Heavitree

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Heavitree is a district of Exeter, Devon, England, and currently one of the wards for elections to the City Council. Its name is thought to derive from heafod treow (old English for "head tree"), which refers to a tree that either served as a neutral meeting place for Saxon kings, or as a convenient place for hanging criminals. It lies to the east of the city centre, and was formally the first significant village outside the city on the road to London. Much traffic continues to pass through the district, since it lies on the most convenient route from the city centre to the northbound M5 motorway and eastbound A30 trunk road.

In 2002, a yew tree in Heavitree churchyard was included among the "50 Great British Trees" to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. However, it is unlikely that this is the actual tree from which Heavitree gets its name.

The district's football team, Heavitree Social United (a merger of the previous Heavitree United and Heavitree Social Club), is one of the better known local teams in Exeter, as of 2006 playing in the Devon and Exeter Football League Premier division; the club has previously played in the (more senior) Devon County League.

Heavitree stone is a type of red sandstone that was formerly quarried in the area and was used to construct many of Exeter's older buildings, including the Guildhall (the oldest municipal building in England that is still in use).

The Heavitree Brewery was a local brewer, located in Heavitree; its history can be traced back to 1790. It was the last brewery in Exeter to cease production, continuing until 1970, when it was taken over by Whitbread; the brewery buildings were demolished in 1980. The name continues in use as the owner of a chain of pubs in south west England, and Heavitree Brewery PLC continues as a quoted company with its address in Exeter. There is also a linked charitable trust.

Sir Thomas Bodley, the founder of the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford, was born in Heavitree.