ONE of Tavistock's oldest buildings is about to begin a new chapter in its history as a restaurant.

The building which adjoins Bank Square between King Street and Market Street has just undergone a £500,000 refurbishment by Tavistock property company Wessex Heritage and is about to be taken over by Dukes Catering who will be opening a new restaurant there early in the new year.

It will be called Taylor's after Tavistock's famous 18th Century engineer John Taylor who built the Tavistock canal, and will be jointly run by Lisa Hair, who runs Dukes Catering and Dukes Coffee Shop in the town, and her daughter, Katherine.

'We are very excited about this new project,' said Katherine.  'It is such a beautiful old building and it deserves to be used by as many people as possible. We can't wait to invite the first diners in and get their feedback.'

John Taylor, of Wessex Heritage, has overseen the two-year renovation of the building. He said it had been 'a wonderful job restoring this important Listed Building, in the centre of Tavistock, to its former glory'.

The 400-year-old structure was allegedly once stayed in by King Charles II but more recently has been a newsagent and pizzeria.

Twelve schemes were submitted to English Heritage before the final plan was approved, such is the sensitive nature of the project. Many original features have been uncovered during the work, including ancient chimney breasts and fireplaces forged by Tavistock Foundry. Among the new features is a spiral staircase.

The restaurant is expected to be open by mid-February.

LEFT: Katherine Hair, John Taylor and Lisa Hair.