Hole In The Wall fire damage pics

The smell of acrid smoke still hangs in the air almost a week after Exeter’s Hole In The Wall pub suffered a huge blaze.

Debris is scattered everywhere and evidence of the intensity of the inferno clear to see.

Yet among this chaos are signs of the calm before the storm. Candle holders are still in place on some of the tables and the menu board has surprisingly remained intact.

As co-owner George Sloan (pictured) walks me around the building he tries to make light of the situation but the anguish is etched on his face.

He and his business partner, Rob Skinner, only opened the pub a year ago after months of hard work which saw the interior stripped right back and refurbished to exacting standards.

All of the wooden furniture had been made in Mid Devon and expensive artwork, some of it George’s own pride and joy, adorned the walls.

I was with George just a week before the fire and he was telling me in his usual exuberant  manner how the business was doing well.

He was looking  as far ahead as Christmas and was also planning to open a new exclusive basement venue.

Now, the mood is far more subdued, and his focus is on dealing with the insurance companies and armies of trades people as he races against time to be open when the students return.

“It’s hard to know where to start,” said George.

“There’s so much to sort out it seems overwhelming but we’ve just got to get on with it.

“The first task was to repair an outdoor shelter at the back of the pub which is used by guests at Timepiece.

“That will be done by the weekend but we had to shift trailer loads of wood just to get that relatively small job done.

“I have a specialist cleaning firm coming in later this week to carry out an assessment, which I suppose is a start!”

The main damage to the building is on the first floor. The newly-installed kitchen, which was state-of-the-art and a shrine to stainless steel is now a molten mess.

At first glance, upstairs, which had become a popular upmarket sports bar, appears unscathed.

There’s a fine layer, of soot, everywhere, but the arresting sight that greets you downstairs isn’t as evident… and then you see it.

At the far end of the room, the floor has burnt through leaving a gaping hole and an interesting discovery.

Rafters that have been exposed by the fire, had been previously damaged, probably during a German bombing raid in the Second World War.

It’s a poignant reminder of the building’s proud history – and ability to come back from the ashes.