Exeter

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 Dunmommi 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

• Exeter Airport

  phone: +44 1392 367 433
  address: Clyst Honiton EX5 2BD

UK domestic flights operated by Flybe fly to Aberdeen (ABZ); Belfast City (BHD); Edinburgh (EDI); Glasgow (GLA); Guernsey (GCI); Jersey (JER); Leeds Bradford (LBA); Manchester Airport (MAN); Newcastle (NCL) and Norwich (NWI).
Skybus flies to St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly (ISC) March-October, Monday to Saturday.
International flights to Exeter operated by Flybe are available from the following destinations, with services from France under a codeshare agreement with Air France: Alicante (ALC); Amsterdam (AMS); Avignon (AVN); Bergerac (EGC); Chambéry (CMF); Dublin (DUB); Dubrovnik (DBV); Düsseldorf (DUS); Geneva (GVA); Hanover (HAJ); Helsinki (HEL); Málaga (AGP); Palma (PMI); Paris (CDG); Rennes (RNS); Salzburg (SZG). Most of these flights run year-round, but less often in winter.
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 Exeter, Starcross, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Torre, Torquay and Paignton.
Exeter St. Davids is the main train station, a 15-minute walk or bus journey to the city centre. Several smaller stations for local and regional trains exist, including , St Thomas and . Central station is a 5-minute walk into the city centre along Queen Street. The journey time from London Paddington to Exeter St. Davids is 2-3 hours, with the average being around 2 hours 30 minutes. There is also a slower service from London Waterloo via Salisbury, about every 2 hours, which can take up to 4 hours. This service calls at Central station and at St David's. National services are run to Bristol, South Wales, Birmingham, the north of England and Scotland; service to Bristol is approximately hourly. Local trains run to Barnstaple, Exmouth, and along the main lines.

By bus

National Express operates a number of bus services from points around the United Kingdom that arrive at the city's bus and coach station, in Paris Street, a few minutes walk to the main shopping area in High Street and the cathedral green.
Two companies run coaches between Exeter coach station and London's Victoria Coach Station. National Express offers a nine times a day service (service numbers 501, 404 & 406) with some advance fares as low as £2 return, and Megabus runs once a day starting at £1.50.
South West Falcon operates a service connecting Bristol, Taunton, Exeter, and Plymouth. A single fare from Plymouth to Bristol is £28. Tickets can be booked online in advance, but reservations are not strictly required.

The central area of the city is fairly small, so it is easy to get around on foot.
Buses within the city are operated by Stagecoach Devon, who also operate buses to most regional destinations. A day pass within the city costs £4, with a regional pass valid on Stagecoach and Western Greyhound costing £6.50, 1-week passes are £12. Some regional routes are operated by FirstBus, and by small independent operators.
Cycle paths of varying quality run through the city. The most scenic route runs along the canal towpath.

• City walls - some date to Roman times and there are easily-accessible remnants next to Rougemont Gardens.

• Exeter Cathedral

  phone: +44 1392 255573
  address: Exeter, EX1 1HS
  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.

• Guildhall

  address: High St, Exeter, EX4 3EB
  Claimed to be the oldest municipal building in England still serving its original purpose.
• Historic quayside including the 17th-century Custom House, which has been renovated as a headquarters for the city's archaeological service.
• Medieval churches in the city centre:

• St Martin's

• St Mary Arches

• St Mary Steps

• St Olave's

• St Petrock's

• St Stephen's

Parliament StreetThe world's second most narrow street at 1.22 metres (4 ft) wide.

Rougemont Castle

phone: +44 1392 420703

address: Castle St, EX4 3PU

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.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum

phone: +44 1392 265858

address: Queen St EX4 3RX

A museum and art gallery.

St Nicholas Priory

address: Mint Lane EX4 3BL

The 900-year-old guest wing of a former Benedictine Priory, furnished as the 1602 home of a prosperous family.

Underground passages

phone: +44 1392 665887

address: 2 Paris St, EX1 1GA

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.

University of ExeterParkland campuses and sculpture walk.

Killerton

phone: +44 1392 881345

address: Broadclyst, EX5 3LE

GNOME High contrast icons

• 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

• Crealy Great Adventure Park

  phone: +44 1395 233200
  address: Sidmouth Rd, EX5 1DR
  Adventure park mainly aimed at younger children, with indoor and outdoor slides and rides. Accommodation includes cabin lodges, glamping and camping.
• 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.

Watch

Cinema

• Odeon

  phone: +44 333 014 4501
  address: Sidwell St, EX4 6PL

• Picture House

  phone: +44 871 902 5730
  address: Bartholomew St, EX4 3AJ
  Has a cafe-bar and free Wi-Fi.

• Vue

  phone: +44 345 308 4620
  address: Summerland St, EX1 2DD

Theatre

• Northcott Theatre

  phone: +44 1392 726363
  address: Stocker Rd, EX4 4QB

• Barnfield Theatre

  phone: +44 1392 270891
  address: Barnfield Rd, EX1 1SN

• Cygnet Theatre

  phone: +44 1392 277189
  address: Friars Gate, EX2 4AZ

• Bikeshed Theatre

  phone: +44 1392 434169
  address: Fore St, EX4 3AT
  Has a cocktail bar.

Sport

• Exeter City Football Club

  phone: +44 1392 411 243
  address: St James Park EX4 6PX
  City play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The 8830-seat St James' Park stadium is a 10-minute walk northeast from the city centre.

• Exeter Chiefs Rugby Union Club

  phone: +44 1392 890890
  address: Sandy Park Stadium, Sandy Park Way, EX2 7NN
  Exeter Chiefs play in the English Premiership, the top tier of English Rugby Union. Sandy Park, opened in 2006, has a capacity of 12,800. There are plans to enlarge this beyond 20,000 to meet the stadium requirements for later stages of European rugby tournaments.

• Exeter Racecourse

  phone: +44 1392 832599
  address: EX6 7XS
  This is a National Hunt ie jumps racecourse, with regular meetings during the winter season. 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.

• University of Exeter
• Exeter College

• 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

• The High Street is mostly taken up by national clothing and electronics chains, and was branded a "clone town" in a 2005 poll of bland high streets. At that point Exeter High Street had only one "independent" shop (a tobacconist).
• 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.

• Princesshay

  address: 9 Catherine St, EX1 1QA
• Mall-type shopping developments in the city include the Guildhall and Harlequins.

• Guildhall Shopping Centre

  phone: +44 1392 201910
  address: 40 High St, EX4 3HP

• Harlequins Shopping Centre

  phone: +44 1392 219 366
  address: Paul St, EX4 3TT

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.

Budget

• The Plant

  phone: +44 1392 428144
  address: 1 Cathedral Yard EX1 1HJ
  Café with a good choice of vegetarian and other snacks and light meals.

• Dinosaur Café

  phone: +44 1392 490951
  address: 5 New North Rd EX4 4HH
  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.

• Gandhi

  phone: +44 1392 272119
  address: 7/8 New North Road EX4 4HH
  Traditional Brit Indian, inexpensive.

Mid-range

• Al-Farid

  phone: +44 1392 494444
  address: 3 Cathedral Yard EX1 1HJ
  Moroccan.

• Hour Glass

  phone: +44 1392 258722
  address: 21 Melbourne Street EX2 4AU
  Wood-panelled pub with real ale & traditional fare.

• The Fat Pig

  address: 2 John St EX1 1BL
  Central yet rustic atmosphere, they even rear their own pigs.

• On The Water Front

  phone: +44 1392 210590
  address: Southern Warehouse, 4-9 The Quay EX2 4AP
  Italian, in 19th-century brick warehouse, the pizzas are huge.

Splurge

• Olive Tree

  phone: +44 1392 272709
  address: in Queen's Court Hotel, Bystock Terr EX4 4HY
  Modern British cuisine.

• St Olave's Court

  phone: +44 1392 217736,
  address: in St Olave's Hotel, Mary Arches Street EX4 3AZ
  Tapas restaurant.

• @Angela's

  phone: +44 1392 499038
  address: 38 New Bridge Street EX4 3AH
  Modern British & French cuisine, locally sourced.

• The Conservatory

  phone: +44 1392 273858
  address: 18 North Street EX4 3QS
  Good food, the light lunch and early bird dinner are recommended.

• The Double Locks

  phone: +44 1392 256947
  address: Canal Banks, EX2 6LT
  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.

• The Imperial

  phone: +44 1392 434050
  address: New North Rd, EX4 4AH
  A decently priced J D Wetherspoons pub.

• The Angel

  phone: +44 1392 432611
  address: 32 Queen St, EX4 3SR
  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.

• Timepiece

  phone: +44 1392 493096
  address: Little Castle St, EX4 3PX
  A bar with a nightclub above.

• The Well House Tavern

  address: 16-17 Cathedral Yard, EX1 1HB
  Attached to Michael Caine's restaurant on Cathedral Green. Good selection of Real Ales, and a skeleton in the basement!

• The Old Firehouse

  phone: +44 1392 277279
  address: 50 New North Rd, EX4 4EP
  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.

• Cavern

  phone: +44 1392 495370
  address: 83-84 Queen St, EX4 3RP
  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.

Budget

• Globe Backpackers

  phone: +44 1392 215521
  address: 71 Holloway St, EX2 4JD
  Central hostel with rooms and dorm. Cleanliness of facilities & clientele variable.

• Premier Inn Exeter Central St Davids

  phone: +44 871 527 9278
  address: Bonhay Road, EX4 4BG
  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").

Mid-range

• Great Western Hotel

  phone: +44 1392 274039
  address: St David's Station Approach, EX4 4NU
  Simple 2-star next to main railway station, 1 km north of centre.

• City Gate

  phone: +44 1392 495811
  address: Iron Bridge, Lower North Street, EX4 3RB
  3-star pub with rooms near town centre.

• Jurys Inn Exeter

  phone: +44 1392 312400
  address: Western Way, EX1 2DB
  3-star, reliable chain choice near city centre.

• Hotel du Vin Exeter

  phone: +44 1392 790120
  address: Magdalen St, EX2 4HY
  4-star with spa & bistro, central. Variable room size: "cosy" means kinda small.

• Silver Springs

  phone: +44 1392 494040
  address: 12 Richmond Road, St. Davids, EX4 4JA
  Serviced apartments, short-stay available.

• University of ExeterThis 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.

Splurge

• Mercure Southgate Hotel

  address: Southernhay East, EX1 1QF
  Great breakfast, decent rooms, friendly staff. Parking £12 per day.

• St Olaves Hotel

  phone: +44 1392 217736
  address: 16 Mary Arches St, EX4 3AZ
  3-star in Georgian house with restaurant & tapas bar.

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.'

The local newspaper is the Express and Echo, published weekly. It is a good source for local events listings. The Exeter Flying Post offers alternative editorial views.

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