Although the sky looks ominously grey, the sun shines through from the left, revealing a scene of destruction over much of the picture, but in the background, on the right, we see the cathedral of St Peter still dominating the horizon. This ancient cathedral miraculously escaped the bombing with relatively minor damage. One chapel and part of the south choir aisle of Exeter Cathedral were destroyed; however, the side shown in the picture was undamaged. In front of the Cathedral two leafy trees and some buildings also remain undamaged, creating a great contrast to the rest of the picture. The proximity of the cathedral to the area of devastation emphasises how close it too came to complete destruction. The foreground of the picture is dominated by the rubble left by the bombing raid. Two large bare trees and many small green shrubs show what a pleasant area this must once have been