England Guide
Devon and Cornwall
St Peter's Cathedral
Opening time: Daily 9.30am–5pm
Price: £3.50 suggested donation
The most distinctive feature of Exeter's skyline, St Peter's Cathedral is a stately monument made conspicuous by the two great Norman towers flanking the nave. Close up, it's the facade's ornate Gothic screen that commands attention: its three tiers of sculpted (and very weathered) figures – including Alfred, Athelstan, Canute, William the Conqueror and Richard II – were begun around 1360, part of a rebuilding programme which left only the Norman towers from the original construction.
Entering the cathedral, you're confronted by the longest unbroken Gothic ceiling in the world, its bosses vividly painted – one, towards the west front, shows the murder of Thomas à Becket. The Lady Chapel and Chapter House are thirteenth-century, but the main part of the nave, including the lavish rib-vaulting dates from a century later. There are many fine examples of sculpture from this period, including, in the minstrels' gallery high up on the left side, angels playing musical instruments, and, below them, figures of Edward III and Queen Philippa. In the Choir don't miss the sixty-foot bishop's throne or the misericords – decorated with mythological figures around 1260, they are thought to be the oldest in the country. Outside, a graceful statue of the theologian Richard Hooker surveys the Cathedral Close, a motley mixture of architectural styles from Tudor to Regency, though most display Exeter's trademark red brickwork.