After more than 150 years trading in Cornwall, a family furniture business has crossed the border to launch a West Devon branch.

Julian Foye, which established its first shop in Fowey in 1862, officially opened its latest store in the former old mill and Lawsons hardware store in Tavistock on Friday, September 11.

The mayor of Tavistock, Cllr Anne Johnson, joined shop manager Robert Thomas in a civic ceremony to declare the new Brook Street store open.

Robert, the fourth generation of the same family to run the business, said: "We’re incredibly proud of Julian Foye’s 160-year history, but crossing the Tamar into Devon feels like a natural and thrilling next step for our family.

“The old mill is a fantastic site with wonderful local history and we are delighted to bring it back to life as a vibrant retail space.

"Our goal in Tavistock is to offer the exact same high standards of personal service, premium brands and design knowledge that our customers have relied on for generations."

From that very first shop at Fowey in 1862, Julian Foye has grown and prospered to become a well known Cornish retailer with five showrooms in Cornwall and now one in Devon.

Julian Foye has remained a family-focused business. Edmund Julian, the company’s founder, was born near Bodmin. After Edmund died in 1900, control passed to Jesse, his second son. As mayor of Fowey, Jesse’s success in business aided the company’s growth. In 1945 Julian Foye became a limited company.

After Jesse’s death, control passed to manager Gordon Dorrington. Gordon invited his son-in-law Mike Ellis to join the firm. Mike led the firm’s development from the 1970s until retirement in 2004, when his daughter Annette Thomas became MD.

In 2017, Annette’s son Robert Thomas joined the company with her daughter Sarah as company secretary, bringing the family’s fourth generation into the business.