Higher Cemetery Lodge

SX 9393 ST MARKS AVENUE 871/12/10038 (East side) 19-FEB-01 Higher Cemetery Lodge II

Lodge to Exeter Cemetery. c1866, the date at which the cemetery was officially opened, although it had been established for some time previously (Falla). Designed by Edward Ashworth of Exeter. Snecked Heavitree stone with Bath stone dressings. Slate roof with horizontal bands of different coloured slates & fleur de lis finials to the ridge tiles. Cast iron rainwater goods. Rendered chimney shafts. Decorated Gothic Revival style. Plan: main range 1-room deep, 2 rooms wide plus rear service block with M roof and axial chimney stacks. Exterior: 2 storeys. 2 window front with central gabled porch. Porch has slate roof and slit windows in either side. Pointed arched plank-and-cover-strip front door. 2-light stone window to left of main entrance and 3-light window to the right, both trefoil-headed; 2-light gabled half dormers at first floor; windows glazed with diamond paned glass turnout. The gable end of main range has a canted bay window at ground floor with a hipped roof and 4 trefoil-headed high-transomed lights; 2-light window with trefoil-headed lights to first floor; trefoil in apex of gable. Service block attached to rear contains 2-leaf plank door in a cranked arch. Right return: gable end of main range has 3-light window at ground floor and 2-light window at first. Both are high transomed with trefoil-headed lights, trefoil in gable apex. Rear of service blocks have rear doors and 2 3-light casements at ground floor; vertical pane narrow casement in each gable. INTERIOR: Not inspected, but may retain features of interest Historical Note: the site of the cemetery was originally 10 acres, increased to 38 by the First World War (Brooks). Edward Ashworth was one of the leading local Victorian architects with an office in Dix's Field, Exeter. He specialised in church restoration. An attractive composition with the Mortuary Chapels (qv). (T Falla, Discovering Exeter: Heavitree, Exeter, 1983, pp. 44-6; C Brookes, Mortal Remains, Exeter, 1989, p.133)

Listing NGR: SX9364893227