Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter being rebuilt ten years after fire

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 28 Oct, 19:10 · Archive

The Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter is being rebuilt as apartments a decade after a major fire destroyed it in October 2016.

The Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter's Cathedral Yard caught fire on 28 October 2016, destroying one of the city's most historic buildings. The blaze began in a neighbouring property known as No. 18 before spreading to the interconnected Royal Clarence building. Firefighters were mobilised within two minutes of the call at 5:11am, with the first crew arriving at 5:18am.

The fire proved exceptionally challenging for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. The city centre location near other historic buildings, combined with the Royal Clarence's construction, masked the true scale of the incident as it unfolded. The fire service had to work for ten days to fully control and extinguish the blaze. In total, 1,186 firefighters attended the incident, committing over 12,094 operational hours. At its height, 207 firefighters and 38 appliances were on site. The fire was contained to Cathedral Yard and did not spread to the surrounding high street.

Thankfully, there were no injuries during the ten-day operation, though crews came under intense pressure. The gas supply had to be turned off by engineers, with one of three capping locations requiring concrete to be drilled through to make it safe.

The Royal Clarence, primarily constructed in 1769 but incorporating older materials, is believed to be the first venue in England to call itself a 'hotel'. Archaeological investigations beneath the cellars have uncovered Roman remnants from the site's history as part of the Roman city of Isca Dumnoniorum, including a skeleton discovered beneath a well, believed to date from Norman times or possibly earlier. These remains are set to be preserved during the rebuilding.

The building is now being reconstructed by NooKo, a local development company. The firm took on the Royal Clarence in April 2025 and began substantial work in January 2026. The site is being transformed into 25 apartments with new commercial space, with a crane now visible on the site.

How it is being reported

• From watching Royal Clarence burn to rebuilding it 10 years laterTen years after watching the Royal Clarence burn, two Exeter developers are now helping rebuild the landmark as 25 apartments and new commercial space.Exmouth Journal · 28 Oct, 18:04
• 'Sense of shock' 10 years on from hotel city fireThe fire at "England's first hotel" remains one of the biggest such incidents in the South West.BBC Devon · 28 Oct, 06:19
• Ten years after devastating Exeter fire, England’s ‘first hotel’ is finally being rebuiltIt is somehow the tenth anniversary of catastrophic Royal Clarence Hotel blazeDevonLive · 28 Oct, 06:00
• 'Fire all around us': How crews narrowly escaped death inside Exeter’s catastrophic 2016 hotel blazeOn the 10th anniversary of the Royal Clarence fire in the city’s Cathedral Yard, the fire service recalls the resources targeted at the incident.DevonLive · 28 Oct, 06:00

In this story: Royal Clarence Hotel · Exeter · Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service · Cathedral Yard · Max Sayers · Courtney Manning · NooKo

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