During breakfast we talked to our hostess about our genealogy work and what we planned to see in Devon. She got out her copy of the Domesday Book in modern English. The book is essentially a census done after 1080, just a couple decades after the Norman invasion. The new king wanted to know what he ruled. Interesting that it listed livestock but not peasants. The important point for us was that the villages our ancestors lived in and then left in 1854 were already well established in 1080.
We left Worthing at about 10:45, a little later than we wanted. We decided on the scenic route to Exeter. At lunchtime we got off the main road and I confused left and right (amazingly easy to do in England) and led Brother down the wrong road which didn't have exits. I tried to get the map on the phone to tell us where restaurants were, but it wouldn't cooperate. In frustration I handed the phone to Niece, who guided us to a pub where we had a nice lunch.
We got into Exeter at 5:00, about an hour later than the navigation system on the phone suggested we would. This meant we weren't able to see inside some of the buildings, like the cathedral. Our hotel turned out to be or third one above a pub.
We set out to explore the town. We walked through Northernhay Gardens which had sections of Roman and Saxon walls. Then on through the downtown pedestrian zone and the Exeter Riddle, a monument with eight riddles on it (I didn't write them down to share). That's Brother in front of the monument and niece to the right.
At this hour the cathedral was closed for the day. As we got close, however, we could hear the bells ring. I could identify it as English change ringing and was delighted to hear it. I explained to Niece and Brother that in change ringing the bells are mounted on wheels that allow them to be rung a single time. Ringers pull on ropes to ring the bells in descending order. Once that is going smoothly they begin to ring changes – each time all the bells are played they are in a different order and ringers must know the pattern of how their bell moves through the order. A “peal” is about 40 thousand different orders and can take 15 hours to perform. Most ringing towers have plaques for those who complete a quarter peal. A much more complete explanation occupied our supper.
That supper was at a restaurant in the Quay near the Customs House. This used to be the shipping port. Now it is a place of restaurants and pubs. Many of our days were a big breakfast at 7:30 or 8, lunch at 1 or 2 and supper at about 7 or 8.
The hotel room was OK, though I think they were trying hard for the smallest bathroom. Then there was the big sodium light outside my window that illuminated the building in the evening.
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