A BRIEF HISTORY OF GANDY STREET

Many consider Gandy Street to be one of the most charming, and interesting streets in Exeter. Lined with bijou gift shops, high fashion boutiques, hand made jewellers and bars, it is an essential stop for those visiting Exeter.

Running off the High Street, at a right angle, the line of the street marks the path that the Roman soldiers followed, when patrolling the boundary of their fortress of Isca. The actual street dates from the Saxon, in King Alfred's time and is one of several 'grid like' streets from this period, including Martin's Lane and Catherine Street.

It is recorded that it was called Correstrete in 1265 - this name probably came from the Middle English word for currying, or the curing of leather. It was also known as St Lucie's Lane in 1669. The street was renamed Gandy's Lane and then Gandy Street after Henry Gandy, Mayor of Exeter in 1661 and 1672.

Coolings bar was once the Albion Inn, while Vaults on the corner of Little Queen Street was part of the Queens Hotel run by Paul Collings, a Spanish born servant of Sir Harry Smith, whom he accompanied in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. Other lost inns of Gandy Street include the Volunteer Inn, and the City Arms. In former times, Gandy Street offered more mundane shops and offices, including the Exeter Brick Co and a Registrar of Marriages.

The Mayoralty House was a well furnished house, situated just inside Gandy Street from the High Street. It was used by the Mayor and Chamber to provide public entertainments. It was also used for accommodating visiting Judges and as the residence for the City Sword bearer and his family. New Buildings, is an interesting little arcade in Gandy Street, providing jewellery, ethnic clothing and hairdressing, and is one of those nooks and crannies that gives the area its charm.

The Cavern Club, the Exeter home of Coldplay is just off Gandy Street in Queens Walk, while the top end of the street is close to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery and the Exeter Phoenix.

More recently, for those who are Harry Potter fans. When JK Rowling was at Exeter University and sat in Boston Tea Party to write, she was inspired by Gandy Street so much she based Diagon Alley on it.

The Governor of Tasmania

The street was the childhood home of Colonel David Collins RM, the first Judge Advocate in New South Wales (1788-1796) and the first Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania (1804-1810). George P Harris, the first deputy Surveyor General of Tasmania was also brought up in Gandy Street. The two discovered their common childhood home when chatting in a tent in South Australia.

Used with permission from Exeter Memories. Click here to visit the site.

Source: Various sources including Jenkins History of Exeter.