Exeter is a curious place. It’s a city, yes, but it feels like a market town. It has retained an elegance and charm and is a lovely place to explore. It’s also the perfect base for a road trip around the beautiful south-west of England and the gorgeous counties of both Devon and Cornwall.
Discover the city
Make for the eart of Exeter and you can combine a day of shopping in the quaint boutique stores with exploring the ancient side of the city.
Head to the magnificent central cathedral, which towers over the city. Get up close to the impressive Gothic architecture with a trip to the top. The intricate details of the spires are a joy to behold, as is the panoramic view across the houses and out into the Devon hills.
Stop in at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, a pink-bricked Gothic masterpiece with white fringes. Inside, a collection that spans centuries, continents and all kinds of subjects will keep kids and adults engrossed for hours. From an Egyptian tomb to an important collection of starfish, it contains a fascinating variety of exhibits.
The freshest of fish
The south coast of England is famed for its seafood. Exeter is a great place to try some - whether it’s juicy mussels or freshly caught fish from the Devon ports. From street food to grand old restaurants, they’ll all deliver a taste of the sea. Try The Galley at Topsham – the focus on fish here is so intense that they don’t open on the days when the boats aren’t landing a catch – Sundays and Mondays. The menu changes frequently, but you may be lucky enough to get 12 hour cured trout with pickled shallot or seafood bouillabaisse with sea bream.
See how the other half lived
Get the ultimate English stately home experience at Powderham Castle, the perfect day trip from Exeter. Take a guided tour behind the scenes of this sprawling mansion - the ‘upstairs downstairs’ tour focuses on the stories of the servants and the family they served. Kids will love the huge gardens, where red deer roam, and the farm featuring baby goats and sheep.
For stunning views across the Devon countryside head to Haldon Belvedere (Lawrence Castle). The grand apartment in the tower of this fairytale castle is available to stay in and the grounds are open daily. Snap the perfect picture of this bone-white castle looking out over the forested hills.
The great outdoors
Drive down the river to the charming village of Topsham, stuffed with cozy pubs and restaurants. Colorful houses snake down narrow roads to quiet harbors where the River Exe meets the River Clyst.
Make time for the wild moorlands and ancient rock formations of Dartmoor National Park, right on Exeter’s doorstep. A scenic drive through the national parkland takes you from Bovey Tracey to Princetown, through wild moorland where ponies graze. Princetown offers a range of walking and cycling trails along disused railways and field tracks. Pick up a map at the High Moorland Visitor Center in the middle of town.
On a sunny day spend some time by the ocean. Sandy Bay near Exmouth is close by. Surreal, terracotta rock formations and a sweep of sandy beach make up this part of the Devon coast.
Here in the west country you can get a real feel for the English landscape and way of life, and car rental in Exeter will let you head out to the surrounding sights in delightful Devon.