Exeter reveals itself through Gothic architecture, medieval landmarks and a varied cultural programme. When planning your stay, you can choose from different focuses: art and performance, history, or walks with views of the River Exe. The places and activities featured offer a range of experiences. If you plan to take a tour or visit a site, check the relevant dates and visitor information before your trip.
Art, Performance and Different Perspectives
The Phoenix Gallery presents contemporary art exhibitions by artists from the local area, the United Kingdom and abroad. This range of origins offers a look at both local and international perspectives. Exeter Phoenix complements this with a varied programme of performances, comedy, cabaret, dance and spoken word. This gives you a choice of different cultural offerings, from visual art to live performances. Checking the current programme can help you choose what best fits your travel dates.
Medieval Traces and Natural History
Cricklepit Mill brings together a piece of industrial history and a nature-related theme. The earliest known mill on this site was built in the 13th century as a fulling mill for processing woollen cloth. Today, Cricklepit Mill in Exeter is home to an award-winning wildlife garden. The site thus brings together the mill’s historical use and a modern nature garden.
Rougemont Castle and Gardens also offers several points of interest for a historical walk: the complex includes a Norman ringwork with walls, towers and an outer bailey. The area around Rougemont also preserves archaeological and environmental history evidence from long periods of settlement. Exeter Cathedral makes its own impression with its Gothic architecture. Together, these places show different ways of exploring the past—from buildings and archaeological traces to the history of the city.
The Exon Domesday adds a written perspective to these architectural landmarks. It contains unique information about politics, society and the landscape of southwest Britain around a thousand years ago. Those comparing historical themes will find different scales here: the specific architecture of a Norman ringwork, the long history of settlement around Rougemont, and the broader perspective of the medieval document.
Museums, the Quayside and Underground Passages
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery has 16 exhibition galleries. Their themes range from prehistory to the present day and from Exeter to the wider world. This breadth of time and place offers a range of starting points for a museum visit. Admission is free; check this information again before you travel. The museum is about 200 metres from both Exeter Central railway station and Exeter High Street, where most buses stop.
The Custom House Visitor Centre uses exhibitions, illustrations and artefacts to explain the history and development of Exeter’s Quayside. The underground passages focus on a different chapter of the city’s history: they were built to house pipes supplying clean drinking water in medieval Exeter and can be visited on a guided tour. Before the tour, the Heritage Centre at the Underground Passages offers interactive exhibitions and explanations. This gives you the chance to learn about the passages’ historical purpose before the tour itself explores the structure.
Tours and Routes Around Exeter
Exeter Red Coat Guided Tours run daily throughout the year and last about 90 minutes. With the exception of the Historic Quayside and Canal Boat tours, they start at the Richard Hooker statue on Cathedral Green. If you have a particular tour in mind, factor in both the starting point and approximate duration when planning.
For a route with views of the River Exe, the Exe Estuary Trail connects Exmouth, Exeter and Dawlish along the Exe Estuary. The Exeter Green Circle is a 12-mile route along Exeter’s boundaries. The two routes differ in their geographical scope: the Estuary Trail connects several places and offers views of the river, while the Green Circle follows the city boundaries. This gives you a concrete basis for comparing them without treating both routes as the same kind of outing.
Discover more destinations: Ashprington, Cove, Meshaw, Hawkchurch, Newton Saint Petrock, Stokeinteignhead, Hollacombe, Halberton.
For the broader travel overview: Devon.
