This Custom House at

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

was the first in England built for that purpose. It was operated by

HM Customs HM Customs (His or Her Majesty's Customs) was the national Customs service of Kingdom of England, England (and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1707, the United Kingdom from 1801) until a merger with the HM Excise, Departme ...

until 1989. Like

other Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

former

custom house A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

s in the United Kingdom, it now serves as a visitor attraction. It was built in the early 17th-century and has been

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

since 1953.

History

The Custom House was built in 1680-81 in response to the increasing trade seen at

Exeter Quay Exeter Quay, also known as Exeter Quayside, is a part of the city of Exeter next to the River Exe and the Exeter Ship Canal. It was first used as a port in prehistoric times when a sandstone ledge was used to unload the ships of overseas trad ...

, particularly of the woollen cloth industry. Though the quay had existed since Roman times, the construction of the

Exeter Ship Canal The Exeter Ship Canal, also known as the Exeter Canal is a canal leading from (and beside) the River Exe to Exeter Quay in the city of Exeter, Devon, England. It was first constructed in the 1560s, predating the "canal mania" period, and is one ...

in 1564-66 led to a considerable increase in trade. The Custom House was built by Richard Allen for a cost of £3,000. Believed to be the oldest brick building to survive in Exeter,

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

recorded that the building's "Renaissance-inspired facade and magnificent plasterwork, advanced joinery detail, early use of brick and the centralised double-depth plan are of the first importance in illustrating the arrival of a national or court style to Devon."

Current use

Following its closure, public access to the building was made available through the city's Red Coat Guided Tours. In 2015, the former Custom House reopened as a visitor centre and tourist attraction. A joint project between the Exeter Canal and Quay Trust and

Exeter City Council Exeter City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the city of Exeter in Devon, England. Exeter has had a city council since medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 it has been a non-met ...

, the centre replaced the original one which had been located at the nearby Quay House. It was officially opened on 21 May.

References

{{reflist Grade I listed buildings in Devon Custom houses in the United Kingdom Grade I listed government buildings Buildings and structures in Exeter

History

Current use

See also

References