Exeter Local History Society
Exeter Local History Society members are hooked on history. If you share our fascination, why not join us? We have between 6 and 12 lecture meetings a year (details below), plus we occasionally have long-distance outings, and we cover an incredibly diverse range of subjects from Roman remains to post-WW2 redevelopment.
Our regular monthly meetings at Leonardo Hotel Exeter are usually held on the second Thursday of a month. Full details of future walks and talks are given below.
The charge for each meeting is normally £5 (free to members) and the annual membership fee is £12 (£16 for joint membership). If you sample a meeting and decide to join, the £5 cost will be deducted from your first annual fee. Walks and visits normally cost £5 p.p. for members and visitors alike.
We also produce six newsletters a year — how about we email you the most recent as a free taster? To request a copy just email us at:
And do check out this website and see for yourself the great selection of subjects with which we entertain our members. Just click on "Past Events" to explore our programme! Click on "How To Join Us" for an application form. Please fill out this form if you wish to stay updated on our events and receive newsletters.
We hope we will see you soon at one of our many events!
Exeter City Walls
with Dr Stuart Blaylock on Thursday, 10 April 2025
at 7pm at Leonardo Hotel Exeter [Jurys Inn Exeter Hotel]
From the time of its first construction in the late 2nd century AD the city wall of Exeter has encircled the town and defined its historic core.
The talk will offer a summary of research on the wall over the years:
- to show how the understanding of the defences, including ditches and ramparts, developed;
- to show how the identification of surviving original Roman work has ebbed and flowed; and
- discuss the many different phases of repair and rebuilding that have made the wall the patchwork of Roman, Medieval and later masonry that we see today.
Dr Blaylock will also talk about current issues of repair and maintenance, since the wall is probably under more of a threat today than at any time in the last century.
Our speaker, Dr Stuart Blaylock, is an independent scholar and archaeologist who has lived and worked in and around Exeter since 1978. In 2022, he gave an insightful talk about the Rougemont castle to the Society.
Tickets for this event can be secured by following the link below. The event registration is free for the members of the Society; there is a very small (£5) fee for non-members.
The Curator and the Curious
Miss Tothill, the first Curator of St. Nicholas Priory
with Ben Clapp on Thursday, 8 May 2025
at 7pm at Leonardo Hotel Exeter [Jurys Inn Exeter Hotel]
When St Nicholas Priory opened as a Museum in 1916, Miss Tothill was appointed as Curator of the building. Expected to be little more than a custodian, she transformed the Priory into a place that entertained and astounded the curious who visited. This included Authors, Musicians and even Royalty. More than that it even became the home for several Ravens!
This tale has come to light due to the recent discovery of her scrapbook of her time there. This remarkable document, long known of but believed lost, has illuminated the Priory during her time there, and shows her amazing foresight for posterity.
This is the story of a remarkable woman who brought St Nicholas Priory to life for its many visitors for over two decades, and in turn has become an integral part of its history.
Ben Clapp works at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and has been involved with St Nicholas Priory for over seventeen years and has studied it for almost as long. Focussing on the last few hundred years of the building's history, he has uncovered many unique and wonderful stories and facts about the place and is always willing to tell people about them!
Tickets for this event can be secured by following the link below. The event registration is free for the members of the Society; there is a very small (£5) fee for non-members.
Semper Fidelis:
Rebellion, history and identity in Tudor & Stuart Exeter
on Wednesday, 6 August 2025
from 2 pm until 5 pm at Exeter Guildhall
The event will feature two talks:
Professor Mark Stoyle, "Semper Fidelis: The Civic Community of Exeter and the Memory of the Western Rising of 1549"
Exeter people have long been proud of their city's ancient motto Semper Fidelis (i.e., "Ever Faithful"). But how ancient is that motto? Why was it chosen in the first place? And how does it relate to the so-called "Jesus Day" festivities which were formerly celebrated in the city every 6 August? Mark Stoyle's lecture will explore these questions, and, in the process, will reveal that the motto which lies at the heart of Exeter's modern-day "civic brand" has its roots in the bitter religious rivalries of the mid-sixteenth century.
Dr Todd Gray, "Exeter's myths and manuscripts of the 1500s"
Exeter has a particularly rich archive for the Elizabethan period and yet the city's history has had some extraordinary fabrications. In this lecture, Dr Gray will outline some of those myths and reveal the staggering documents that we take for granted.
The tickets to this event cost £6 and are available from Exeter Corn Exchange. You can get tickets by clicking on the link below:
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