Church of St Mary Major, Exeter

It was situated to the immediate south-west of Exeter Cathedral, the site today being a grass lawn.

[1] Saint Boniface (c. 675–754), supposed to have been born in Crediton, Devon, was educated at Exeter Minster in 680, when the monastery of Escancastre,[2] or Examchester[3] was under the rule of Abbot Wulfhard.

The new cathedral was completed circa 1220, whereupon the minster was vacated by the bishop, and was converted to a parish church dedicated to Saint Mary.

The "Major" suffix appears to indicate a church of special status, as in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

It escaped the bombing in World War II which so much of the city suffered, but was finally demolished in 1971, being by then little attended by parishioners.

View from north-west: Centre with square tower, the Church of St Mary Major, Exeter, the Norman building demolished in 1865. At left is the west front of Exeter Cathedral . The axis of St Mary Major is towards the north-east, whilst the cathedral is more to due east, as is apparent from the depiction. [ 1 ]