Staircase in the King John's Tavern, 1834, Exeter

Staircase in the King John's Tavern, 1834, Exeter

The private house that became known as King John's Tavern was built in about 1500 and stood at the top of South Street, on the opposite side of the road from Little Stile. The site of Little Stile is now occupied by the open walkway leading from South Street into Cathedral Yard, which is flanked by Warren's Bakery and The Beer Cellar. It was well known and architecturally significant for its plasterwork ceilings, wooden panelling and the staircase which is illustrated in this drawing. The classic Elizabethan frontage was taken down in the mid-1830s as part of the Improvement Commissioners' plans to widen South Street and the remainder of the building was probably demolished before 1870.

Though known as King John's Tavern, it was certainly not in continuous use as an inn. The Devon Heritage Centre has a detailed card index to the Exeter Flying Post newspaper covering the years 1763-1885, but the first mention of King John's Tavern is not until 1815. In March of that year, O. Macdonald, late of the City Tavern, Gandy Street, advertised that he had taken and re-opened the house 'known for ages as King John Tavern'. Even then, this inn had a relatively short existence, having ceased trading by 1839. The building was advertised to be let in February 1839 and again in September 1840 and the inn was not listed in any trade directory after 1839.

Five drawings of architectural features in the King John's Tavern by the famous Exeter artist John Gendall (1789-1865) can be found in the illustrations collection at the Devon Heritage Centre.

Related Collections

Prints and Drawings