The founding of the cathedral at Exeter,…
1135 CE
The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was transferred from Crediton because of a fear of sea-raids.
A Saxon minster already existing within the town (and dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Peter) was used by Bishop Leofric as his seat, but services were often held out of doors, close to the site of the present cathedral building.
William Warelwast, a nephew of William the Conqueror, had been appointed to the see in 1107; this had been the catalyst for the building of a new cathedral in the Norman style.
Its official foundation is in 1133, during Warelwast's time, but it will take many more years to complete.