Pictured: Demolition of the remains of Exeter’s Royal Clarence Hotel gets underway after the building was destroyed by fire at the end of last week.
More than 100 firefighters battled around the clock to save the histroic hotel – believed to be the oldest hotel in Britain – after it was destroyed by a blaze when fire spread from a neighbouring property in the early hours of Friday morning.
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Britain’s oldest hotel – which hosted Lord Nelson and is where the Duke of Kent’s body was embalmed – has begun to collapse after a fire raged through it overnight.
The front of the Royal Clarence in Exeter, Devon, started to fall down today after being ravaged by flames.
The 300-year-old building hosted Hollywood stars ahead of D-Day and survived a pounding by German bombers in 1942 during the Blitz.
A ruptured gas main fuelled the fire, resulting in the gas supply being turned off. It was eventually brought under control after firefighters pumped water from the River Exe to battle the blaze.
One of Exeter’s most famous visitors, the late pop-singer made an historic visit to the city in 2002. He was made an honorary director of Exeter City FC thanks to co-director and friend Uri Gellar. Michael stayed at the hotel during his visit.
SOURCE: The Herald
