Exeter history

The favourable location of Exeter, on a dry ridge of land overlooking a river that was teeming with fish, and with fertile land nearby, suggests that it would have been a site that was occupied early. The discovery of coins dating from the Hellenistic period in the city indicates the existence of a settlement as early as 250 BC.

More than 1,000 Roman coins have been found in the city indicating its importance as a trading centre. The dates of these coins suggest that the city was at its most prosperous in the first half of the fourth century. However, virtually no coins dated after 380AD have been found, suggesting a rapid decline.

Exeter was the centre of a rebellion in Southwest England in 1068. The Normans lay siege to Exeter for 18 days but they were unable to capture it. Eventually the people of Exeter agreed to submit to William the Conqueror. In return he swore an oath that he would not harm the town. However he built a castle to make sure the townspeople behaved themselves in future. Exeter Castle was built on a hill known as red hill (rouge mont in Norman French) because of its red rock. The castle became known as Rougemont castle.

Exeter: the university

After earlier beginnings, university education in Exeter began in 1922 with the conversion of the previous Royal Albert Memorial College into the University College of the South West of England, and the College's inclusion on the list of institutions eligible to receive funds from the then University Grants Committee. At that time the College was conceived as a territorial institution, making university education available relatively locally for students from the four counties of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset. As was customary for new university institutions in southern England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the College prepared students for external degrees of the University of London. With further growth in the 1920s and 1930s, it was granted increasing autonomy, but full independence was delayed by the Second World War. The university college received its Royal Charter and became the free-standing University of Exeter in December 1955.

Famous Alumni

Exeter has a large number of well-known alumni. Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips attended the University in the late 90s. J. K. Rowling the author of the Harry Potter books read French and Classics in the mid 80's. Robert Bolt playwright and two-time Oscar and BAFTA winning screenwriter (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, A Man For All Seasons) also attended Exeter. Jonathon Band First Sea Lord of the United Kingdom, the most senior serving officer in the Royal Navy read Economics in the 70s. Fiona Shackleton, the high-profile divorce case lawyer, read law in the 1970s. Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, read English and Fine Arts at the University of Exeter.