Researched by Heritage Advisory Group
The terrace was built, at least in part, by 1846. Exeter had others; there was Queen’s Terrace in St Leonard parish and another in St Sidwell parish. These are Gothic framed by two classical terraces. These houses have a more picturesque and less martial character, with decorated wooden barge boards adding a frilly touch to their gables, crowned with pointy finials. The windows are sashes and casements with Gothic-pattern glazing bars. Together with the classical houses of Richmond Road the variation of architectural styles around the square, a form of ‘unity in variety’, makes a delightful townscape.
In 1851 three buildings were recorded by the census: a landed proprietor, bank clerk and lodging house keeper headed their households which included servants.
One of these was Elizabeth Ellis, a twenty-five-year-old from North Tawton, at Number Two; she was, hopefully,old from North Tawton, at Number Two, `the thorough-good female servant who will make herself generally useful’ who was sought in 1848.
In 1863 Queen’s Terrace incorporated the fifteen buildings which made up North Terrace and New North Terrace into one row of buildings from St David’s Church to the end of Queen Street. In 1851 these had been occupied by individuals wealthy enough to employ house or general servants. Some were annuitants and fundholders but some were still in working life including three Lodging House Keepers.
The following year, in 1864, Police Constable Folland was on the path from the terrace to St David’s Church when he discovered three men had stolen several bottles of sacramental wine from the church.
They had previously burgled St Sidwell’s Church and George’s Chapel.
Following the Blitz in 1942 the terrace had Wippell Brothers & Row (ironmongers) showrooms and offices at Number Two and a chiropodist at Number Nine. Immediately after the war nearly every building was occupied as business premises. In 1989 EBC Group sold numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 which they had been using as offices. EBC Group was originally formed in 1939 as Exeter Building Contractors Ltd to take on government contracts at the start of the Second World War.