Water in the City

The book provides a richly illustrated history of Exeter’s famous underground passages-and of the city’s sophisticated system of public water supply during the medieval and early modern periods.The aqueduct tunnels are a vivid testament to the skill of the medieval craftsmen who built them, and cannot be paralleled anywhere else in Britain.

The city of Exeter was one of the great provincial capitals of late medieval and early modern England, possessing a range of civic amenities fully commensurate with its size and importance.Among the most impressive of these was its highly sophisticated system of public water supply, including a unique network of underground passages.Most of these ancient passages still survive today. Water in the City provides a richly illustrated history of Exeter’s famous underground passages-and of Exeter’s system of public water supply during the medieval and early modern periods. Illustrated with full colour throughout, 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 the various ways in which the water fountains were used and abused by the townsfolk.

Illustrations Acknowledgments 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, 1226-1420 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 Restoration Part II: The Life of the City Aqueducts 7 The Role of the Aqueducts in Exeter's daily life Part III: Documents relating to the City Aqueducts The Exeter Receivers and their Accounts 1. Extracts from the City Receivers' Accounts, 1424-1603 2. 'Outgoings for making of Exeter's New Conduit', 1441 3. Account of Work on the Great Conduit, 1534-35 Notes Bibliography Index,

Illustrations  
Acknowledgments
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, 1226-1420             
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 Restoration                                                        
Part II: The Life of the City Aqueducts
7        The Role of the Aqueducts in Exeter’s daily life              
Part III: Documents relating to the City Aqueducts
The Exeter Receivers and their Accounts               
1.       Extracts from the City Receivers’ Accounts, 1424-1603 
2.       ‘Outgoings for making of Exeter’s New Conduit’, 1441 
3.       Account of Work on the Great Conduit, 1534-35            
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Mark Stoyle is Professor of early modern history at the University of Southampton. He specialises in early modern British history, with particular research interests in the ‘British crisis’ of the 1640s; cultural, ethnic and religious identity in Wales and Cornwall between 1450 and 1700; and popular memory of the English Civil War from 1660 to the present day.

• By (author) Mark Stoyle

"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
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“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)

 

 

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