5 Cathedral Close

This building in Cathedral Close, in an early Georgian style, can trace its origins back to the Annuellars College that stretched from Mols at 1 Cathedral Close to 5 Cathedral Close. The Annuellars were minor clergy who performed the daily masses commemorating the wealthy patrons of the cathedral. The college was constructed about 1528 to house eighteen members. The Annuellars were disbanded at the Reformation, when the building was divided up into tenements. 

The present structure at no., 5, dates from 1729 when the site was purchased by Francis Drewe, who built himself a town house fit for a gentleman. Drewe represented Exeter in Parliament from 1715. Much of the structure behind the fine façade is from the college including the original medieval hall.

A tailor and habit maker Mr C B Presswell occupied the building in 1850. The Dean and Chapter leased the building to Charlotte Treadwin, in 1867, for her Honiton lace business, which included workshops and a showroom. Treadwin was a favourite of Queen Victoria, who purchased several pieces of her lace, and granted her the Royal Warrant. After Treadwin's death in 1890, Miss Herbert continued the business until the 1920s, continuing to live at no., 5, up until her death, in 1929.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, Murray's, an antique dealer traded from the building. Another antique dealer, Morland-Coon occupied the front premises in 1972, while the Exeter Town and Club occupied the upper hall from 1970, moving from Southernhay House, and sharing the building with Midas Construction and Peter Wadham Antiques in 1988. The Church Commissioners sold the building in the 1990s, and after an archaeological investigation, it was restored and repaired to become a restaurant in 1998. This building is currently a popular pizza restaurant called Ask.

Sources: Exeter Timetrail and various trade directories.