Location
Nestled in the county of Devon is the quaint market town of Honiton, not far from the south coast of England, 17 miles East of Exeter. Honiton, which grew up along the line of the old Roman road linking Exeter to Lincoln was brought to life by its creative lace making which dates back to the sixteenth century.
Honiton lace town England
One of the main characteristics of Honiton lace is the sprig applique that is influenced by the gorgeous Devon countryside which is used in many of the lace creations since the early 1500s. The art of making lace is rumoured to have been brought to Honiton by Flemish refugees in the mid sixteenth century. The lace was transported to London where it was used to decorate the clothing of royalty such as Queen Victoria who ordered her wedding veil to be made of Honiton lace.
Honiton Landmarks
Two popular landmarks within Honiton are St Paul’s Church situated in the centre of the high-street and Honiton Museum just to the right. St Paul’s Church built of local chert and Beer stone was opened in 1838 which cost a total cost of £7,600. St Paul’s is listed Grade II for its architectural and historic importance.
St Paul’s Church
Though it isn’t architecturally outstanding it is certainly a very attractive town church and a great example of early Victorian Romanesque style.
Honiton Museum
Honiton Museum is home to the largest collection of Honiton lace in the world. One main display within the museum is a brass plaque from the tomb of James Rodge dated 1617 which has the first written evidence of Honiton lace production. The museum also displays fossils and historic artefacts from archaeological digs in the area. The most famous being the Honiton Hippo. The fossilised remains of seventeen hippos were found during the construction of the bypass in 1965. The hippos were thought to have lived in the area during a warm interlude in the Ice Age, when England had a similar climate to what Africa has today.