THE journey of the Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter has been a long and complex story of tragedy, delays, ownership changes and ultimately restoration since the disastrous Cathedral Yard fire on October 28, 2016.

As its new owners mark the 10th anniversary by shining a spotlight on their ambitious plans for the site, they are also looking back on the extraordinary history of what was probably the country’s first ever “hotel”.

Archaeological digs beneath the cellars have uncovered early Roman remnants, placing the site at the heart of the Roman city of Isca Dumnoniorum.

By the 13th century, as Exeter Cathedral was being rebuilt, the site housed a grand Canon’s house under the jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter.

Then, during the 15th and 16th centuries, timber-framed buildings lined Cathedral Yard. Portions of these early party walls and subterranean stone vaults survived inside the building structure right up until the 2016 fire.

Built by local banker William Mackworth Praed from 1769, the property opened as a Georgian assembly room complex designed for grand balls, concerts, and social gatherings overlooking Cathedral Close.

In September 1770, Pierre Berlon, a French manager, took over the management and advertised the property as an “hotel”, the first recorded adoption of the French word for a high-standard lodging establishment in England outside London.

In July 1827, Adelaide, Duchess of Clarence – the wife of the future King William IV – stayed at the hotel and, in honour of her visit, the inn officially took the title the Royal Clarence Hotel.

In 2003 hotelier Andrew Brownsword bought it for £4.5 million, renovating it into a 53-room boutique hotel branded as ABode Exeter.

It operated successfully under this name until the morning of October 28, 2016.

That was the day fire broke out in an adjacent art gallery on Cathedral Yard. Fuelled by old timber framing and a ruptured gas main, it spread into the hotel.

Andrew Brownsword announced plans to sympathetically rebuild the property as a 74-bedroom hotel, receiving initial planning consent. However, the escalating costs proved economically unviable for the group.

The plot was sold to South West Lifestyle Brands, led by former Plymouth Argyle football club chairman James Brent.

Recognising that a full hotel rebuild was unfeasible, he submitted revised plans to convert the upper floors into luxury residential apartments, with high-end eateries and shops on the ground and basement levels. Exeter City Council officially granted planning permission in September 2023.

However the after-effects of the Covid pandemic brought economic uncertainty not only for the Clarence project but also for the country as a whole.

The site was eventually sold to local developer NooKo in April 2025. NooKo’s plan is for an exclusive collection of 25 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

Work started on site in January 2026 and full planning permission was granted just this month. The rebuilding is due to be completed by the end of 2027.

The historic facade of the Clarence is being reconstructed to match its former appearance using authentic materials and salvaged fabric where possible.