On the antiques trail
A West Country gem, renowned for its lacemaking heritage, and a well-regarded antiques trade mecca, Honiton is one to tick off your list of treasure hunting trips
We journey to the market town of Honiton to seek out its wealth of antiques shops
The charming town of Honiton is located in Devon’s Otter Valley, just to the east of Dartmoor. Situated at the crossroads of many major routes, it has become a town renowned as the key antiques hub of the south-west. It attracts many specialist buyers who travel from afar to find hidden gems, including antiquarian books and Honiton lace, among the antiques shops that are clustered at the top and bottom of the High Street, as well as antiques centres and two auction houses.
history in brief
Honiton was originally formed as a Saxon settlement around 1200 AD. The Romans built a road that passed through the centre of Honiton to Exeter – along the current High Street – connecting various military forts and bases. By
1600 the town had become synonymous with lace making and in 1676 Honiton had over 1,300 local lace makers - a quarter of all those based in Devon. A labour-intensive craft, even to make the smallest piece required a high degree of skill, and women would sit outside their homes to see in the sunlight as they were weaving delicate pieces.
Although this charming cottage industry has to a great extent disappeared, there are still local lace makers who take on private commissions. Since the reign of Queen Victoria, who was so impressed with the quality of the Honiton lace on her wedding dress, the christening gowns of all royal babies have been adorned with Honiton bobbin lace.
antiques dealers insider’s guide
The town is full of interesting dealers and the following list gives a rich taster for what lies in store.
ABINGDON HOUSE ANTIQUES CENTRE
Abingdon House, owned by
Nick Thompson, occupies over 3,500 square feet and is the town’s largest centre with a huge variety of furniture to taxidermy from the 17th to 19th centuries. Arranged over three floors, the showroom is based in an 18th-century building.
Favourite recent find? ‘A 17thcentury Italian vineyard Cassone (marriage) chest, in walnut. It was overlooked at the local auction and was a beautiful find.’
Why Honiton? ‘My family had moved to Devon, so on my return from 10 years in France, the south-west’s centre for antiques was the natural choice.’
abingdonhouseantiques.com
FOUNTAIN ANTIQUES CENTRE
Caroline Bushell is co-owner of Fountain Antiques Centre. Her main passion is British domestic
textiles from the 18th to mid20th century. She is well known for her collections of useful kitchen and bedroom linens, including monogrammed pieces. She also sells Honiton lace, old dress and furnishing fabrics, with some French sheets and torchon (bobbin lace). She trades from Fountain Antiques alongside 35 other dealers. Fountain is popular for its fast-changing stock, especially antique agricultural and gardening pieces, textiles, copper cookware, cutlery, clocks, French and English furnishings and militaria.
Favourite recent find? ‘A black sack full of 1930s handembroidered curtains, depicting typical English herbaceous borders. Although they soon sold, I still think about them!’
01404 42074
GRAHAM york RARE BOOKS
A well-regarded book-dealer, Graham stocks over 20,000 books on two floors of his shop. Specialising in Spain and the Spanish Civil War, he also has large stocks of travel, literature, art, history, fine leather bindings and the largest selection of books on Gypsies in the world. Graham belongs to the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), the Provincial Booksellers’ Fairs Association (FBFA) and the Ephemera Society, and organises and exhibits at book fairs all over Europe. Stock is sourced globally and is also sold via the internet and mail order catalogues. Favourite recent finds? ‘A signed Winston Churchill first edition; an Albrecht Dürer print from 1498; a signed James Bond novel; a manuscript account book for a bank in Granada in 1832, with details of the slave movement; a collection of 300 contemporary photographs of the Spanish Civil War taken in Barcelona in 1937, and a 1943 Beano annual, which shows the eclectic nature of our stock!’ gyork.co.uk
HERMITAGE ANTIQUES
Owners Ray and Martine Kirk have been trading for 25 years. In their large centre, you can expect to find anything in value from £1 to £6,000. They have seven dealers, who include specialists in coins, Corgi cars, jewellery, silver, Chinese ceramics, glass and cutlery, Persian rugs and furniture from the 17th to 20th century.
Favourite recent find? ‘A set of four early 1900s yew wood Windsor chairs, with elm seats and crinoline stretcher.’
01404 44406
MERCHANT HOUSE
Merchant House antiques was established by Christian Giltsoff in Honiton over 20 years ago. Expect to find a large selection of quality, useful antique furniture, presented beautifully over 2,000 square foot of floor space. Think farmhouse tables, bookcases and desks, along with quirky upcycled lighting.
Favourite recent find? ‘My favourite piece at the moment is a 3.5 metre farmhouse table. The top is made from a single plank of chestnut; I have never seen a table this large with a single plank top. It was purchased from a manor house in Brittany and had been in the same property since it was made in 1888.’
Why Honiton? ‘I originally set up shop here as Honiton has the largest collection of antique shops in the south-west.
merchanthouseantiques.co.uk
PILGRIM ANTIQUES
Jill Mills, owner of Pilgrim Antiques, deals in English period oak and country furniture, with a few French pieces, too. The furniture is displayed in room settings, along with contemporary lamps, old mirrors and the odd decorative item.
Favourite recent find? ‘An early 17th-century walnut gate leg table, which we kept and I love. Another memorable piece was a 17th century oak press cupboard, lined with Provençal fabric. We could hardly contain our excitement it was so beautiful.’ 01404 41219
RODERICK BUTLER
One of the longest established antique furniture dealers in Devon, Roderick Butler Antiques is a second-generation business, which opened in 1948. Run by Roderick and his wife Valentine, the couple sell 17th and 18thcentury furniture from their stunning Jacobean home. With a spacious layout, it is full of good value pieces and carefully restored old surfaces. You will find informative ticketing and a desire for knowledge sharing. These are old school dealers with a breadth of knowledge that is second to none.
Favourite recent find? ‘ As a family business, we continue to research the best made pieces of these handmade eras.’ 01404 42169