Over the past few months Axminster Heritage Centre has been sharing weekly posts on social media based around the town's popular 'Axminster Heritage Blue Plaque Trail', established by the Rotary Club of Axminster.

This week, on their penultimate week, the centre has reached Number 14 on the trail, which is their own building - the Old Carpet Factory in Silver Street.

The existing building was constructed in 1828 as a replacement to the original Axminster Carpet factory founded by Thomas Whitty in 1755. It is not on the same footprint but set to the west of it (see plan pictured).

The heritage centre know that on this site there had been a malt house, which is where the fire that destroyed the original carpet factory started. It is suggested that the fire started as wool drying in the malt house caught fire.

It was Samuel Ransom Whitty, grandson to Thomas, who had taken over the business in 1810, that undertook the rebuild. But he is said to have overspent on the rebuild and was declared bankrupt in 1835, and the carpet factory ceased production in 1836.

On February 20 1836, The Western Times advertised the sale of the factory site with "counting house, shear shop, ware room, stable, gig-house and spacious courtyard and every convenience, etc." No explicit mention was made of the Dye House.

No sale was achieved so the property went to auction on August 31 1836. Lawyer Rawlin Mallack bought the factory for £800 and turned it into a dwelling house, plus rooms and offices for the County Court.

What we see today in the division of the building started to develop in 1887. The County Court moved to Church Street and a part of the 1828 factory building became Axminster Cottage Hospital.

In 1892 another part of the building became the Conservative and Constitutional Club whilst a small area became the armoury for local Army volunteers.

If you look at the Dye House today, there is a large fireplace in there so it is likely this became the washhouse for the hospital and the large open courtyard could have been used to dry the bedding.

In 1912 the hospital moved to a purpose built site on Chard Street. The former Cottage Hospital was used for accommodation and the old open courtyard was roofed over to create the Drill Hall. By 1932 part of the building became Mr Forward's Law Chambers.

In the Second World War the building's military connection was extended from just the home of the volunteers to being the base for the Axminster Home Guard.

The heritage centre understands that a senior home guard member lived on the site; the old dye house became their armoury and the drill hall became their training and drill area.

Interestingly, the Second World War photographer, Margaret Tomlinson, did capture the exterior of the building in 1942 and this shows a large board above the front door stating it was the base for the '(?) Platoon D Company, 4th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment.'

Post Second World War, the Drill Hall was used for the annual Fatstock Show dinner, as the Christmas sorting Post Office and as a venue for sports such as badminton. It was also home to Axminster Carpets social club.

In 2005 Axminster Carpets allowed the building to be used to house a play on the story of Thomas Whitty as part of the 250th anniversary of the production of the first Axminster carpet.

The committee that organised the celebration events evolved into the charity Axminster Heritage Limited and negotiated with Axminster Carpets the purchase of the building to be used as a heritage centre.

The sale was completed in 2012 and from that date Axminster Heritage has been developing the building as a museum and for community use.

Thanks to centre manager Nigel Sadler for providing this summary of the building's history.

The heritage centre is keen to hear from anyone who remembers or worked in the building during one of its various different incarnations.

To share your stories or photographs please visit the centre's Facebook page or email to [email protected]