‘The House that Moved’ (originally known as Merchant House) is the most historic house in one of England’s most historic cities – Exeter. Built in the 15th century, around 1430, it is one of the oldest private houses left in Europe.
Originally built on a corner site on Edmund street and Frog Street we now find it at the bottom of West Street, its top floors leaning across towards its new neighbour. It’s as if its windows were tired of looking out at the same view for more than 500 years and fancied a change!
How and why did it magically move?
In the 1960’s the house was penciled in for demolition, the casualty of a new road and the redevelopment of the old city. But outraged archaeologists and concerned locals came to its rescue, hatching a plan to have the house moved 70 metres down the street to a new site where it could spend the next 500 years in peace.
In its new position, the house has had many lives – it’s now a bridal shop. So uneven are the tilting floors that customers sometimes complain of feeing dizzy…and with the wooden beams thought to have come from a galleon it’s as if they are seasick and the old ship is still sailing!
