]]
| membership       = 
| website          = {{URL|www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk}}
| former name      = 
| bull date        = 
| consecrated date = 
| people           = 
| status           = 
| functional status = Active
| heritage designation = 
| designated date  = 
| previous cathedrals = 2
| architect        = 
| architectural type = 
| style            = [[Norman architecture|Norman]], [[English Gothic architecture|Gothic]]
| years built      = 1112–1400
| groundbreaking   = 
| completed date   = 
| construction cost = 
| closed date      = 
| demolished date  = 
| capacity         = 
| length           = {{convert|383|ft|m}} <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeref.com/places/hpl1087.htm|title=TimeRef – Medieval and Middle Ages History Timelines – Exeter Cathedral Details|website=www.timeref.com|access-date=2 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402170240/http://www.timeref.com/places/hpl1087.htm|archive-date=2 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
| length nave      = 
| length choir     = 
| width            = 
| width nave       = 
| width transepts  = 
| height           = 
| height nave      = 
| height choir     = 
| dome quantity    = 
| dome height outer = 
| dome height inner = 
| dome dia outer   = 
| dome dia inner   = 
| tower quantity   = 
| tower height     = 
| spire quantity   = 
| spire height     = 
| bells            = 15 (12 + 2 + Bourdon)<ref name="Dove Details">{{Cite web|url=https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=exeter&Submit=+Go+&DoveID=EXETER|title=Dove Details|website=dove.cccbr.org.uk|access-date=2018-12-02}}</ref>
| bells hung       = 
| bell weight      = {{convert|3684|kg|lb}}<ref name="Dove Details"/>
| archdiocese      = 
| metropolis       = 
| diocese          = [[Diocese of Exeter|Exeter]]
| diocese start    = 1050
| province         = [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]]
| archbishop       = 
| bishop           = [[Mike Harrison (bishop)]]
| dean             = [[Jonathan Greener]]
| provost          = 
| precentor        = James Mustard
| canonchancellor  = Deborah Parsons
| canonmissioner   = 
| canontreasurer   = Chris Palmer
| canon            = Cate Edmonds
| reader           = 
| director         = Timothy Noon
| organist         = 
| logo             = 
| logosize         = 
| logolink         = 
| logoalt          = 
}}

'''Exeter Cathedral''', properly known as the '''Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter''', is an [[Anglican]] [[cathedral]], and the seat of the [[Bishop of Exeter]], in the [[city status in the United Kingdom|city]] of [[Exeter]], [[Devon]], in [[South West England]]. The present building was complete by about 1400 and has several notable features, including an early set of [[misericord]]s, an [[astronomical clock]] and the longest uninterrupted medieval stone [[Vault (architecture)|vaulted ceiling]] in the world.

==History==
[[File:Exeter Cathedral NW view W Deeble after R Browne 1830.jpg|thumb|left|The cathedral in 1830]]
[[File:A Sermon in Exeter Cathedral.jpg|thumb|left| Watercolour painting of A Sermon in Exeter Cathedral by [[Thomas Rowlandson]] from the Georgian Era]]
[[File:Inside Exeter Cathedral.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Inside the cathedral, showing the vaulted ceiling – the longest uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world]]
[[File:Exeter Cathedral nave vaulted ceiling.jpg|thumb|left|Detail of the vaulted ceiling]]

The site where Exeter Cathedral was constructed was home to [[Roman Britain|Roman]] buildings. A legionary fortress was constructed between 50–75 AD. A Roman bathhouse was discovered in 1971.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 May 2024 |last1=Nalewicki |first1=Jennifer |title=1,900-year-old Roman legionary fortress unearthed next to UK cathedral |work=[[Live Science]] |url=https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/1900-year-old-roman-legionary-fortress-unearthed-next-to-uk-cathedral |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509185721/https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/1900-year-old-roman-legionary-fortress-unearthed-next-to-uk-cathedral |archive-date=9 May 2024}}</ref>

The founding of the [[cathedral]] at [[Exeter, England|Exeter]], dedicated to [[Saint Peter]], dates from 1050, when the seat of the [[bishop]] of [[United sees of Devon and Cornwall|Devon and Cornwall]] was transferred from [[Crediton]] because of a fear of sea-raids. A [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] minster already existing within the town (and dedicated to [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Saint Mary]] and Saint Peter) was used by [[Leofric, Bishop of Exeter|Leofric]] as his seat.

In 1107 [[William Warelwast]] was appointed to the see, and this was the catalyst for the building of a new cathedral in the [[Norman architecture|Norman]] style. Its official foundation was in 1133, during Warelwast's time, but it took many more years to complete.<ref>Erskine et al. (1988) p. 11.</ref> Following the appointment of [[Walter Branscombe|Walter Bronescombe]] as bishop in 1258, the building was already recognised as outmoded, and it was rebuilt in the [[English Gothic architecture#Decorated Gothic|Decorated]] [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style, following the example of [[Salisbury Cathedral|Salisbury]]. However, much of the Norman building was kept, including the two massive square towers and part of the walls. It was constructed entirely of local stone, including [[Purbeck Marble]]. The new cathedral was complete by about 1400, apart from the addition of the [[chapter house]] and [[chantry|chantry chapels]].

Like most English cathedrals, [[Exeter]] suffered during the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]], but not as much as it would have done had it been a monastic foundation. Further damage was done during the [[English Civil War|Civil War]], when the [[cloisters]] were destroyed. Following the restoration of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], a new [[pipe organ]] was built in the cathedral by [[John Loosemore]]. Charles II's sister [[Henrietta Anne of England]] was baptised here in 1644. In 1650 an independent church was meeting in the cathedral and this small church caused upset when the minister "excommunicated" [[Susanna Parr]].<ref>{{Cite ODNB|title=Parr, Susanna (fl. 1650–1659), religious writer|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-66714|access-date=2020-08-29|year = 2004|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/66714}}</ref>

During the [[Victorian era]], some refurbishment was carried out by [[George Gilbert Scott]]. As a boy, the composer [[Matthew Locke (composer)|Matthew Locke]] was trained in the choir of Exeter Cathedral, under [[Edward Gibbons]], the brother of [[Orlando Gibbons]]. His name can be found scribed into the stone organ screen.

[[File:Exeter Cathedral after the Blitz - Olive Wharry - 63-2004-5.jpg|thumb|Exeter Cathedral after the Blitz – Olive Wharry – 63-2004-5]]During the [[Second World War]], Exeter was one of the targets of a German air offensive against British cities of cultural and historical importance, which became known as the "[[Baedeker Blitz]]". On 4 May 1942 an [[Exeter Blitz|early-morning air raid took place over Exeter]]. The cathedral sustained a direct hit by a large high-explosive bomb on the chapel of St James, completely demolishing it. The muniment room above, three bays of the aisle and two flying buttresses were also destroyed in the blast. The medieval wooden screen opposite the chapel was smashed into many pieces by the blast, but it has been reconstructed and restored.<ref name=LFLT /> Many of the cathedral's most important artefacts, such as the ancient glass (including the great east window), the misericords, the bishop's throne, the [[Exeter Book]], the ancient charters (of [[Athelstan of England|King Athelstan]] and [[Edward the Confessor]]) and other precious documents from the library had been removed in anticipation of such an attack. The precious effigy of [[Walter Branscombe]] had been protected by sand bags.<ref>S C Carpenter (1943) ''Exeter Cathedral 1942''. London: SPCK p. 1-2</ref>

In July 2023, ''[[The Methodist Recorder]]'' reported that the cathedral chapter signed a sharing agreement between it and Mint Methodist Exeter for shared use of the Lady Chapel.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

== Architecture ==
[[Image:Flag of Exeter Cathedral.svg|thumb|Flag of Exeter Cathedral since 2014, flown from the North-Tower all year round]]
[[File:South Tower of Exeter Cathedral.jpg|thumb| ‘South Tower of Exeter Cathedral’, attributed to W. Davey, about 1800–1830]]

The Norman cathedral construction began in 1112, presumably at the east end and was consecrated in 1133, by which date the choir, transept and first two bays of the nave were probably complete. As detailed above, remains of the Norman building can be seen in the massive [[Transept|transept towers]]. By 1160 the nave and west front were complete, and a cloister and [[chapter house]] were added between 1180 and 1244.

During the 1270s, a new project began to replace the entire east end, starting with the east end chapels. This work is documented by a very extensive series of fabric rolls.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Miller|first=Edward|date=July 1982|title=The Accounts of the Fabric of Exeter Cathedral, 1279–1353, I: 1279–1326. Edited translated by A. M. Erskine. (Devon & Cornwall Record Society N.S. 24.) Pp. xxi + 212. The Devonshire Press (for the Devon and Cornwall Record Society), 1981. Copies from 7 The Close, Exeter, £8.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s002204690002666x|journal=The Journal of Ecclesiastical History|volume=33|issue=3|pages=494–495|doi=10.1017/s002204690002666x|issn=0022-0469|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Work advanced slowly, with the retrochoir, presbytery and choir being built in the 1290s. The original choir elevation had two storeys, but was later modified to three, presumably after the arrival of Master Roger in 1297. [[Thomas of Witney|Master Thomas of Witney]] was engaged in 1316 to design the choir furnishings, then became [[master mason]] and stayed at Exeter until 1342. 

By 1328 the church was complete to the first two bays of the nave, where a design change in the [[Vault (architecture)|vaults]] is visible. During Master Thomas of Witney's time the east cloister walk was begun (1318–25) and the nave, west front and north cloister walk were probably completed (c.1328–42). That the present west front is on the same site as the Norman predecessor is indicated by the narrowing of the nave bays towards the west, squeezed to meet an existing feature.

The image screen across the west facade and the chantry chapel of [[John Grandisson|Bishop Grandisson]] located within the west front were probably designed by [[William Joy]], who succeeded Witney as master mason in 1342 but seems to have died in 1347, possibly from the Black Death. From 1377 to 1414 the east, south and west cloister walks were finished by Master Robert Lesyngham, who probably also designed the great East Window (1390–92).

The architecture of Exeter Cathedral at first appears remarkably harmonious with the continuous run of [[Tierceron|tierceron vaults]] extending from west to east.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Exeter – Tracing the Past: Medieval Vaults|url=https://www.tracingthepast.org.uk/2021/04/07/exeter_site_by_site/|access-date=2021-09-01|language=en-GB}}</ref> Although the bays are irregular in size, the plan is throughout based on a division into ninths. There is also a wonderful array of tracery designs in the clerestorey windows.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Russell|first=Georgina|chapter=Some Aspects of the Decorated Tracery at Exeter Cathedral|title=Medieval Art and Architecture at Exeter Cathedral|editor-first=Francis|editor-last=Kelly|publisher=British Archaeological Association|year=1991|isbn=9780901286277|location=London|pages=85–93}}</ref> More detailed analysis nevertheless reveals a number of changes, including the decision to adopt a three-storey facade with a [[triforium]] more typical of cathedrals than the previous two-storey design. 3-D scanning of the vaults has also revealed numerous changes to the curvatures of the ribs.<ref name=":0" />

==Notable features==
Notable features of the interior include the misericords, the minstrels' gallery, the astronomical clock and the organ. Notable architectural features of the interior include the multiribbed ceiling and the compound piers in the nave arcade.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cothren|first=Marilyn Stokstad Michael W.|title=Art History Portable, Book 4 14th–17th Century Art.|year=2010|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|isbn=978-0205790944|edition=4th ed., Portable}}</ref>

The {{convert|18|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} [[cathedra|bishop's throne]] in the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] was made from Devon oak between 1312 and 1316; the nearby choir stalls were made by [[George Gilbert Scott]] in the 1870s. The Great East Window contains much 14th-century glass, and there are over 400 ceiling bosses, one of which depicts the murder of [[Thomas Becket]]. The bosses can be seen at the peak of the vaulted ceiling, joining the ribs together.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cothren|first=Marilyn Stokstad Michael W.|title=Art History Portable, Book 4 14th–17th Century Art.|year=2010|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|isbn=978-0205790944|pages=554|edition=4th ed., Portable}}</ref> Because there is no centre tower, Exeter Cathedral has the longest uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world, at about {{convert|96|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=LFLT>''The Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter''. Printed leaflet distributed at the Cathedral. (2010)</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
Exeter Cathedral Nave, Exeter, UK - Diliff.jpg|The nave looking east toward the organ
Exeter Cathedral Quire, Exeter, UK - Diliff.jpg|The choir looking east from the organ toward the Lady Chapel
Exeter Cathedral Great East Window.jpg|The Great East Window
Exeter Cathedral west window.jpg|The West Window
Myles_Coverdale_-_West_Window,_Exeter_Cathedral.jpg|[[Myles Coverdale]]
</gallery>

===Misericords===
[[File:Misericordtaborer.png|thumb|One of the misericords, depicting a pipe and tabor player]]
The fifty [[misericord]]s are the earliest complete set in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history/theexetermisericords.ashx
 |title       = The Exeter Misericords
 |publisher   = Exeter Cathedral
 |access-date  = 23 August 2010
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100815032806/http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history/theexetermisericords.ashx
 |archive-date = 15 August 2010
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> They date from two periods: 1220–1230 and 1250–1260. Amongst other things, they depict the earliest known wooden representation of an elephant in the UK. They have supporters.
{{clear}}

===Minstrels' gallery===
[[File:Exeter Cathedral Minstrels' Gallery.jpg|thumb|The Minstrels' Gallery]]
The [[minstrels' gallery]] in the nave dates to around 1360 and is unique in English cathedrals. Its front is decorated with 12 carved and painted angels playing medieval musical instruments, including the [[cittern]], [[bagpipe]], [[hautboy]], [[crwth]], [[harp]], [[trumpet]], [[organ (music)|organ]], [[guitar]], [[tambourine]] and [[cymbal]]s, with two others which are uncertain.<ref>Addleshaw (1921) p. 36</ref> Since the above list was compiled in 1921, research among musicologists has revised how some of the instruments are called in modern times. Using revised names, the list should now read from left to right [[gittern]], bagpipe, [[shawm]], [[vielle]], harp, [[jew's harp]], trumpet, organ, [[citole]], [[recorder (instrument)|recorder]], tambourine, cymbals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://prydein.com/pipes/exeter/index.html |title=Bagpipe Paintings: The Bagpiper of Exeter |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=prydein.com |publisher=Prydein, American Celtic-Rock |access-date=17 December 2016 |quote=[photos of the Minstrels Gallery] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731025716/http://www.prydein.com/pipes/exeter/index.html |archive-date=31 July 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{-}}

===Astronomical clock===
[[File:Exeter Cathedral astronomical clock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.23|The astronomical clock; the upper minute dial is post-medieval.]]
The [[Exeter Cathedral Astronomical Clock]] is one of the group of famous 14th- to 16th-century [[astronomical clock]]s to be found in the west of England. Others are at [[Wells Cathedral clock|Wells]], [[Ottery St Mary#Church|Ottery St Mary]], and [[Wimborne Minster (church)|Wimborne Minster]].

The main, lower, dial is the oldest part of the clock, dating from 1484.<ref name=LFLT /> The [[fleur-de-lys]]-tipped hand indicates the hour (and the position of the sun in the sky) on a [[24-hour analogue dial]]. The numbering consists of two sets of [[Roman numerals]] I to XII. The silver ball and inner dial shows both the [[lunar phase|age of the moon and its phase]] (using a rotating black shield to indicate the moon's phase). The upper dial, added in 1760, shows the minutes.<ref name=LFLT />

The Latin phrase ''Pereunt et imputantur'', a favourite motto for clocks and [[sundials]], was written by the Latin poet [[Martial]]. It is usually translated as "they perish and are reckoned to our account", referring to the hours that we spend, wisely or not. The original clockwork mechanism, much modified, repaired, and neglected until it was replaced in the early 20th century, can be seen on the floor below. The door below the clock has a round hole near its base. This was cut in the early 17th century to allow entry for the bishop's cat to deter vermin that were attracted to the animal fat used to lubricate the clock mechanism.<ref name=LFLT />
{{clear}}

===Library===
[[File:Exeter Cathedral Lady Chapel, Exeter, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Lady Chapel, where the library was originally located]]
[[File:Exeter Cathedral Lady Chapel, east window.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The Lady Chapel east window, inserted post-war replacing Victorian glass which was destroyed during WWII]]
{{Quote box
 |quote  = Si quis illum inde abstulerit eterne subiaceat maledictioni. Fiat. Fiat.<br />(If any one removes this he shall be eternally cursed. So be it! So be it!)
 |source = Curse written by Leofric on some of the books in his library<ref>{{Cite journal
  | author = Edmonds
  | title = The Formation and Fortunes of Exeter Cathedral Library
  | journal = Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association | url= http://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924106523669?urlappend=%3Bseq=29
  | volume = 106
  | page = 36
  | year = 1899
  | hdl = 2027/coo.31924106523669?urlappend=%3Bseq=29
 }}</ref>
}}
The library began during the episcopate of [[Leofric (bishop)|Leofric]] (1050–1072) who presented the cathedral with 66 books, only one of which remains in the library: this is the [[Exeter Book]] (Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501) of Anglo-Saxon poetry.<ref>{{Citation |location = Newport, Isle of Wight |author = Edward Edwards |title = Memoirs of Libraries, of Museums, and of Archives |edition = 2nd |date = 1901 |oclc = 3115657 |ol = 14022288M |author-link = Edward Edwards (librarian) }}</ref> 16 others have survived and are in the [[British Library]], the Bodleian Library or [[Cambridge University Library]]. A 10th-century manuscript of [[Hrabanus Maurus]]'s ''De Computo'' and [[Isidore of Seville]]'s ''De Natura Rerum'' may have belonged to Leofric also but the earliest record of it is in an inventory of 1327. The inventory was compiled by the Sub-Dean, William de Braileghe, and 230 titles were listed. Service books were not included and a note at the end mentions many other books in French, English and Latin which were then considered worthless.

In 1412–13 a new lectrinum was fitted out for the books by two carpenters working for 40 weeks. Those books in need of repair were repaired and some were fitted with chains. A catalogue of the cathedral's books made in 1506 shows that the library furnished some 90 years earlier had 11 desks for books and records over 530 titles, of which more than a third are service books.<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967"/>

In 1566 the Dean and Chapter presented to [[Matthew Parker]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], a manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Gospels which had been given by Leofric;<ref>{{cite book|last=Sayle|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Edward Sayle|title=Annals of Cambridge University Library, 1278–1900|page=[https://archive.org/details/annalsofcambridg00saylrich/page/49 49] (footnote 3)|year=1916|url=https://archive.org/details/annalsofcambridg00saylrich|publisher=University Library|location=Cambridge|access-date=29 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306170541/https://archive.org/details/annalsofcambridg00saylrich|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> in 1602, 81 manuscripts from the library were presented to Sir [[Thomas Bodley]] for the [[Bodleian Library]] at Oxford. In 1657 under the Commonwealth the cathedral was deprived of several of its ancillary buildings, including the reading room of 1412–13. Some books were lost but a large part of them were saved due to the efforts of Dr Robert Vilvaine, who had them transferred to St John's Hospital. At a later date he provided funds to convert the [[Lady chapel]] into a library, and the books were brought back.

By 1752 it is thought the collection had grown considerably to some 5,000 volumes, to a large extent by benefactions. In 1761 [[Charles Lyttelton (bishop)|Charles Lyttelton]], Dean of Exeter, describes it as having over 6,000 books and some good manuscripts. He describes the work which has been done to repair and list the contents of the manuscripts. At the same time the muniments and records had been cleaned and moved to a suitable muniment room.<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967"/>

In 1820 the library was moved from the Lady Chapel to the chapter house. In the later 19th century two large collections were received by the cathedral, and it was necessary to construct a new building to accommodate the whole library. The collections of [[Edward Charles Harington]] and [[Frederic Charles Cook]] were together more than twice the size of the existing library, and [[John Loughborough Pearson]] was the architect of the new building on the site of the old cloister. During the 20th century the greater part of the library was transferred to rooms in the [[Bishop's Palace, Exeter|Bishop's Palace]], while the remainder was kept in Pearson's cloister library.<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967" />

Today, there is a good collection of early medical books, part of which came in 1948 from the [[Exeter Medical Library]] (founded 1814), and part on permanent loan from the [[Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital]] (1,300 volumes, 1965). The most decorated manuscript in the library is a [[psalter]] (MS&nbsp;3508) probably written for the Church of St Helen at [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] in the early 13th century. The earliest printed book now in the library is represented by only a single leaf: this is [[Cicero]]'s ''[[De officiis]]'' ([[Mainz]]: [[Johann Fust|Fust]] and [[Peter Schöffer|Schoeffer]], 1465–66).<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967">Lloyd, L. J. (1967) ''The Library of Exeter Cathedral''. Exeter: University of Exeter</ref>

===Bells===
[[File:South tower, Exeter Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 299012.jpg|thumb|upright|The South Tower where the 12 bells hang]]
Both of the cathedral's towers contain bells. The North Tower contains an {{convert|80|-Lcwt|tonne|adj=on|lk=in|abbr=off}} [[Bourdon (bell)|bourdon]] bell, called Peter. Peter used to swing but it is now only chimed.

The South Tower contains the second heaviest peal of 12 bells hung for change ringing in the world, with a tenor weighing {{long ton||72|2|2}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?DoveID=EXETER|title = Doves Guide for Bellringers|access-date = 28 July 2014}}</ref> They are second only to [[Liverpool Cathedral]] in weight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/dove.php?searchString=&numPerPage=10&searchCountry=&searchDiocese=&searchPracN=&searchRingable=&searchBells=&searchNote=&searchAmount==&searchWeight=&searchMetric=cwt&searchDetails=&searchGF=&searchSimulator=&searchToilet=&sortBy=Tenor&sortDir=Desc&Submit=Go|title=Dove's Guide Search|website=dove.cccbr.org.uk|access-date=2018-12-02}}</ref> There are also two [[semitone]] bells in addition to the peal of 12.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.inspirewebdesign.com/ringsof12/|title = Rings of 12|access-date = 28 July 2014|website = The Rings of 12|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150221093901/http://www.inspirewebdesign.com/ringsof12/|archive-date = 21 February 2015|url-status = live}}</ref>

==Dean and Chapter==
As of 5 December 2020:<ref>[https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/about-us/our-people/chapter-members/ Exeter Cathedral — Chapter Members] (Accessed 5 December 2020)</ref>
*[[Dean of Exeter|Dean]] of Exeter — Jonathan Greener (since 26 November 2017 installation)
*Canon Precentor — James Mustard (since 25 March 2018 installation)
*Canon Chancellor — Chris Palmer (since 5 August 2018 installation)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/news-events/latest-news/appointment-canon-chancellor/|title=Appointment of Canon Chancellor|date=25 March 2018|website=Exeter Cathedral|access-date=30 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130221007/https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/news-events/latest-news/appointment-canon-chancellor/|archive-date=30 January 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Canon Steward — Cate Edmonds (SSM; (residentiary canon) since 22 October 2019 installation)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/November-2019-News.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205175356/https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/November-2019-News.pdf |archive-date=2020-12-05 |url-status=live|title=Cathedral News issue 691|date=November 2019|website=Exeter Cathedral}}</ref>

;Non-Canons<ref>[https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/about-us/our-people/cathedral-clergy/ Exeter Cathedral — Cathedral Clergy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816194433/https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/about-us/our-people/cathedral-clergy/ |date=16 August 2018 }} (Accessed 7 January 2018)</ref>
*Priest Vicar — Ian Morter (Canon Treasurer & Pastor 2010–2017; Priest Vicar since June 2018)
*Priest Vicar — Julian Ould

==Burials==
{{Expand list|date=December 2010}}
A full listing of monuments and transcription of inscriptions in the cathedral is contained in: [[John William Hewett (hymnist)|Hewett, John William]], ''Remarks on the Monumental Brasses and Certain Decorative Remains in the Cathedral Church of St Peter, Exeter, to which is Appended a Complete Monumentarium'', published in ''Transactions of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society'', Volume 3, Exeter, 1846–1849, pp.&nbsp;90–138 [https://books.google.com/books?id=ybigAAAAMAAJ&dq=buller+3+demi+lions&pg=PA128]<br />Persons buried within the cathedral include the following:
*  [[Leofric (bishop)]], first [[Bishop of Exeter]] (1050–1072)
*  [[Robert Warelwast]], Bishop of Exeter (1138–1155)
*  [[Bartholomew Iscanus]], Bishop of Exeter (1161–1184)
*  [[John the Chanter]], Bishop of Exeter (1186–1191)
*  [[Henry Marshal (bishop of Exeter)|Henry Marshal]], Bishop of Exeter (1194–1206)
*  [[Simon of Apulia]], Bishop of Exeter (1214–1223)
*  [[Walter Bronescombe]], Bishop of Exeter (1258–1280)
*  [[Peter Quinel]], Bishop of Exeter (1280–1291)
*  [[Henry de Bracton]] ({{circa|1210}} – {{circa|1268}}), English ecclesiastic and [[jurist]]
*  Sir [[Henry de Raleigh (died 1301)|Henry de Raleigh]] (died 1301), knight
*  [[Walter de Stapledon]], Bishop of Exeter (1308–1326)
*  Sir [[Richard Stapledon|Richard de Stapledon]] (died 1326), knight, elder brother of Bishop Stapledon 
*  [[James Berkeley (bishop)|James Berkeley]] (died 1327), Bishop of Exeter 
*  [[John Grandisson]], Bishop of Exeter (1327–1369)
*  [[Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon]] (1303–1377) and his wife Margaret de Bohun (died 1391)
*  [[Thomas de Brantingham]], [[Lord High Treasurer|English lord treasurer]] and Bishop of Exeter (1370–1394)
*  Sir [[Peter Courtenay (d.1405)|Peter Courtenay]] (died 1405), fifth son of [[Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon]]
*  William Wilford (died 1413), Steward, Exeter Mich. 1396–7; receiver 1397–8; Member of the council of 12 1398–9, 1401–2, 1403–4, 1405–6, 1407–8, 1409–10, 1411–12; Mayor of Exeter 1400–1, 1402–3, 1404–5, 1406–7, 1408–9, 1410–11, 1412–13.
*  [[Edmund Stafford]], [[Lord Privy Seal]], [[Lord Chancellor]], [[Baron Stafford]] and Bishop of Exeter (1395–1419)
*  [[Edmund Lacey]], Bishop of Exeter (1420–1455), whose tomb had been a shrine, but which was walled over during the Reformation, fragments were uncovered during the [[Baedeker Blitz]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/24th-september-1955/10/a-forgotten-shrine|title=A Forgotten Shrine |first=D.John |last=Stephan|website=The Tablet| access-date=18 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085259/http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/24th-september-1955/10/a-forgotten-shrine|archive-date=19 August 2014|url-status=dead| date=24 September 1955}}</ref>
*  [[John Speke (1442–1518)|John Speke]] (1442–1518) of [[Whitelackington]], Somerset and of Heywood in the parish of [[Wembworthy]] and of [[Bramford Speke]], Devon (buried in the ''Speke Chantry'')
*  [[Hugh Oldham]], Bishop of Exeter (1504–1519; buried in the ''Oldham Chantry'')
*  [[William Alley]], Bishop of Exeter (1560–1571)
*  [[William Bradbridge]], Bishop of Exeter (1571–1578)
*  [[John Woolton]], Bishop of Exeter (1579–1594)
*  [[William Cotton (bishop)|Dr. William Cotton]], Bishop of Exeter (1598–1621) buried in Exeter Cathedral. His monument with recumbent effigy survives.
*  [[Ofspring Blackall]] (1655–1716), Bishop of Exeter (1708–1716) buried on the southern side of the choir in an unmarked grave
*  [[John Ross (bishop of Exeter)|John Ross]] (1719–1792), Bishop of Exeter (1778–1792) buried in the south aisle of the choir, the place being marked by a flat tombstone and the inscription 'J. R., [[Doctor of Divinity|D.D.]], 1792.' 
*  Bryan Blundell (1757–1799), Major General in the Army and Lieutenant Colonel of the 45th Regiment of Foot
*  Sir Gawen Carew
*  Peter (Pierre) of Courtenay (1126–1183), youngest son of Louis VI of France and his second Queen consort Adélaide de Maurienne.
*  Sir [[Peter Carew]] ({{circa|1514}} – 1575) is not buried in the cathedral, but is commemorated by a mural monument.
*  [[George Knight-Bruce]], Bishop of Bloemfontein (1886– 1891) and first Bishop of Mashonaland (now Harare)(1891–1895) is commemorated by a memorial tablet.

<gallery>
CourtenayEffigiesExeterCathedral.JPG|Effigies of Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon, and his wife Margaret de Bohun
SirPeterCourtenay(Died1405)BrassExeter.JPG|Rubbing from [[monumental brass]] of Sir [[Peter Courtenay (KG)|Peter Courtenay]], Exeter Cathedral, south aisle
Peter Carew monument 2.JPG|Mural monument to Sir [[Peter Carew]], south transept
Memorial to Bryan Blundell in Exeter Cathedral.jpg|Wall tablet to Major-General Bryan Blundell Esq, north east chapel
Memorial to George Wyndham Hamilton Knight Bruce in Exeter Cathedral.jpg|Wall tablet commemorating George Knight-Bruce, first bishop of Mashonaland (now Harare)
</gallery>

==Legends==
[[File:Joseph Martin Kronheim - Foxe's Book of Martyrs Plate VIII - Prest's Wife and the Stonemason.jpg|thumb|upright|Prest's wife and the Stonemason from an 1887 edition of ''[[Foxe's Book of Martyrs]]'']]
One 19th-century author claimed that an 11th-century [[missal]] asserted that [[King Æthelstan]], the previous century, had brought together a great collection of holy relics at Exeter Cathedral; sending out emissaries at great expense to the continent to acquire them. Amongst these items were said to be a little of "the bush in which the Lord spoke to [[Moses]]", and a "bit of the candle which the angel of the Lord lit in Christ's tomb".<ref Name="Jusserand">Jusserand, J. J. (1891) ''English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages.'' London: T. Fisher Unwin; p. 327.</ref>

According to the semi-legendary tale, the Protestant martyr [[Agnes Prest]], during her brief time of liberty in Exeter before her execution in 1557, met a stonemason repairing the statues at the cathedral. She stated that there was no use repairing their noses, since "within a few days shall all lose their heads".<ref>John Foxe (1887 republication), ''Book of Martyrs'', Frederick Warne and Co, London and New York, pp. 242–44</ref> There is a memorial to her and another Protestant martyr, [[Thomas Benet (martyr)|Thomas Benet]], in the [[Livery Dole]] area of Exeter. The memorial was designed by [[Harry Hems]] and raised by public subscription in 1909.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_art/liverydole.php
|title=Livery Dole Martyr's Memorial
|publisher=Exeter Memories
|access-date=17 December 2011
|last=Cornforth
|first=David
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406225214/http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_art/liverydole.php
|archive-date=6 April 2012
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

==Wildlife==
The tube web spider ''[[Segestria florentina]]'', notable for its iridescent shiny green fangs, can be found within the outer walls. The walls are made of calcareous stone, which decays from acidic pollution, to form cracks and crevices which the spider and other [[invertebrate]]s inhabit.<ref>''Wild Devon'' The Magazine of the Devon Wildlife Trust, pages 4 to 7 Winter 2009 edition</ref>

==Music==

=== Choir ===

[[File: The College of Vicars’ Choral, Exeter.jpg |thumb|upright| The College of Vicars’ Choral, Exeter, oil on canvas by an unknown artist]]

Exeter Cathedral Choir is composed of 38 Choristers (boys and girls) along with Choral Scholars and Lay Vicars. There is also a voluntary choir, the St Peter's singers, dating back to 1881.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/worship-music/music-choirs/cathedral-choir/|title=Exeter Cathedral Choir leads around eight services each week.|website=Exeter Cathedral|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-06|archive-date=14 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114112735/https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/worship-music/music-choirs/cathedral-choir/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Organists ===
{{See also|List of musicians at English cathedrals}}
Recorded names of organists at Exeter go back to Matthew Godwin, 1586. Notable organists at Exeter Cathedral include Victorian composer [[Samuel Sebastian Wesley]], grandson of Methodist founder and hymn-writer [[Charles Wesley]], educator [[Ernest Bullock]], and conductor [[Thomas Armstrong (conductor)|Thomas Armstrong]]. The current Director of Music, Timothy Noon, was appointed in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-members/timothy-noon/|title=Timothy Noon}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Organ===
[[File:Exeter Cathedral 9578.jpg|thumb|upright|The 17th-century organ case (enlarged in 1891)<ref name=npor/>]]
The Cathedral organ stands on the ornate medieval screen, preserving the old classical distinction between [[Choir (architecture)|quire]] and [[nave]]. The first organ was built by [[John Loosemore]] in 1665. There was a radical rebuild by [[Henry Willis]] in 1891, and again by [[Harrison & Harrison]] in 1931.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.harrison-organs.co.uk/exeter.html |title=Exeter Cathedral |publisher=Harrison-organs.co.uk |access-date=18 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306013213/http://www.harrison-organs.co.uk/exeter.html |archive-date=6 March 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The largest pipes, the lower octave of the 32′ Contra Violone, stand just inside the south [[transept]]. The organ has one of only three [[trompette militaire]] stops in the country (the others are in [[Liverpool Cathedral]] and London's [[St Paul's Cathedral]]), housed in the [[minstrels' gallery]], along with a chorus of [[Diapason (pipe organ)|diapason pipes]].<ref name=npor>{{cite web|url=http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=R00458|title=The National Pipe Organ Register – NPOR|website=www.npor.org.uk}}</ref>

In January 2013 an extensive refurbishment began on the organ, undertaken by Harrison & Harrison. The work consisted of an overhaul and a re-design of the internal layout of the soundboards and ranks of the organ pipes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Organ Restoration Begins|url=http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/content/news/work-on-1-million-organ-restoration-project-begins.ashx|website=Exeter Cathedral Website|access-date=14 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022011303/http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/content/news/work-on-1-million-organ-restoration-project-begins.ashx|archive-date=22 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2014 the work was completed and the organ was reassembled, save for the final voicing and tuning of the new instrument.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cathedral organs|url=http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/worship/exetercathedralchoirandchoralscholarships/exetercathedralorgans.ashx|website=Exeter Cathedral website|access-date=14 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006235348/http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/worship/exetercathedralchoirandchoralscholarships/exetercathedralorgans.ashx|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity|Devon}}
* [[Dean of Exeter]]
* [[Exeter Cathedral School]]
* [[Exeter monastery]]
* [[Myles Coverdale]] Bishop of Exeter, 1548–1553
* [[List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe]]
* [[Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England]]
* [[Romanesque architecture]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book
|last=Addleshaw
|first=Percy
|title=Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Exeter
|edition=New and revised
|year=1921
|publisher=G. Bell & Sons, London}} Online copy {{Gutenberg|no=19424|name=here}}
*{{cite book
|last1=Erskine
|first1=Audrey
|last2=Hope
|first2=Vyvyan
|last3=Lloyd
|first3=John
|title=Exeter Cathedral – A Short History and Description
|year=1988
|publisher=Dean and Chapter of Exeter Cathedral
|isbn=0-9503320-4-6}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web
|url=http://hds.essex.ac.uk/exetercath/index.html
|title=Exeter Cathedral Keystones & Carvings: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Sculptures & Their Polychromy
|publisher=Universities of Essex – History Data Service
|access-date=23 August 2010
|last1=Henry
|first1=Avril K.
|last2=Hulbert
|first2=Anna C.}}
*Barlow, Frank, et al. (1972) ''Leofric of Exeter: essays in commemoration of the foundation of Exeter Cathedral Library in A.D. 1072''; by Frank Barlow, Kathleen M. Dexter, Audrey M. Erskine, L. J. Lloyd. Exeter: University of Exeter
*Orme, Nicholas (2009) ''Exeter Cathedral: the first thousand years, 400–1550''. Exeter: Impress {{ISBN|0-9556239-8-7}} (a history of the successive churches on the site from Roman to early Tudor times)

==External links==
{{Commons and category}}
* {{Official website|www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk}}
*[http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/PG/BellsExeter/BellsExeter.htm THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF EXETER, A DESCRIPTION OF ITS FABRIC AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EPISCOPAL SEE BY PERCY ADDLESHAW,, public domain on Project Gutenberg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809023435/http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/PG/BellsExeter/BellsExeter.htm |date=9 August 2016 }}
* [http://www.churchmonumentssociety.org/Devon_2a.html Monuments in Exeter Cathedral (Church Monument Society)]
* [http://prydein.com/pipes/exeter/index.html Pictures of the Minstrel's Gallery.]
* [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1931-0909-106 A painting of ''Interior of Exeter Cathedral''] by [[Thomas Allom]] engraved by E Challis for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834, as an illustration to [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]]'s poem {{ws|[[s:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834/The Missionary|The Missionary]]}}.

{{Deans of Exeter}}
{{Diocese of Exeter}}
{{Cathedrals of the Church of England}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Exeter Cathedral| ]]
[[Category:Anglican cathedrals in England]]
[[Category:Benedictine monasteries in England]]
[[Category:Pre-Reformation Roman Catholic cathedrals]]
[[Category:Churches in Exeter]]
[[Category:Church of England church buildings in Devon]]
[[Category:Diocese of Exeter]]
[[Category:History of Exeter]]
[[Category:Monasteries in Devon]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Exeter]]
[[Category:Grade I listed cathedrals]]
[[Category:Grade I listed churches in Devon]]
[[Category:English churches with Norman architecture]]
[[Category:English Gothic architecture in Devon]]
[[Category:Grade I listed monasteries]]
[[Category:British churches bombed by the Luftwaffe]]
[[Category:Basilicas (Church of England)]]
[[Category:Burial sites of the Capetian House of Courtenay]]
[[Category:12th-century church buildings in England]]