Seven Stars Inn

The modern Seven Stars Inn on the Alphington Road, opposite the retail park at Marsh Barton surprisingly, has a very long history. The first Seven Stars Inn dates from at least the 16th century. It was situated on the river bank, close to the old Exe Bridge in Okehampton Street, St Thomas. The roadway of the modern Exe Bridge roundabout runs over the site of the inn.

It is documented that George Fox, an early Quaker,  preached here in 1657. He wrote:

"We then travelled on till we came to Exeter; and at the sign of the Seven Stars, an inn at the bridge foot, had a general meeting of Friends out of Cornwall and Devonshire".

The First Theatre

It was in 1721 that an upper room in the inn was used as a regular theatre venue - the first in the city. In 1725 Brice's Weekly published this advert:

"Advert, of Punch's Theatre at the 7 Stars St. Thos. Plays by artificial actors also legerdemain & a tumbling girl, 10 years old."

Legerdemain meant a sleight of hand, so the show incorporated a magician.
The venture was successful for on 15 November 1728, John Gay's Beggars Opera was performed there, just months after the first performance in London. It was in 1735 that Exeter's first purpose built theatre was built in Waterbeer Street, and the thespians vacated the Seven Stars.

Flooding

There was also a mention of the Seven Stars in the Midsummer Sessions of 1726, when two men who were supervisors, were charged with allowing the highway...

"...to be ruinous and in decay, by reason whereof ye River Ex did overflow the Highway and for permitting ye Comon Highway between the seven stars and the Tenements called the Barton of Hayes containing about 30 peirches to be so ruinous and in decay for want of repairacon that ye Kings Subjects cannot go pass and repass that way without danger of their lives".

Flooding was not uncommon, as witnessed in 1960 when St Thomas was engulfed twice.

Advert circa 1910

The landlord in 1857 was Thomas Hex who had previously run the Plymouth Inn in Alphington Street. The stone mason and fledgeling artist, William Widgery exhibited some Landseer copies at Hex's public house and encouraged by Hex who recognised his talent, gave up his day job to become a professional artist. Widgery's son F J also became a successful artist, and was Mayor of the city in 1903.

Destroyed by Bombing

The freehold was purchased by the City Brewery in 1889. By the 20th century, the Seven Stars was a popular pub - it was on a tram route into the city and just over the bridge from the Cattle Market. Many workers from Willey's would have called in for a drink on their way home from a shift. It was sold in 1933 to Randalls for £8,000. However, its end came on 4th May 1942 when it, along with 11 other properties in Okehampton Street were destroyed by the German raid that night.

The Stars Shine Again

The Bonhay Cattle Market closed and moved to a site on the Alphington Road at the entrance to what would become Marsh Barton in 1939. The market workers no longer had a pub nearby to quench their thirst and it was in 1960 that a pub was built opposite the market - it was named the Seven Stars. The cattle market has closed to be replaced by the Stone Lane Retail Park, but the Seven Stars remains - it was refurbished in March 2003 and now offers an extensive food menu.

Some landlords listed in the trade directories are:

1822 - Wood, Wm: Tavern/Inn (Seven Stars) - Pigot's
1850 - Seven Stars' Inn, Mrs. Bragg, Okehampton road - White's
1857 - Hex T., seven stars inn, okehampton st - Exeter Directory
1859 - Hex T., seven stars inn, okehampton st - Exeter Directory
1878 - Southwood William, vict, Seven Stars, Okehampton street -
1889 - Seven Stars hotel, William Henry Hattin, Okehampton st, St Thomas, Exeter 
1906 - Seven Stars, Howard, T., Okehampton street, St Thomas - Besley's
1913 - Seven Stars, Howard, T., Okehampton st, St Thomas - Besley's
1914 - Seven Stars, Howard, T., Okehampton st - Besley's
1916 - Seven Stars, Howard, T., Okehampton st - Besley's
1919 - Howard Thomas, Seven Stars hotel, Okehampton street, St Thomas - Kelly's
1923 - Seven Stars hotel, Thomas Howard, Okehampton street, St Thomas, Exeter - Kelly's
1956 - not listed
1967 - Seven Stars, Alphington rd - Kelly's

Source: Various trade directories, website Journal of George Fox, Northcott Theatre website, Brices' Weekly, West Country Studies Library, Art in Devonshire by George Pycroft. Photo of the Seven Stars sign by Sean Creech.