Bury Meadow

This little park is situated on the road to St David's Station and North Devon. The name derives from 'Berry Mead' which probably itself, comes from burh or earthwork as the Danes Castle siege earthworks are close by.

A plot 92 ft by 109 ft was excavated as a burying ground for victims of the 1832 cholera outbreak. It was 440 ft from St Davids Church and was adjacent to Barrack Road (now Howell Road). The map shows the position of the burial ground. It also shows how Bury Meadow stretched from St David's Church to Barrack Road (now Howell Road). Heles School, Heles Road, New North Road, Elmfield Road and Richmond Road have not yet been built.

In a true Victorian way, a tree was planted in the park to commemorate the marriage of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh KGL on 23 January 1874. Thus, what were important events at the time are lost in the memory of later generations.

The Coronation of Edward VII in 1901 saw Bury Meadow host sports for the Citizens' Treat day on 24th June. The schools attending were the Episcopal, St David's, Hoopern Street Girls, St Mary Arches Street Girls, St Sidwells, St James and St John's Hospital School. The Post Office Band was also in attendance to entertain the children. To round off the event, a Daylight Firework display was given.

The Blitz

In the days after the blitz of 4th May 1942, Bury Meadow was used for a field kitchen to feed women and children. Now, it is a pleasant green space in the city and has a small, well equipped children's playground. It is well used by students from Exeter College, and is even used as an area to teach surveying. The Meadow is still occasionally used for large gatherings and was the venue for a rally against the Poll Tax in 1990.

A stone plaque in the park reads: