Couple take on refurbishment of historic Sidmouth town centre building
A long-established Sidmouth business is breathing new life into one of the town’s most iconic historic buildings, with a substantial investment set to restore it to its former splendour.
Simon and Sally Vickers, the husband-and-wife team behind Banwells Antique Jewellery, have embarked on an ambitious restoration of County House on New Street - a landmark property with a rich heritage as a jeweller since 1902.
Having fallen into disrepair, the building will now be sympathetically refurbished, with its distinctive gold and black frontage completely rebuilt. Great care will be taken to preserve or reinstate original detailing like the marble floor entrance, ornate doors and curved glass.
Simon has already gone to great lengths to track down and retrieve the original cabinets that had been sold to a London dealer. Works are expected to take around five months and once complete Banwells will move from its home in Old Fore Street around the corner into its new home at County House.
Simon said: “It’s a building that I have long admired and when the opportunity came to purchase it, it felt like something we had to do. It’s a really important part of the town’s heritage and we’re delighted to play a part in restoring it for the future.
“We’re bucking the trend in many ways, investing in a town centre. But Sidmouth itself is also doing that. It’s a really thriving busy town centre, full of independent shops and we’re proud to be part of that community.” The ‘high street’ concept may be under threat but Banwells intend to focus on their strengths to create something stunning for all of Sidmouth to enjoy for decades to come.”
Sally says "We want to provide a tangible experience in an aesthetically beautiful space whilst retaining a piece of Sidmouth history.
“We might seem mad doing this at a time when town centre landscape is changing so fast nationwide. With ever increasing economic pressures such as business rates and national insurance hikes, it’s now twice as hard to remain successful and competitive on the high street but we believe that we have built a resilient brand by offering a truly unique collection of antique and contemporary jewellery coupled with a level of customer service that is increasingly hard to find."
An important new addition to showcasing its exceptional collection of antique, contemporary and estate jewellery, will be an in-house jeweller, offering expert repair services on-site, something that has long been on the wishlist for the business.
Although things are now finally coming to fruition It has been a long road to get to this point. The couple began negotiations to purchase the property five years ago. Complicated probate issues meant the sale was delayed several times and during covid almost dismissed completely.
Simon added: “You don’t approach a project like this thinking it will be easy, we know it’s going to be incredibly hard work but one saving grace is that Alex Graves-Morris (of the Gentleman Builders, the main contractors) is a trusted old friend as well as an expert in his field. We have worked on several other projects together so I know Alex’s vision and ability are second to none – I will definitely be able to sleep at night knowing he is charge!”
Sally said: “The new shop will not only allow Simon to expand and experiment even further with the jewellery collections on display but it will also provide an impressive space designed with customer experience and service foremost in mind. We cannot wait to swing open the doors at County House and welcome everyone to our exciting new chapter.”
