Eastgate and Eastgate House

The recent demolition of Eastgate House on the corner of the High Street and Paris Street is just the latest chapter in the history of the Eastgate.

It was the Romans who built the city wall with its four gates. The Eastgate was always considered to be the second most important after the Southgate. By the time of King Athelstan, the cities defences had crumbled - he strengthened the wall and presumably the gates as well.

William the Conqueror laid siege to the city from the Eastgate, and had to undermine the walls, before the citizens would surrender to him. Another royal rebellion, by Perkins Warbeck in 1497 who claimed that he should have the throne as he was the younger of the Princes in the Tower, was repelled by the Courtenay's in the High Street, after he broke down the Eastgate. The King, Henry VII, stayed at Exeter soon after, to deal with the rebels, and presented the city with his 'hatt of mayntenunce' and sword to be borne through the streets as in the City of London.

In 1492, the pipe that carried water from St Sidwell's to Cathedral Green was replaced when sections of passage under Eastgate were tunnelled, as far as St Stephens Church, and a three inch lead pipe laid - it was carried on, along the High Street, as far as the Carfax, at Fore Street, in a trench. This is now part of the Underground Passage.

The gate was completely rebuilt in 1511-13 after the damage caused by Warbeck's siege. Robert Poke of Thorverton was engaged to "bild and make Estgate of the Cite to finde all maner of stuffe and he to have for his labor 128l. and to bild 6 votores." In 1512, the Receiver sold 6 acres of Duryard to pay for the rebuilding.

A statue of Henry VII was placed over the arch to commemorate the event. The Eastgate was used for a time as a tavern called the Salutation. It was in 1784 that the old gate was finally taken down to allow easier access to the High Street.

Eastgate House

The Eastgate House that was demolished in 2005 had its seeds in a building dating back to the 1930's. The Co-op built a modern structure of concrete, on the site of the old Cathedral Dairy. Alongside, in the High Street was the 19th-century Eastgate Arcade, that stretched to Southernhay. The blitz of 1942 destroyed all the surrounding buildings, but the Co-op miraculously survived. It was said that the firewatchers flung the incendaries off the roof to land on the Arcade, which was destroyed as a consequence. A report at the time stated:

"There, fire guards were able, in this modern Co-operative Society Building, to tackle the I.B. as they fell. The fire guards were stationed on the concrete roof, and not only were they able to deal with all their I.B.s, but kept the building intact....".

When the High Street was rebuilt in the 1950's, the Co-op building was refurbished and enlarged and named Eastgate House.