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City in Devon, England
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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.
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And the Cathedral Green; Exeter's top attraction and a very beautiful Gothic building. The cathedral lays claim to having the longest unbroken stone roof beam of any building in the world. The Cathedral Green opposite can be a good place to chill out on in the summer, ideal for an inexpensive picnic.
Claimed to be the oldest municipal building in England still serving its original purpose.
The world's second most narrow street at 1.22 metres (4 ft) wide.
Exeter Castle
The grounds and the remaining Norman structures are open to the public, but the central part of the castle has been retired from service as an Assize Court. It is now a wedding and events venue with holiday lets.
RAMM
A museum and art gallery.
The 900-year-old guest wing of a former Benedictine Priory, furnished as the 1602 home of a prosperous family.
One-hour tours are easily arranged of the city's unique medieval (and now out of use) water system. Not for the claustrophobic! The entrance can be found next to the Princesshay shopping development.
Parkland campuses and sculpture walk.
The Met Office hosts occasional public tours via open days for visitors aged 10 and over. Part of the tour includes the Met Office's National Meteorological Library which has a small museum dedicated to the Met Office's history including artifices such as Robert Fitzroy's equipment. Photography and recording is strictly prohibited.
Adventure park mainly aimed at younger children, with indoor and outdoor slides and rides. Accommodation includes cabin lodges, glamping and camping.
Has a cafe-bar and free Wi-Fi.
New Theatre
Has a cocktail bar.
City were relegated in 2026 and now play soccer in League Two, the fourth tier. The 8830-seat St James' Park stadium is a 10-minute walk northeast from the city centre.
Exeter Chiefs play in the Premiership, the top tier of English Rugby Union. Sandy Park has a capacity of 15,000 and in 2025 hosted games in the Women's Rugby Union World Cup.
Haldon racecourse
This is a National Hunt (jumps) racecourse, with regular meetings Nov-March. Perched on top of the Haldon hills, it's the highest racecourse in the UK, at 260 m. There's a caravan & motor-home park within the course.
Café with a good choice of vegetarian and other snacks and light meals.
Mediterranean food
Small family-owned Turkish and English cafe. All sorts of meze dishes, which are truly delicious. Large portions and inexpensive compared to similar restaurants. Also a bookshop, and something of a legend for University folk.
Traditional Brit Indian, inexpensive.
Moroccan.
Wood-panelled pub with real ale & traditional fare.
Central yet rustic atmosphere, they even rear their own pigs.
Italian, in 19th-century brick warehouse, the pizzas are huge.
Modern British cuisine.
Tapas restaurant.
Modern British & French cuisine, locally sourced.
Good food, the light lunch and early bird dinner are recommended.
The Angel is a warm hearted bar in the centre of Exeter. It is independent and promotes great quality in everything: staff, drinks and music. With a relaxed atmosphere during the day, it then turns into a pumping party bar at night.
Green King
Live music venue with bands most evenings. Be warned that the toilets are not for the faint-hearted. However, it is a nursery for new talent with bands like Muse, Coldplay and Radiohead playing early in their careers.
The Double Locks pub sits in an idyllic location on the edge of Exeter Canal, 20 minutes walk from the quayside. Occasional live music, child-friendly, a solid selection of real ales and a reasonable menu. On sunny weekends the pub attracts many punters, and the May Day bank-holiday beer festival can get very busy, with long queues.
A decently priced J D Wetherspoons pub.
Open until 2-3AM most nights, the Firehouse is a pub serving local ales, ciders and food until the wee hours. The 14-inch pizzas, served from 9PM (after the normal menu ends) are highly recommended, at £7 each. Live folk/surf-rock on Fridays, jazz/world on Saturdays, flamenco guitar on Thursdays. Occasionally there is an entry charge on weekend nights.
Green King
JD Wetherspoons
Thatched 16th century building
A bar with a nightclub above.
Attached to Michael Caine's restaurant on Cathedral Green. Good selection of Real Ales, and a skeleton in the basement!
Remarkable 16th century pub with restaurant.
Central hostel with rooms and dorm. Cleanliness of facilities & clientele variable.
3-star chain close to main railway station. Premier Inn has one other hotel in city ("Exeter Centre"), and two edge-of-town ("Exeter M5" & "Exeter Countess Wear").
104-bedroom hotel in the former House of Fraser department store.
Simple 2-star next to main railway station, 1 km north of centre.
3-star pub with quirky stylish rooms near town centre. Owned by Young's Brewery.
formerly Jury's Inn
3-star, reliable chain choice near city centre.
4-star with spa & bistro, central. Variable room size: "cosy" means kinda small.
Serviced apartments, short-stay available.
This is primarily an accommodation agency for Exeter students. During Easter and summer vacation rooms with B&B may be available on the Streatham Campus, 2 km north of city centre, if they're not booked out to conferences.
Old-style country inn with 5 rooms, comfy but not spacious. No children under 5.
Great breakfast, decent rooms, friendly staff. Parking £12 per day.
3-star in Georgian house with restaurant & tapas bar.
Wonderful small hotel in Georgian townhouse. No dogs in rooms.
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.
By bus
Exeter has 3 park & ride bus stations: Honiton Road, Sowton and Matford.
By rail
It can be more cost-effective to take the train instead of buses, particularly for long distances around the city and the larger area.
On foot
The central area of the city is fairly small, so it is easy to get around on foot. The city can be traversed east-to-west in around two hours if it is required.
By taxi
Taxi stands are located on the north-eastern intersection of the High Street and by Exeter St Davids station. Taxis can be flagged down if seen.
By car
There is an extensive road network covering the city. You cannot drive onto the high street, and must park in a neighbouring car park. Traffic can be slow.
By bicycle
Cycle paths of varying quality run through the city. The most scenic route runs along the canal towpath.
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Exeter, Devon · Regional · EXT
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