Water in the City: The Aqueducts and Underground Passages of Exeter

by Mark Stoyle

Overview

The city of Exeter was one of the great provincial capitals of late medieval and early modern England and possessed a range of civic amenities fully commensurate with its size and importance. Among the most impressive of these was its highly sophisticated water supply system. Beautifully illustrated, Water in the City reveals the story of that system’s rise, zenith, and eventual decline. Mark Stoyle shows how and why the passages and aqueducts were originally built, considers the technologies that were used in their construction, explains how they were funded and maintained, and reveals, among other fun facts, the various ways water fountains were used and abused by the townsmen and women.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780859898775
Publisher:	University of Exeter Press
Publication date:	06/05/2014
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Mark Stoyle is professor of early modern history at the University of Southampton. He is the author of numerous books, most recently of The Black Legend of Prince Rupert’s Dog.

Table of Contents

Illustrations
 
Acknowledgements
 
Glossary of archaic words and phrases used in the text and documents
 
Abbreviations
 
1. Introduction
 
Part I: The History of Exeter’s Underground Passages and Aqueduct Systems
 
2. The Aqueducts of Medieval Exeter, 1180-1420
 
3. The Development of the New Conduit, 1420-1536
 
4. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
 
5. The City Aqueducts under the Early Stuarts
 
6. After the Restorations
 
Part II: The Life of the City Aqueducts
 
7. The Role of the Aqueducts in Exeter’s Daily Life, 1500-1700
 
Part III: Documents relating to the City Aqueducts, 1420-1603
 
The Exeter Receivers and their Accounts
 
1. Extracts from the City Receivers’ Accounts, 1420-1603
 
2. ‘Outgoings for making of Exeter’s New Conduit’, 1441
 
3. Account of Work on the Great Conduit, 1534-5
 
Notes
 
Bibliography
 
Index of Persons
 
Index of Places and Subjects

Editorial Reviews

A thoroughly readable account which is handsomely illustrated with maps and photographs. The volume is a masterpiece of organizational skill. . . . We must express our gratitude to Mark Stoyle for producing such an impressive, comprehensible and readable volume on this aspect of the City’s history.

Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries - Margery Rowe

These religious and civic drains are splendid monuments, a credit to Exeter, and so is this study.

Medieval Archaeology - John Schofield

The author of this book has produced an exceptional piece of local history about a fascinating case study. This is an engaging work that is deeply researched, richly illustrated and expansive in both its time frame and the range of broader scholarly conversations with which it interacts. It is one of the best medieval water case studies that this reviewer has encountered.  It is clear, vibrant, and provides a depth of visual and textual evidence that one rarely sees deployed as effectively as this in such studies.  It is also a beautifully produced book and worth the time and attention of medieval and modern historians.

The Historian - Ellen F. Arnold

"The book's reliance on both documentary and material evidence ensures a solid foundation of scholarship, while its ability to tell such an interesting tale of urban technology in terms of its impact on humans will appeal to a large audience at home and abroad." Maryanne Kowaleski, Professor of History at Fordham University, NY "[...] a thoroughly readable account which is handsomely illustrated with maps and photographs. The volume is a masterpiece of organizational skill [...] We must express our gratitude to Mark Stoyle [...] for producing such an impressive, comprehensible and readable volume on this aspect of the City's history." Margery Rowe, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, Autumn 2015) "The text is easy to follow, and it was encouraging to see a glossary." "As one might expect from mark Stoyle, the work is replete with well-chosen primary and secondary references." "The illustrations, most of which are in colour, are of excellent quality and the reviewer found the maps illustrating the development of Exeter's water-supply particularly informative. Finally, a rarity nowadays, the book is well-indexed." "Professor Stoyle is well-known for his studies on various aspects of the history of Exeter and the wider westcountry. This book is a well-researched and well-presented work that will, no doubt, enhance his reputation even more." Sadru Bhanji, Transactions of the Devonshire Association, 146, 2014

From the Publisher