1.Mechanical bird, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street
1.Mechanical bird, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street
(Stop 1 of 13)
Created in 1999 to celebrate the Devon and Exeter Arts, Gandy Street becoming the Exeter Phoenix, this sculpture was designed with hydraulics which enable it to rattle into life every hour.
From the Phoenix turn round and head back down the hill and turn left. Walk along Gandy Street towards the town centre. Turn left on to the High Street and walk past Urban Outfitters shop. Turn around outside the White Company shop and look upwards at the side of the Urban Outfitters building.
2. Relief Sculpture at Urban Outfitters, Exeter High Street
2. Relief Sculpture at Urban Outfitters, Exeter High Street
(Stop 2 of 13)
Designed by the internationally renowned Portuguese graffiti/street artist Alexandre Farto, this relief sculpture was specially commissioned by Urban Outfitters to celebrate the opening of its new store.
Born in 1987 Alexandre Farto studied at Central St Martin's. Known for his dramatic, oversized portraits which he creates by carving directly into outdoor walls. He often uses industrial techniques such as controlled explosions and drilling. This work was created by first painting the design on to the wall then chiselling away the design.
His subjects are ordinary people who he meets briefly in the city or town in which he is working. He enjoys elevating the ordinary person into an icon.
Walk past the White Company shop and continue along the High street on the same side until you reach the silver Riddle Sculpture which is situated just outside Jones the shoe shop.
3. Riddle Sculpture, High Street, Exeter
3. Riddle Sculpture, High Street, Exeter
(Stop 3 of 13)
Created by the artist Michael Fairfax this sculpture was commissioned in 2005 as part of a major refurbishment of the high street. Taking a triangular form the stainless steel panels alternate with verses from the Exeter riddles a book of verses which dates from 960 AD. This book is the earliest known example of Anglo Saxon poetry in existence. The verses have been translated into modern English and were engraved onto the panels in reverse so that they could be read the right way up in the opposite panel. The answer to the riddle is to be found engraved upon a stainless steel sphere between the panels.
The Exeter Riddle book is kept in Exeter Cathedral's library and is incomplete, having been used in the medieval period as a carpenter's chopping block. The verses chosen for this work were carefully chosen as many in the book were very long or obscene.
Continue along the High street on the same side until you reach the pedestrian sculpture which is found just outside of Boots.
4. Pedestrian Sculpture, Boots High Street
4. Pedestrian Sculpture, Boots High Street
(Stop 4 of 13)
Commissioned by Devon County Council to commemorate the year of the pedestrian. This sculpture is by Cornish artist Carole Vincent. Since 1989 when it was placed in the high street it has become a symbol of Exeter and has been given the nick name of the 'Wibbly Wobby people'. It was removed in 2003 to allow for the High Streets refurbishment and was reinstated in 2005 by popular demand.
Cross over and take the road almost directly opposite between Next and Starbucks to make your way to the next sculpture on Princesshay Lane.
5.The Exeter Phoenix, Princesshay Lane, Exeter
5.The Exeter Phoenix, Princesshay Lane, Exeter
(Stop 5 of 13)
This relief of a Phoenix rising from the flames represents Exeter's rebuilding following the blitz of April and May 1942. Hughes Garage commissioned the work in 1957 for a new building in the centre of Princesshay on the site of their previous building.
6.The Universal Pilgim Statue, Southernhay
6.The Universal Pilgim Statue, Southernhay
(Stop 6 of 13)
This sculpture is by the local artist David Holland. It was carved in 2015 as a reaction to his experience of violence and inhumanity. The work was gifted to Exeter by the artist in response to the work carried out by Councillor Suaad George into equalities.
The next sculpture is located immediately on the wall of the car park behind this sculpture.
7. Princesshay Car Park- Silver Leaves Sculpture
7. Princesshay Car Park- Silver Leaves Sculpture
(Stop 7 of 13)
This beautiful work sits on the curved wall of the Princesshay car park and spans 30ft in height. It was commissioned by Land Securities and Exeter City Council to commemorate the Queens diamond jubilee visit to Exeter in May 2012. The work was created by international artist's Studio Roso who draw inspiration the works future location.
This work of 450 stainless steel mirrored silver leaves takes inspiration from a Beech tree which stood close by before its removal due to a fungal infection.
Turn around and head back the way you came and continue on into Princesshay shopping centre.
8. The Blue Boy Statue, Princesshay, Exeter
8. The Blue Boy Statue, Princesshay, Exeter
(Stop 8 of 13)
This statue originally stood in Princesshay where the St John Hospital School originally stood. It was removed as part of the new development of Princesshay shopping centre. Due to public demand and affection for the statue it was reinstated for the opening in 2007.
It is thought that the original statue was made around 1632 at or soon after the founding of the St John's Hospital School. It is from this original statue that four cast iron blue boys were made in 1859/1860 when the school room at the St John's Hospital School was rebuilt. These casts are smaller than the original at 3ft 6 inches (1.06 metres high). The school was closed in July 1931, following the closure two of the statues were displayed in the hall of the Vicar's Choral, South Street and two disappeared. Following the destruction of the Vicar's Choral in 1942 in the blitz, the statues were rescued and taken to a building owned by the hospital trust in Upton Pyne, Clyst St Lawrence. The two statues which disappeared were found in a builder's yard. It is thought that the blue boy in Princesshay is one of the lost builder's yard statues.
9. Hope and Despair, Bampfylde Lane
9. Hope and Despair, Bampfylde Lane
(Stop 9 of 13)
Standing outside Urban Outfitters in Princesshay, looking up you will see two sculptures. These works like Blueboy have been relocated to their present position from Bedford Street. They were sculpted by Darsie Rawlins (1912-2003), mainly known for his ecclesiastical works, he was also a letter cutter in the Arts and Crafts tradition. A slow and painstaking worker, he worked in his studio 7 days a week. He mainly cut in stone, but also used wood, bronze and bronze resin. The figure on the right is shown in despair with hands covering her head with her hands in despair at the bombing of the city. Whilst the second figure portrays hope, holding a torch to help guide towards a new future.
10. In Memory May 1942, Roman Walk, Exeter
10. In Memory May 1942, Roman Walk, Exeter
(Stop 10 of 13)
This work was commissioned as a memorial to the 1942 bombing of Exeter city centre and was designed by Roger Dean. It is formed from a curved stainless steel inset with two highly detailed bronze reliefs which were created from photographic records of the city which were taken the day after the bombardment of Exeter. The front relief panel was part of an original fountain by Roger which was a feature of the original Princesshay. As part of the redevelopment it was found that the fountain needed to be removed. This allowed Roger to revisit his original design and create a new contemporary response to the theme.
10. Glow Stones, Bedford Street, Exeter
10. Glow Stones, Bedford Street, Exeter
(Stop 11 of 13)
These glass 'Pebble Seats' by Jeff Bell are found in Princesshay Square. They were inspired by Exeter's historic wall and its weather beaten bricks. These stones are made from stacked glass planes. They have been placed to reveal new sight lines through the square helping to direct the eye towards Exeter's historic cathedral.
By night this work takes on a completely different feel. The works are illuminated from within and gradually change with a gentle kaleidoscope of colours.
11. Marking Time, Catherine Street
11. Marking Time, Catherine Street
(Stop 12 of 13)
This work by Patricia MacKinnon-Day, BDP Lighting and Livingston Eyre Landscape Architects. Interprets the historic medieval alms-houses. Placed in situ are freestanding glass doors in the exact location of the buildings original doors. Within the doors are held archaeological finds from the site. Other elements from the installation are flickering votive lights in the space of the chapel and also texts etched into the pavement from the historic Chapter Act Books which describes the lives of the people who lived there.
12. Richard Hooker, Cathedral Yard
12. Richard Hooker, Cathedral Yard
(Stop 13 of 13)
Statue of Richard Hooker (1553-1600) writer and theologian.
Sculpted by Alfred Drury ARA (1856-1944). Drury was an architectural sculptor. The work was based on a portrait by a Flemish artist, held in the National Portrait Gallery and cost £1000 guineas. It was unveiled following a service at Exeter cathedral on October 25th, 1907 by the Bishop of Exeter.
My Explore Exeter's Sculpture Notes
Explore Exeter's Sculpture
Exeter’s Sculpture and Art
Welcome to the public sculpture trail which guides you through Exeter’s interesting and diverse public sculptures and art.
We hope you enjoyed this public sculpture trail.
Donate today and show you support culture in our communities
More by Explore Exeter's Sculpture
- Introduction
- These terms and conditions govern your use of our website.
- By using our website, you accept these terms and conditions in full; accordingly, if you disagree with these terms and conditions or any part of these terms and conditions, you must not use our website.
- If you submit any material to our website or use any of our website services, we will ask you to expressly agree to these terms and conditions.
- You must be at least 13 years of age to use our website; and by using our website or agreeing to these terms and conditions, you warrant and represent to us that you are at least 13 years of age.
- Our website uses cookies; by using our website or agreeing to these terms and conditions, you consent to our use of cookies.
- Copyright notice
- Copyright (c) 2024 Explore Exeter's Sculpture.
- Subject to the express provisions of these terms and conditions:
(a)we, together with our licensors, own and control all the copyright and other intellectual property rights in our website and the material on our website; and
(b)all the copyright and other intellectual property rights in our website and the material on our website are reserved.
- Licence to use website
- You may:
(a)view pages from our website in a web browser;
(b)download pages from our website for caching in a web browser;
(c)print pages from our website;
(d)stream audio and video files from our website; and
(e)use our website services by means of a web browser,
subject to the other provisions of these terms and conditions. - Except as expressly permitted by the other provisions of these terms and conditions, you must not download any material from our website or save any such material to your computer.
- You may only use our website for your own personal and business purposes and you must not use our website for any other purposes.
- Except as expressly permitted by these terms and conditions, you must not edit or otherwise modify any material on our website.
- Unless you own or control the relevant rights in the material, you must not:
(a)republish material from our website (including republication on another website);
(b)sell, rent or sub-license material from our website;
(c)show any material from our website in public;
(d)exploit material from our website for a commercial purpose; or
(e)redistribute material from our website. - We reserve the right to restrict access to areas of our website, or indeed our whole website, at our discretion; you must not circumvent or bypass, or attempt to circumvent or bypass, any access restriction measures on our website.
- You may:
- Acceptable use
- You must not:
(a)use our website in any way or take any action that causes, or may cause, damage to the website or impairment of the performance, availability or accessibility of the website;
(b)use our website in any way that is unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful, or in connection with any unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful purpose or activity;
(c)use our website to copy, store, host, transmit, send, use, publish or distribute any material which consists of (or is linked to) any spyware, computer virus, Trojan horse, worm, keystroke logger, rootkit or other malicious computer software;
(d)conduct any systematic or automated data collection activities (including without limitation scraping, data mining, data extraction and data harvesting) on or in relation to our website without our express written consent;
(e)access or otherwise interact with our website using any robot, spider or other automated means;
(f)violate the directives set out in the robots.txt file for our website; or
(g)use data collected from our website for any direct marketing activity (including without limitation email marketing, SMS marketing, telemarketing and direct mailing). - You must not use data collected from our website to contact individuals, companies or other persons or entities.
- You must ensure that all the information you supply to us through our website, or in relation to our website, is true, accurate, current, complete and non-misleading.
- You must not:
- Posting material
- To be eligible to post information on our website you must be at least 13 years of age and resident in the United Kingdom.
- User IDs and passwords
- If you register for an account with our website, we will provide you with a user ID and password.
- Your user ID must not be liable to mislead and must comply with the content rules set out in Section 9; you must not use your account or user ID for or in connection with the impersonation of any person.
- You must keep your password confidential.
- You must notify us in writing immediately if you become aware of any disclosure of your password.
- You are responsible for any activity on our website arising out of any failure to keep your password confidential, and may be held liable for any losses arising out of such a failure.
- Cancellation and suspension of account
- We may:
(a)suspend your account;
(b)cancel your account; and/or
(c)edit your account details,
at any time in our sole discretion without notice or explanation.
- We may:
- Your content: licence
- In these terms and conditions, "your content" means all works and materials (including without limitation text, graphics, images, audio material, video material, audio-visual material, scripts, software and files) that you submit to us or our website for storage or publication on, processing by, or transmission via, our website.
- You grant to us a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, store, adapt, publish, translate and distribute your content in any existing or future media / reproduce, store and publish your content on and in relation to this website and any successor website / reproduce, store and, with your specific consent, publish your content on and in relation to this website.
- You hereby waive all your moral rights in your content to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law; and you warrant and represent that all other moral rights in your content have been waived to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
- Without prejudice to our other rights under these terms and conditions, if you breach any provision of these terms and conditions in any way, or if we reasonably suspect that you have breached these terms and conditions in any way, we may delete, unpublish or edit any or all of your content.
- Your content: rules
- You warrant and represent that your content will comply with these terms and conditions.
- Your content must not be illegal or unlawful, must not infringe any person's legal rights, and must not be capable of giving rise to legal action against any person (in each case in any jurisdiction and under any applicable law).
- Your content, and the use of your content by us in accordance with these terms and conditions, must not:
(a)be libellous or maliciously false;
(b)be obscene or indecent;
(c)infringe any copyright, moral right, database right, trade mark right, design right, right in passing off, or other intellectual property right;
(d)infringe any right of confidence, right of privacy or right under data protection legislation;
(e)constitute negligent advice or contain any negligent statement;
(f)constitute an incitement to commit a crime[, instructions for the commission of a crime or the promotion of criminal activity;
(g)be in contempt of any court, or in breach of any court order;
(h)be in breach of racial or religious hatred or discrimination legislation;
(i)be blasphemous;
(j)be in breach of official secrets legislation;
(k)be in breach of any contractual obligation owed to any person;
(l)depict violence, in an explicit, graphic or gratuitous manner;
(m) be pornographic, lewd, suggestive or sexually explicit;
(n)be untrue, false, inaccurate or misleading;
(o)consist of or contain any instructions, advice or other information which may be acted upon and could, if acted upon, cause illness, injury or death, or any other loss or damage;
(p)constitute spam;
(q)contain pictures of children under the age of 16 years whose parental consent hasn't been completly gained;
(r)be offensive, deceptive, fraudulent, threatening, abusive, harassing, anti-social, menacing, hateful, discriminatory or inflammatory; or
(s)cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to any person. - Your content must be appropriate, civil and tasteful, and accord with generally accepted standards of etiquette and behaviour on the internet.
- You must not use our website to link to any website or web page consisting of or containing material that would, were it posted on our website, breach the provisions of these terms and conditions.
- You must not submit to our website any material that is or has ever been the subject of any threatened or actual legal proceedings or other similar complaint.
- Report abuse
- If you learn of any unlawful material or activity on our website, or any material or activity that breaches these terms and conditions, please let us know.
- You can let us know by email by clicking here: michele.green@exeter.gov.uk
- Limited warranties
- We do not warrant or represent:
(a)the completeness or accuracy of the information published on our website;
(b)that the material on the website is up to date; or
(c)that the website or any service on the website will remain available. - We reserve the right to discontinue or alter any or all of our website services, and to stop publishing our website, at any time in our sole discretion without notice or explanation; and save to the extent that these terms and conditions expressly provide otherwise, you will not be entitled to any compensation or other payment upon the discontinuance or alteration of any website services, or if we stop publishing the website.
- To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law we exclude all representations and warranties relating to the subject matter of these terms and conditions, our website and the use of our website.
- We do not warrant or represent:
- Limitations and exclusions of liability
- Nothing in these terms and conditions will:
(a)limit or exclude any liability for death or personal injury resulting from negligence;
(b)limit or exclude any liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
(c)limit any liabilities in any way that is not permitted under applicable law; or
(d)exclude any liabilities that may not be excluded under applicable law. - The limitations and exclusions of liability set out elsewhere in these terms and conditions:
(a)govern all liabilities arising under these terms and conditions or relating to the subject matter of these terms and conditions, including liabilities arising in contract, in tort (including negligence) and for breach of statutory duty. - To the extent that our website and the information and services on our website are provided free of charge, we will not be liable for any loss or damage of any nature.
- We will not be liable to you in respect of any losses arising out of any event or events beyond our reasonable control.
- We will not be liable to you in respect of any business losses, including (without limitation) loss of or damage to profits, income, revenue, use, production, anticipated savings, business, contracts, commercial opportunities or goodwill.
- We will not be liable to you in respect of any loss or corruption of any data, database or software.
- We will not be liable to you in respect of any special, indirect or consequential loss or damage.
- You accept that we have an interest in limiting the personal liability of our officers and employees and, having regard to that interest, you acknowledge that we are a limited liability entity; you agree that you will not bring any claim personally against our officers or employees in respect of any losses you suffer in connection with the website or these terms and conditions (this will not, of course, limit or exclude the liability of the limited liability entity itself for the acts and omissions of our officers and employees).
- Nothing in these terms and conditions will:
- Indemnity
- You hereby indemnify us, and undertake to keep us indemnified, against any and all losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation legal expenses and any amounts paid by us to a third party in settlement of a claim or dispute) incurred or suffered by us and arising directly or indirectly out of:
(a)any breach by you of any provision of these terms and conditions; or
(b)your use of our website.
- You hereby indemnify us, and undertake to keep us indemnified, against any and all losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation legal expenses and any amounts paid by us to a third party in settlement of a claim or dispute) incurred or suffered by us and arising directly or indirectly out of:
- Breaches of these terms and conditions
- Without prejudice to our other rights under these terms and conditions, if you breach these terms and conditions in any way, or if we reasonably suspect that you have breached these terms and conditions in any way, we may:
(a)send you one or more formal warnings;
(b)temporarily suspend your access to our website;
(c)permanently prohibit you from accessing our website;
(d)block computers using your IP address from accessing our website;
(e)contact any or all your internet service providers and request that they block your access to our website;
(f)commence legal action against you, whether for breach of contract or otherwise; and/or
(g)suspend or delete your account on our website. - Where we suspend or prohibit or block your access to our website or a part of our website, you must not take any action to circumvent such suspension or prohibition or blocking (including without limitation creating and/or using a different account).
- Without prejudice to our other rights under these terms and conditions, if you breach these terms and conditions in any way, or if we reasonably suspect that you have breached these terms and conditions in any way, we may:
- Third party websites
- Our website includes hyperlinks to other websites owned and operated by third parties; such hyperlinks are not recommendations.
- Competitions
- From time to time we may run competitions, free prize draws and/or other promotions on our website.
- Competitions will be subject to separate terms and conditions (which we will make available to you as appropriate).
- Variation
- We may revise these terms and conditions from time to time.
- The revised terms and conditions will apply to the use of our website from the date of their publication on the website, and you hereby waive any right you may otherwise have to be notified of, or to consent to, revisions of the terms and conditions. / We will give you written notice of any revision of these terms and conditions, and the revised terms and conditions will apply to the use of our website from the date that we give you such notice; if you do not agree to the revised terms and conditions, you must stop using our website.
- If you have given your express agreement to these terms and conditions, we will ask for your express agreement to any revision of these terms and conditions; and if you do not give your express agreement to the revised terms and conditions within such period as we may specify, we will disable or delete your account on the website, and you must stop using the website.
- Assignment
- You hereby agree that we may assign, transfer, sub-contract or otherwise deal with our rights and/or obligations under these terms and conditions.
- You may not without our prior written consent assign, transfer, sub-contract or otherwise deal with any of your rights and/or obligations under these terms and conditions.
- Severability
- If a provision of these terms and conditions is determined by any court or other competent authority to be unlawful and/or unenforceable, the other provisions will continue in effect.
- If any unlawful and/or unenforceable provision of these terms and conditions would be lawful or enforceable if part of it were deleted, that part will be deemed to be deleted, and the rest of the provision will continue in effect.
- Third party rights
- These terms and conditions are for our benefit and your benefit, and are not intended to benefit or be enforceable by any third party.
- The exercise of the parties' rights under these terms and conditions is not subject to the consent of any third party.
- Law and jurisdiction
- These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.
- Any disputes relating to these terms and conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
- Our details
- This website is licensed and operated by Explore Exeter's Sculpture.
- You can contact us by using by email to michele.green@exeter.gov.uk