A gentle swirl of incense drifts through the air as customers browse shelves lined with crystals, candles and handcrafted pieces. Step inside the premises run by Daniel Neale and Adam Neale on Tiverton’s Bampton Street and it quickly becomes clear this is not a conventional retail space. The couple have built something closer to a meeting place – a calm, reflective environment where conversation, spirituality and community sit alongside the crystals and curiosities for sale.

Daniel Neale, 42, and Adam Neale, 44, are the owners of Dan Rox Crystals and Stones, a business rooted in spiritual practice and a long-standing fascination with the natural world. Recently, they expanded next door with the opening of ThreadzRox&Broomsticks, a bohemian clothing boutique designed to complement the crystal shop and the lifestyle that surrounds it. Together, the two spaces form what the couple describe as a hub for people with shared interests and beliefs.

Their journey to Tiverton began in relatively humble fashion. Back in 2015, Daniel started selling crystals online, gradually building a small business from scratch. There was no van or shopfront in those early days – just determination and a willingness to travel.

“We began selling crystals online in 2015,” Daniel says. “After that we started attending events and festivals with a stall. At the time we didn’t even have a car, so we were travelling everywhere by train and public transport with suitcases and trolleys full of crystals. It was a bit like Del Boy and Rodney.”

The couple were based in Exeter and travelled extensively across the South West to holistic fairs and spiritual gatherings. Some of the events took them far beyond Devon.

“We went all over the place,” Daniel recalls. “We even travelled to Birmingham NEC and London Olympia with everything packed into suitcases.”

Despite the logistical challenges, those years helped them establish a following and connect with a community that shared their interests.

For Daniel, crystals were never simply a business idea. His connection to spirituality stretches back many years and grew naturally from a lifelong interest in nature and the environment.

“I’ve always been drawn to spirituality,” he explains. “Nature, trees, wildlife – that’s always been a big part of my life. Crystals were always around in that world, along with things like tarot.”

A move to Cornwall proved particularly influential. In 2007, Daniel relocated to Newquay, where he began exploring his spiritual interests in greater depth.

“That move really opened things up for me,” he says. “I started connecting much more strongly with crystals and decided to study them properly.”

He enrolled on a 20-week crystal awareness course which eventually led to a three-year diploma in crystal studies.

“That training gave me a really solid understanding of crystals and how they’re used,” Daniel says. “Once I had that knowledge, it felt natural to start sharing it with others.”

Spirituality also played a central role in Daniel and Adam’s personal life together. Their wedding in 2016 reflected many of the beliefs that shape their business today.

“Our wedding was very much influenced by Wiccan and pagan traditions,” Daniel says. “Crystals were everywhere.”

Adam later followed Daniel’s path by undertaking the same three-year crystal training programme, turning the business into a shared passion.

For several years they continued trading primarily at festivals and holistic events. Opening a permanent shop, however, was not originally part of Daniel’s plan.

“Dan always used to say he didn’t want a shop,” Adam says. “He thought it would be far too much work.”

That changed during a week spent trading at Sidmouth Folk Festival. Unlike their usual events, the festival meant staying in one place for the duration.

“You set up once and you stay there for seven days,” Adam explains.

By the end of the week, Daniel had had a change of heart.

“He turned to me and said, ‘I think I want a shop.’”

For Daniel, the shift came down to something simple: the sense of community.

“At Sidmouth we were surrounded by the same traders all week,” he says. “You’d arrive each morning, say hello, chat with the same neighbours. I realised I really liked that feeling of community.”

Once the idea took hold, Tiverton quickly emerged as the right location. The couple had felt a connection with the town for some time.

“We’d almost moved to Tiverton a few years earlier,” Daniel explains.

When they began looking for premises, a listing appeared on Bampton Street through the local estate agents.

“We saw the shop come up and just thought, ‘let’s give it a go,’” Daniel says.

Dan Rox Crystals and Stones opened its doors on 27 November 2021 – and the response from local people exceeded expectations.

“From the moment we opened, the welcome was incredible,” Daniel says. “We hadn’t realised quite how strong the spiritual community in Tiverton was.”

Devon is often associated with places such as Totnes when it comes to alternative lifestyles and spirituality. Yet Daniel believes Tiverton has its own distinct atmosphere.

“There’s a really special energy here,” he says. “A lot of people talk about water flowing beneath the town, keeping the energy moving so it never becomes stagnant.”

Whether folklore or fact, the couple say the warmth of the local community has been undeniable.

“When we first arrived we wondered how people might react,” Daniel admits. “After all, we were opening the only spiritual shop in town.”

Instead of scepticism, they found curiosity and enthusiasm.

That support helped the shop evolve into something far more interactive than a typical retail space. Alongside selling crystals and spiritual items, the couple began hosting regular gatherings and workshops.

“We run evening events, weekend workshops and different spiritual circles,” Daniel says.

Among them is the Crone Club, a group that has met regularly since the shop first opened.

“They’ve been with us since 2021,” Daniel says. “They’ve supported us all the way through.”

Other groups soon followed, including Dragon Club and Sirens, each offering small gatherings where participants explore spiritual practices together.

Drumming circles, meditation evenings and chakra workshops are now regular features of the calendar.

“When we first opened we only had two events — the full moon and the half moon gatherings,” Adam says. “But more and more people started coming along, and that naturally led to new ideas.”

Those ideas quickly filled up.

“We’d put something out there and it would be snapped up,” Adam says. “So we’ve just gone with it.”

Over time, the shop’s success encouraged the couple to expand. The neighbouring premises had changed tenants several times, and Adam had long felt it could house something that complemented their existing business.

“We always thought it would make a great boho clothing boutique,” he says.

When the space became available once again, they decided to take the leap.

“We renovated our original shop and then prepared the unit next door,” Adam says.

ThreadzRox&Broomsticks opened soon afterwards, offering clothing and accessories that align with the same spiritual and alternative aesthetic.

Despite the retail element, both men insist the heart of what they do lies in community rather than commerce.

“It’s really more of a spiritual community than a shop,” Adam says.

Daniel agrees, though he prefers a slightly different description.

“I tend to call it a spiritual hub,” he says.

At the back of the premises is a relaxed space where visitors can sit, chat, or quietly reflect.

“People often come in just to talk,” Daniel says. “We might sit down with a coffee, pull a few tarot cards and have a conversation.”

Many visitors say they notice a shift in atmosphere the moment they step inside.

“We often hear people say they feel a weight lifted from their shoulders,” Daniel says. “There’s music playing, incense burning — it’s a completely different environment from most shops.”

Occasionally, that calm atmosphere prompts emotional releases.

“I’ve had people burst into tears in the shop,” Daniel says gently. “Sometimes people carry things around for a long time and they just need a place where they can let that go.”

The shop itself is filled with unusual items, including one particularly curious feature: a naturally preserved rook discovered by the roadside.

“It’s completely mummified,” Daniel explains. “The insects removed the flesh but the feathers remained attached to the bones.”

To ensure the feathers remained intact, the bird spent six months in the couple’s freezer before being placed in the shop.

“It’s become quite a talking point,” he says.

Alongside crystals and spiritual tools, many items on sale are created by the couple themselves. Their range includes handmade candles, wax melts, aura sprays and anointing oils.

“We also make handcrafted wands,” Adam adds. “They’re popular with people who practise Wiccan traditions.”

Local creativity plays a role too, with artwork by regional artists displayed throughout the space.

Beyond the shop walls, Daniel and Adam also organise a large mind, body and spirit show. Originally held in Tiverton, the event has grown so significantly that it has now moved to a larger venue in nearby Uffculme.

While their ventures continue to expand, the couple remain keenly aware that independent businesses rely heavily on local support.

“There are so many wonderful independent shops in Tiverton,” Daniel says. “But people don’t always realise what’s here.”

Even after four years, they still meet residents who are surprised to discover their shop on Bampton Street.

“People often think the town stops at Market Walk,” Daniel says. “But there’s a whole stretch of independent businesses further up.”

Supporting those businesses, he believes, is vital to keeping the town centre alive.

“We all try to look after one another,” Daniel says. “That’s really important.”

For the Neales, Tiverton now feels firmly like home. The community they once encountered at festivals has found a permanent base, and the shop has become part of the town’s character.

“I think people here would be quite upset if we moved,” Daniel says.

After years of travelling from festival to festival with suitcases full of crystals, it seems the journey has finally come to rest – right where they want to be.