Exeter

Exeter is the county town of Devon and historically the administrative capital of the south-west peninsula. A historic mid-sized cathedral city with a good blend of arts, education, retail and history.

Understand
In AD 50 a Roman military base was built at a strategic crossing point on the banks of the river Exe, seven years after the Roman invasion of Britain. The settlement quickly gained in importance as the administrative centre for the Dumnonii tribe once the legionnaires left. Indeed, its Roman name, Isca Dumnomiorum, means "town of the Dumnonii (Devonian) tribe". Parts of the original Roman walls can still be seen today. The city continued to hold regional significance through the turbulent Dark Ages, being twice captured by the invading Vikings. Following the Norman Conquest, the inhabitants rebelled against William the Conqueror, who laid siege and subsequently built Rougemount Castle to ensure future compliance. During the renaissance period it developed into an economically powerful city through the wool industry, and a period of rapid growth commenced. Later, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, industry was driven by water power from the River Exe. It remained a significant seaport (courtesy of its Ship Canal) until the age of steam, but there was no major industrialisation in the later 19th century. The city was badly damaged in an incendiary bombing raid on the High Street and surrounding areas in 1942, and although post-war reconstruction has been limited, a number of interesting buildings remain.

Now Exeter is the commercial and service centre for a largely agricultural hinterland, with a population of around 110,000. Good facilities for tourists exist, but tourism does not dominate; regularly voted among the top 3 cities in the UK for quality of life.

By plane


Aurigny, the flag carrier of Guernsey, flies from Guernesey to Exeter. Blue Islands serves the Exeter-Jersey route. Loganair, a Scottish regional airline, operates from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Newcastle upon Tyne. Ryanair and TUI Airways operate flights from the Mediterranean.

Skybus flies from St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly March-October, Monday to Saturday.

The bus to the airport is Stagecoach Bus 56 between Exeter St David's railway station and Exmouth. Buses run hourly till about 10PM and take 20 min, single fare £3. A taxi costs £10-20.

By train
Exeter is on the London Paddington to Penzance line, with a train roughly every hour from Paddington to Exeter through most of the day. Alternatively, all Exeter stations (except St James's Park) are on the Riviera Line serving Starcross, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Torre, Torquay and Paignton.

Trains run daily every two hours to Exeter from Okehampton, taking 45 min via Crediton. This "Dartmoor Line" closed to passenger services in 1972, remaining in use for freight and as a summer heritage railway, but in Nov 2021 it re-opened for regular trains. It's expected the service will increase to hourly early in 2022.



Local and regional trains
Several smaller stations for local and regional trains exist:

Park & Ride
Exeter has 3 park & ride bus stations:, and.

Coaches
is off Paris Street, a few minutes walk to High Street and the cathedral green.

National Express buses run 3-4 times a day from London Victoria (NX406, 503 and 504) via Heathrow Airport and Reading, taking five hours to Exeter, and continuing to Bodmin, Newquay and Penzance. Redwood Travel (on behalf of Megabus) runs the same route from Victoria daily.

National Express buses run five times a day from Birmingham via Bristol to Exeter, taking four hours. These all originate from further north:


 * NX336 from Edinburgh via Glasgow, Preston and Manchester
 * NX338 from Leicester
 * NX324 from Sheffield via Derby
 * NX530 from Newcastle upon Tyne via Middlesbrough, York and Leeds
 * NX532 from Blackpool via Preston. They continue from Exeter to Paignton, Plymouth, Newquay and Penzance.

Get around
The central area of the city is fairly small, so it is easy to get around on foot.

Most buses within the city are operated by Stagecoach, who also operate buses to most regional destinations. Some regional routes are operated by small independent operators.

Cycle paths of varying quality run through the city. The most scenic route runs along the canal towpath.

See



 * City walls - some date to Roman times and there are easily-accessible remnants next to Rougemont Gardens.
 * Historic quayside including the 17th-century, which has been renovated as a headquarters for the city's archaeological service.
 * Medieval churches in the city centre:
 * Historic quayside including the 17th-century, which has been renovated as a headquarters for the city's archaeological service.
 * Medieval churches in the city centre:

Do

 * What's on? Read the Express and Echo, published weekly, or The Exeter Flying Post.
 * Take a free guided tour with the City's volunteer Redcoat guides - tours leave the Cathedral Green or the Quay and last 1–2 hours
 * The canal and river offers opportunities for watersports and cycling. Bikes and canoes can be hired from Saddles and Paddles, No. 4 Kings Wharf, The Quay, EX4 2AN, who offer good advice and the local bike route maps. A series of cycle paths exist on either side of the river. Along the west river bank, the village of Starcross and the beach of Dawlish Warren are easily reached, and Dawlish, Teignmouth and the south west coastpath can also be reached via this route. On the east bank, the gastronomic town of Topsham, Lympstone village, and seaside resort town Exmouth can be reached.
 * The canal and river offers opportunities for watersports and cycling. Bikes and canoes can be hired from Saddles and Paddles, No. 4 Kings Wharf, The Quay, EX4 2AN, who offer good advice and the local bike route maps. A series of cycle paths exist on either side of the river. Along the west river bank, the village of Starcross and the beach of Dawlish Warren are easily reached, and Dawlish, Teignmouth and the south west coastpath can also be reached via this route. On the east bank, the gastronomic town of Topsham, Lympstone village, and seaside resort town Exmouth can be reached.

Learn

 * University of Exeter
 * Exeter College

Work

 * The largest employers are the Devon County Council, the University of Exeter, and the Met Office.
 * Employment agencies cluster around the west end of the High Street.
 * The Job Centre is at Clarendon House, Western Way
 * Exeter Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) is at Wat Tyler House in King William Street

Buy

 * The High Street is mostly taken up by national clothing and electronics chains.
 * Larger concentrations of independent shops can be found in the streets just off the High Street. Fore Street has a number of good outdoor goods shops. Gandy Street and the Cathedral Green offer a similarly eclectic range of retailers. Magdalen Road, a few minutes walk from the city centre, offers award-winning butchers and fishmongers as well as handmade jewellery and gift shops.
 * A major redevelopment of Princesshay and surrounding streets has brought many new or redeveloped shops and restaurants including an Apple store.
 * Mall-type shopping developments in the city include the Guildhall and Harlequins.
 * Mall-type shopping developments in the city include the Guildhall and Harlequins.

Eat
As well as the selection listed here, there are the national chains eg ASK and Pizza Express on Cathedral Green, and Zizzi's in Gandy Street. The suburb of Topsham, 5 km south on the river estuary, also has a good range of restaurants.

Stay safe
Exeter is very safe compared to other cities in the UK. There is a slight likelihood that you will be asked for money by homeless people at some point, but most of them are not aggressive and will simply move to the next person if you tell them, 'No, sorry.'

Connect
As of Sept 2023, Exeter and its approach roads have 4G from O2 and Vodafone, and 5G from EE and Three.

Go next
One of the main pulling points for the city is the ease in which one can get out of the urban environment and into the countryside. Exeter is a convenient gateway to Dartmoor, Plymouth and the rest of Devon and Cornwall.


 * Beaches: the nearest are at Exmouth and Dawlish Warren, but the whole of the south-west peninsula is within reach.
 * Scenic towns: Lyme Regis to the east, Totnes and Dartmouth to the south
 * Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks
 * Countryside: The Devon countryside offers rolling hills, fast-flowing rivers, and countless picturesque villages and small towns
 * Other major towns in Devon: Torquay and Plymouth city.