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Lower North Street was originally
the main route to and from the City's North Gate. A regular six horse coach service
from Barnstaple to Exeter prompted the removal of the gate in 1769 allowing the coach to
enter the City. Passengers normally got off at the Barnstaple Inn (burned down in the
late 1970's), Plume of Feathers and the Blackboy Inn. The Iron Bridge was
built in 1834 to allow easier access to the City.
The late C17th and early years of C18th saw a marked increase in the number of new inns to cater for the heavier traffic in Wool, Yarn, Corn and meat, coming into the City through the North Gate. For centuries the North Gate area had very few Inns, the only one of any real importance being the 'George' near the top of Northgate Street (mentioned in a deed of 1578), though the Black Dog just beside the gate was of some antiquity. Within a few years, several others had arisen, notably The North Devon in 1681, the Barnstaple Inn and Elephant Inn in Northgate Street (now North Street) and the Packhorse Inn. Much of Paul Street was hit by incendiary bombs during WW2 and many of the Street's pubs were burned out then. By all accounts these pubs were generally not were you'd take your wife, but often where you might cheat on her. |
Stuart Callon Copyright ©2001-2004