The House That Moved, Exeter: Greatest Feat of Engineering of its Kind

The House That Moved is one of the oldest timber-framed houses in Exeter, Devon.

This crooked medieval house in Exeter, built around 1450, was moved in 1961 by 220 feet, to be saved from demolition.

It still stands today as one of the greatest feats of engineering of its kind.

The house was built in the late Middle Ages, and was located at 16 Edmund Street, on the corner with Frog Street, probably for a wealthy merchant.

This age makes it one of the oldest private dwellings in Devon, and may be one of the oldest in Europe.

The name 'The House that Moved' is as much a description as it is a moniker; the house quite literally moved from its original home at the corner of Edmund Street and Frog Street.

Before its move, the building was known simply as 'Merchant House', and stood at Number 16 Edmund Street.

In the 1950s, Exeter City Council was planning the replacement of the bridge over the Rover Exe, and the construction of a bypass road allowing traffic to avoid the city centre.

The whole of Edmund Street and Frog Street were set to be demolished in order to make way for the road construction.

However, this medieval house was Grade II listed as an important building of architectural and historic significance, and the demolition was halted.

Local historians and archaeologists were keen to save the building, so with help from the government, Exeter City Council decided to spend £10,000 to safe the house and move it out of the way!

The move was watched by newspaper reporters and cameramen from all over the world.

The building was in a poor state of repair and in order to move it, it was stripped back to just the wooden frame which still weighed 30 long tons.

Iron wheels were attached on the corners, and steel rails laid, and jacks were also added to ensure that the top-heavy house could be kept level during the move.

The house was turned through 90 degrees to be in the right orientation for the move.

The move of the building began on Saturday 9 December 1961, with the house being raised on jacks, and over the Sunday and Monday the house was slowly moved into the centre of Edmund Street.

On Tuesday 12, Edmund Street was closed to traffic by the police, and the 70 metres move up the 1:10 gradient hill was slowly completed using air-compressor driven winches.

In order to ensure that the house stayed from falling over, spirit levels were used throughout the movement.

The work started using two winches, but this ended up being too fast, and one winch was disconnected.

The house was brought into position at the bottom of West Street, opposite the Church of St Mary Steps, adjacent to the former West Gate of the city walls.

The move took about 4.5 hours in total, an impressive project.

Once in place, the house was cemented down, and went through a full refurbishment, including extensive treatment for woodworm.

The move was praised by the National Buildings Record as a "remarkable feat".

Today, The House that Moved is occupied by a wedding dress shop - if you’d like to visit, the address is: 24 West Street, Exeter, Devon, England, EX1 1BA.

Right next to The House That Moved you will find the church of St Mary’s Steps, founded in 1150 but rebuilt in the 15th century.

It was formerly by the west gate of the city and it was again rebuilt in the 19th century by Edward Ashworth.

Right next door is the famous Stepcote hill, which is one of the oldest surviving parts of Exeter. 

Here, you can meander down a steep crooked stairway lined with timer-framed cottages!

It’s also just a 2-minute walk from the magnificent Exeter Cathedral - home to the longest uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world, at about 96 metres.

Founded in 1050, Exeter Cathedral is one of Europe’s great cathedrals.

The building was significantly developed from the 12th to 14th centuries and remains the most complete example of a first rank church in the English Decorated architectural style.

Its visual beauty is a story in stone and glass, embroidery and wood of the faith that built it; a faith which is alive and well and can be experienced here every day.

It’s a wonderful place to explore if you’re thinking about visiting Exeter.

They offer daily tours, and you can book in advance via their official website.

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