In October we moved into our new home, close to Exeter city centre. We’re about two minutes walk from Fore Street, which goes up to the main high street. All quiet on a Sunday morning. 
Swinging through 180 degrees, at this junction Fore Street becomes New Bridge Street. Perpendicular to this the streets follow the line of the old city wall which dates back to Roman times. Indeed many of the buildings, like our own house, sit on top of it.
As you can see New Bridge St is flanked by handsome but fairly modest four-storey buildings with shop units at ground floor level.
Although at no. 34 there is a rather grand doorway, slightly out of keeping with the rest of the building.
Just opposite no. 34 you can see that you’re on a bridge. You can look down to the leat that served the mills on the Exe, outside the city walls.
A little further and it’s clear you are on a bridge, this time over the inner bypass. There are stairs down on your right.
When you reach the bottom of the stairs you look back and understand that what you thought were four storey buildings were actually more like seven or eight. You’ve been walking along halfway up them.
And just behind them is a rather grand building, now a plumber’s merchants but once the Mission Hall, where the poor and destitute could get a farthing breakfast or a penny dinner.
The grand entrance is to the side of the hall and you can’t quite get far enough away to get it all in a photo.
You can walk up the alley between the buildings on New Bridge Street and the Mission Hall…
…where you will find that leat we saw earlier from above disappearing under the buildings.
But what of that curious bridge linking the Mission Hall to the New Bridge Street buildings?
Well, you remember that doorway at no. 34? That was the entrance from New Bridge Street. And it was known as ‘coffin way’, because that was how they were brought in and out.
There’s more information about the Mission Hall on Exeter’s excellent local history website. exetermemories.co.uk/em/_churches/e…
By the way, I really want to go inside the Mission Hall and take some photos. I will add them to the thread if and when I can.
By the way part two, this is my street, built on top of the city wall.
Addenda. The Peace Shop is still there (don’t know if it’s the same location).
https://twitter.com/dulwichomnibus/status/1363429979858628613
I’m glad you asked.
https://twitter.com/coups_left_peg/status/1363420780730716168?s=21
A few people mentioned getting their first tattoo done here. A shop so narrow they do one shoulder, you walk out, face the other way, and shuffle back in so they can do the other shoulder.
And I guess the reason it’s called New Bridge Street is because it’s right next to the old bridge. I’m standing on the new bridge.
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