Historic Exeter pub with mysterious skeleton protected in Royal Clarence restoration

An historic Exeter pub which boasts a mysterious skeleton in its cellar has been protected as part of a massive project to restore the fire-ravaged Royal Clarence Hotel.

City-based developer NooKo is making swift progress on its project to restore the hotel building to its former glory.

It was gutted by the fire in 2016, when more than 1,000 firefighters fought flames that could be seen all over the city. Some of the burnt timbers left over will be kept as a ‘visible, poignant connection’ between old and new as part of the new development.

NooKo has been given planning permission for 25 new high-quality apartments on the site, most with views across the green to the cathedral. Prices will be up to £1million.

There will also be some commercial units including ‘high end’ food and drink outlets.

In a social media post, NooKo said: “We are currently pushing ahead with the essential groundwork and temporary works to ensure the site’s structural integrity.

“It’s a complex process, but seeing the footprint of the development take shape is incredibly rewarding.”

It said a ‘major milestone’ had been achieved when the famous Well House pub was fully covered and protected under the NooKo hoardings.

“Keeping this historic gem dry and safe is a top priority as we continue our work,” said the statement.

The Well House stands alongside the Royal Clarence, and was badly damaged in the 2016 fire. According to the Exeter Memories website the building dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, although there is Saxon stone work in the cellars and a well that is probably Norman.

The building had been occupied by a number of businesses, but came to prominence in the 1930s after the discovery of the well and a large cavity that contained what was thought to be a Roman bath. Pieces of Roman pottery and tiles, coins and some human skeleton remains were found.

Up to the 1980s, the building housed Robert Veitch and Son Ltd, seedsmen, along with an antique shop, cafe, bookshop and estate agency. In August 1984 it opened as the Well House Tavern.

There is a stone stairway leading to the cellar, where the remains of an alleged victim of the Black Death were found in an alcove. However, some historians believe the bones belong to an Anglo-Saxon teenager.