The Rougemont Hotel, Queen Street

This very prominent hotel is situated in Queens Street, opposite Central Station. In 1818, a House of Corrections or Exeter Borough Prison was built on the site to replace the old Southgate Prison at the bottom of South Street. There were shackles until quite recently in the cellar of Drakes Bar, that had survived from the prison. The prison closed in 1863.

The Devon and Cornwall Hotel Company commenced construction in January 1877 with the outer wall of the old prison demolished - the foundation stone was laid in April 1877 and construction out of brick with white Beer and Bath stone dressings commenced. The main, ground floor entrance hall was 60 ft (18 metres) long, 20 ft (6 metres) wide and 30 ft (9 metres) high. The first floor is supported in Doric columns while the second floor is over Corinthian columns. The coffee room on opening was 60 ft long, again, with four Doric columns supporting the box girders of the panelled ceiling.

The hotel was designed by Mr C E Ware AICE of Exeter and constructed by Mr James Matcham of Plymouth. Mr E Whipple of Plymouth supplied the bell apparatus and gas-fittings, and the lifts were from Waygood and Co., of Leeds. Local firm Garton and King were contracted to fit out the kitchen in the basement with two ranges, and also to fit out the laundry and drying room. It seems that the company were lavish with their requirements, and there probably was not another hotel in Exeter that had the same level of equipment at the time.

At completion, the hotel had cost £21,000, plus £5,000 for fittings, and £6,000 for furnishings. A grand dinner was given at the opening in May 1878.

The hotel as we see it now was only the first phase of a planned, much larger hotel. There was to be another wing to the left of the main hotel and a further section along with a wing on the right, complete with a circular tower, making the existing main building the centre of a hotel spreading along Queens Street. In addition, the owners had plans to purchase the land that is now Central Station and turn it into a park with a fountain, giving the patrons of the hotel a pleasant view and an area to walk.

In 1940, the hotel opened the Drake and the Golden Hind bars, to celebrate Exeter's association with naval history and Sir Francis Drake. There is also a stained glass window of interest at the top of the central staircase. Designed by Mr Frederick Drake, it shows an incident when Richard III visited the city and was shown around Rougemont Castle - the inscription reads, "....a bard of Ireland told me once I should not live long after I saw Richmond". This was a word play on Richmond and Rougemont. The window was removed to the cellar for safety during the war.

The conference rooms are all named after the Duke of Devonshire's family and estate - Devonshire, Hartington, Burlington, Chatsworth, Cavendish, Derby and Compton. He got around, and obviously had a good estate agent!

There is also a series of paintings of the Devon countryside by W Widgery in the Cavendish Room - although not valuable, they were added soon after the building of the hotel and therefore considered an important part of its heritage.

Saved from the fire

In 1919 the Victoria Hall next door, caught fire and burnt down. The heat from the fire broke every window and seared the painted surfaces in the window sashes in the side of the hotel that faced the hall. The fire crews had to direct water jets at the eaves of the roof to prevent it catching fire.

Although the Rougemont never suffered a hit during the May 1942 bombing raid, it is curious, that the only photograph taken of the city that night, was taken from the top floor of the hotel. It shows against a black night sky, the Cathedral, St Mary Major Church and huge clouds of smoke lit up by the flames.

In 1963 the Beatles stayed at the Rougemont Hotel when they played a concert at the ABC. Word got out where they were, and soon fans were converging on the hotel.

Room 202

An incident from 1981 created a small stir at the hotel. A 16 year old youth who had run away from home, in Berkshire, checked into Room 202. A waiter, when called to his room, was threatened. The youth had in his room a sporting crossbow, 18 x 1ft long bolts, 2 daggers, a dummy hand grenade and a smoke canister. Twenty police, some armed were called and they laid siege to the room for a period of 4 hours before the boy gave himself up, without a struggle.

Although the hotel's name was changed to 'The Thistle Hotel' a few years ago, the sign of the new, corporate owners, it is to revert back to the Rougemont Hotel in May 2008, a change that will be welcomed by many in the city and beyond.

Sources - A History of the Rougemont supplied by Thistle Hotels, the Express and Echo, Exeter City Guides and Exeter Burning by Peter Thomas, the Illustrated Carpenter and Builder 25 April 1879.