Top of Goldsmith Street, c.1860, Exeter

Goldsmith Street, c.1860, Exeter, George Townsend

Goldsmith Street was a narrow lane dating from Saxon times, leading from the High Street to Paul Street. Buildings on the High Street can be glimpsed in the background of this picture. The central gutter in the cobbled street and the jettied medieval houses give a sense of the character of medieval Exeter. Some measures were taken to widen the street after this picture was painted by Townsend. Goldsmith Street survived the Blitz of 1942 but was finally demolished in the 1970’s by the City Council to make way for the Guildhall Shopping Precinct. The neo-classical Higher Market built in this street in the 1830’s would have been familiar to Townsend but this, too, was demolished in the 1970’s. A modern street still bears the name. The street name is a reminder of the eminent goldsmiths who worked in the city for several centuries and that Exeter was one of only seven cities in the country with its own assay office and hallmark. The Hilliard family is famously associated with Exeter and may have had workshops in this street. Richard Hilliard was a renowned goldsmith in the sixteenth century and his son, Nicholas Hilliard, achieved success as the painter of miniature portraits, particularly those of Queen Elizabeth 1. The building glimpsed in the distance is 52 High Street which, in Townsend’s time, was the premises of a lacemaker and later a ladies’ outfitter. The building was demolished and now holds the premises of Burger King. Lace production was another well-known industry in Exeter and the surrounding towns. As with many of Townsend’s pictures this one provides a valuable record of a lost area of Exeter.

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George Townsend

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