Launch of West Exe Trail by Neil Parish MP

THE story of how Tiverton was transformed from woollen cloth slump to industrial lace-making prosperity is told in a new history trail around the town.

The West Exe Trail consists of three panels linked by pavement medallions which takes people around the key areas of Tiverton’s rich textile manufacturing history.

The trail will be officially launched at 10.30am on Friday, September 10 by Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish. A guided walk of the trail will follow, setting off from the Exe Bridge.

The current concrete bridge was built in the 1960s and replaced a 400-year-old stone bridge over the river. After low-lying parts of the town were flooded by several feet of water 50 years ago, a flood prevention scheme was developed and the original five-arched bridge was replaced.

From the bridge, trail walkers are taken to Heathcoat’s factory. Tiverton’s first factory was operating by 1793, producing heavy woollen cloth, but within 20 years production ceased. A new era arrived when the factory was sold to Midlander John Heathcoat, who pioneered the bobbin lace-making process, and following an attack by Luddites on his factory in Loughborough he moved the enterprise to Tiverton.

From 1822, Heathcoat diversified his Tiverton enterprise. Gasworks were added to light the factory and by 1824, a foundry was in operation. The first factory school in the West Country was built in the 1840s, and other provision for the factory workforce included a dispensary, terraced housing and the Anglican Church is St Paul’s Square.

John Heathcoat and Co was taken over by the Coats Paints group in 1969, while a management buyout in 1984 enabled the firm to operate independently. Today, Heathcoat Fabrics remains one of the largest employers in the town.

The third and final point where a panel has been erected is alongside the almshouses of West Exe. With their attractive Tudor chimney stacks and adjoining chapel, with its ancient Cleve bell, which called occupants to daily prayer, the almshouses have been a feature of the town since being founded in 1577.

The trail has been completed to complement the Merchants’ Trail around the rest of the town opened two years ago and also funded in conjunction with the town enhancement scheme. There will also be a chance to join Tiverton Civic Society for guided walks along the original trail in two sections this weekend.

These walks are part of the programme for the Heritage Open Days event in Tiverton which runs from September 9-12. Full details on the programme of free access to historic properties around Tiverton and district during the event are available from the Tourist Information Centre on 01884 255827.

Date: Friday, September 10, 2010