This is on the doorway of the Co Op Bank
"Blue Boy" ... Around about 1238, a hospital was endowed and dedicated to St John the Baptist, by the East Gate. The hospital was a religious foundation to house twelve poor people. After the Reformation of the 1530's, the hospital was shut.
It was in 1633 that the buildings were first used as a grammar school upstairs, and the English Free School downstairs. A uniform of blue caps and gowns were introduced for the boys of the English Free School, leading to the boys being nicknamed Blue Boys. A small statue of a Blue Boy was placed at the entrance to the main hall.
The May 1942 bombing destroyed the ancient school buildings. When Princesshay was opened in the 1950's, the Blue Boy statue that stood outside of the school was salvaged and placed on a plinth in the precinct, at a spot that marked the position of the main entrance of the school.
Just near the Roman Wall, is a permenant reminder of May 1942 and Exeter being one of the so-called "Baedecker Raids". Exeter was not a military target, but much was damaged this month.
Fortunately, the cathedral was almost un-touched.
Exeter has been the home of many famous people, and the holiday home for others (such as Sir Walter Raleigh & Charles Dickens). As you can see it was also the 7th stop on the journey to bring news of the Battle of Trafalgar to London.
Another missing gate -
