The first pub you come to is The Heavitree, on the corner of Church Street. There is a Lounge bar at the back (Church St entrance), or use the front entrance for the main bar. Finish your pint and head over Church St to the Ship and Pelican. Both The Heavitree and The Ship and Pelican date back as far as 1740, although The Heavitree was then known as the Horse & Jockey. The Ship and Pelican was known as The Ship until the mid eighties. The Heavitree only became known as such in August 2006, formerly being known as The Horse and Groom.

Before schools were built later in the 19th century, both pubs were used as public rooms. The Ship was used for distributing cloth to the poor annually until the 1820s. Coroners inquests also took place here. The parish dinner for the poor to celebrate King George IVs coronation was held in the Ship in 1821. Both pubs were used for refreshments after paupers funerals, for which an allowance of three shillings (15p) per burial was paid until the 1820s. The skittle alley is more than a century old.

Execution

Livery Dole at the brow of Heavitree Road was a place of execution until 1531. The last person to be executed here was Thomas Benet who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs. It was a brutal execution involving burning furze being pushed into his mouth when he would not deny the heresy of his son who had put a message on the Cathedral's west door saying that the pope was an anti christ.

St Lukes High School (formerly Vincent Thompson and my old school), is built on land that in Victorian times was home to a point to point race meeting, the Heavitree Races. The course was about 1 1/2 miles long and thousands of people attended, taking 'ordinary' meals in the Heavitree pubs afterwards.  The parish of Heavitree has a population of 22,000, the third largest in Devon and has 3 churches and a chapel.

The oldest church is St. Michael's. Heavitree was for centuries the centre of the Saxon Kings Manor of Wonford, despite being well outside the walled city. It is thought that courts and councils were held on the site of St. Michael's by a great tree beside the Roman road into Exeter which is now Fore Street Heavitree.

It is possible that a church was built on this site before AD700 and that the name Heavitree comes from 'Hefa's tree' or heafod treow (the chief tree). A 12th century church was altered in the 14th and 15th centuries and completely restored in 1541. Rebuilding of the nave took place in between 1844 and 1846 and the tower erected for the Queen's jubilee in 1887, leaving what we see today. For a good view of the church, head down between the Ship & Pelican and Horse & Groom. Its on your right. Eight bells were hung in the tower in 1897 and these were overhauled in 1993.

Just up from the Church was the site of the old Heavitree Brewery. The company still exists at Trood Lane, Matford, although brewing ceased in 1970 when Whitbread were brought in to supply its 120 tied houses.

A small family business was established in 1790 and was flourishing by the early 19th century, it was at the time headed by Thomas Buller Wolland. His sister, Elizabeth married Thomas R. Baker (an Exeter iron merchant), who in 1837 sold his business with the intention of entering into partnership with his brother in law in the beer business. Unfortunately he dropped dead a few months later.

Wolland then saw that his widowed sister take over the business, so business was conducted in her name until her death in 1889.

Trade was good and the firm became Baker & Son in 1860 when NG Baker joined the firm. NG Baker realised his asset in 1890 when Heavitree Brewery Ltd was formed. He also joined the board of the new company.

The company expanded by buying public houses, one of the earliest was the Horse and Groom in 1891. Heavitree Brewery also swallowed up the rival Windsor Brewery in 1899, shutting it down in 1902.

They accquired George Finch's Eagle Brewery in Exeter (38 North St, 144 Fore St) and Pinsents of Newton Abbot. A Mr Gall was appointed secretary in 1916. He systematically robbed the brewery reducing them to financial ruin by 1922.

One of the company's creditors, John Tucker bought a major shareholding after this and was able to take the company to new heights with the help of his friend HC Hammars. Expansion re-started with the acquisition of further local breweries. 1970 saw the final brew in Church Street.

The Maltings replaced the brewery, the only building remaining linked to the brewery is the Cooperage in Sivell Place which has now been incorporated into a home.

The Windsor Brewery