RIDGWAYS shoe store in Newton Abbot will sadly close its doors for the last time over the coming weeks, in what should be their 200th year of trading.

Following a series of unfortunate events, the impact of the coronavirus lockdown dealt a fatal blow to the business that has served as a Newton Abbot institution since 1820.

Sadly, the owners of the business were left with no choice but to close the doors permanently.

The Ridgway family has been synonymous with footwear in the town for centuries. The family were cobblers in the area from even before 1820.

The business made and supplied footwear to soldiers on the battlefield during the Second World War, after which, the family became retailers following an influx of cheaper shoes that were increasingly imported into the country.

In 2009 Ridgways opened the doors to shop number two, a store at Cathedral Yard in Exeter.

It took years to ‘get it right’ and lure in shoppers but eventually the business ‘took-off’.

Just as the Exeter store was becoming successful, tragedy struck. The fire that ravaged the Royal Clarence Hotel in 2016 closed the entire area to shoppers for weeks.

‘We were doing really well,’ said Matt Ridgway. ‘It was half term week and it was our busiest week ever. That Thursday night I told my wife I would finally down tools and take the rest of the week off.

‘The next thing I know a friend calls us and told us to turn on the telly, to see the news of the fire.

‘That was it, we couldn’t even get to the shop for two weeks after that,’ said Matt.

The store itself was undamaged by the blaze that ripped through the Clarence Hotel.

Although this was met with a sense of relief, it also meant that there was insufficient insurance cover for the loss of business during closure, nor was there much help in the fact that the shop would be harder to access for shoppers going forward, due to the damaged buildings being cordoned off.

‘We lasted 16 months after the fire, losing money every month,’ said Matt.

Unfortunately the bad luck didn’t end there. The store in Newton Abbot would see a massive drop in footfall and income after a gas leak from pipes running beneath the high street was detected in January 2019.

The business was hit with a massive drop in its income compared with the same period in previous years.

Unfortunately, the run of bad luck did not end there and the coronavirus outbreak would also have a severe impact on the store. Like all non-essential shops, Ridgways would have to close its doors for the duration of the lockdown.

Sadly, the closure of the business means that 17 staff – one of whom has worked for them since 1984 – have lost their jobs.

‘We would have loved nothing more than for them to stay with us until retirement, none of this is their fault and they have been amazing,’ said Matt.

As unfortunate as the closure has been, the Ridgway family wanted to pass on their immense gratitude to the people of Newton Abbot for their custom over the years.

The store will re-open for a stock clearance sale next week before shutting up shop for the last time. The end of an era for a traditional family business in Newton Abbot.