Newtown, Exeter facts for kids

Portland Street, Newtown today

Newtown is a historic area in the city of Exeter, England. It is located between the areas of St Sidwells and Heavitree. For a long time, even since Saxon times, Newtown was known as a place where many working-class families lived.

A Look Back in Time

Early Days and Workhouses

Newtown was mostly countryside until the 1800s. In 1671, a "workhouse" was built here. A workhouse was a place where poor people could live and work in exchange for food and shelter. Another workhouse was built around 1700, on the land where Heavitree Hospital is now.

Building with Clay: Brick Making

Did you know that the Romans made bricks and tiles in Exeter? They used clay found within the city walls. By the 1500s, people started using the rich red clay from Newtown to make bricks. The main brick factory was located where a dry ski-slope and golf driving range are today.

Growing Pains: Health and Housing

In the 1830s, there were serious sicknesses called Cholera epidemics. To help stop the spread of disease, an open sewer (a channel for waste water) that ran down the hill was covered over. This created a new road called Clifton Road.

In the mid-1800s, many small houses were built in Newtown. These "terraced houses" were for manual workers, labourers, and their families. Later, in the 1880s, St Matthews Church was also built in the area.

War and Rebuilding

During the Second World War, in May 1942, Exeter was heavily bombed. These attacks were part of what were known as the Baedeker raids. Newtown was badly hit, and many buildings were destroyed, including part of Newtown School.

After the war, the area was rebuilt. In the late 1960s, new blocks of flats were constructed. An important road called the Inner By-pass (also known as Western Way) was also built. This road cut through the northern part of Newtown, changing the area's layout.