Exeter

Exeter has more than a millennia of history within its boundaries, which gives the city something of a unique atmosphere. Everywhere you look there are historic buildings and ancient architecture just screaming their links to the past. Exeter is the main city in the county of Devonshire and despite all of the thousands of years of history that it contains it remains a vibrant and young place, which could in part be due to the fact that it is a university town. This is where you will find some of the UK’s most dramatic scenery – there is the beauty of the River Exe, the dramatic outline of the Jurassic Coast and the vast open spaces that are Exmoor and Dartmoor.

Around the City

Not only is there the cathedral for you to explore, beneath the city there are a myriad of passageways that date back to the fourteenth century. The Historic Quay has a strong appeal and of course there are the old Roman city walls. There is one thing that this city has by the bucketful and that it atmosphere. Go back in time and get a feel for what life was like during Tudor times by visiting St Nicholas Priory, explore medieval Exeter at Tuckers Hall and make a point of crossing the ancient medieval bridge too, to visit the wonderfully restored Cricklepit Mill. If you fear the dark or have a fear or enclosed spaces, the underground tunnels may not be for you, take yourself off and view the inside of the beautiful Gothic cathedral and marvel instead at the incredible stained glass there. For those with something more modern in mind the Phoenix Centre has many performances that should please, plus there is the exhibition of contemporary art at Spacex.

About The City

All of the restaurants in the city take a great deal of pride in offering only the very best in local food. They claim that the food here is so locally sourced that they can even tell you the name of the mother of the meat you are eating. If a spot of retail therapy is on your mind you will not be disappointed by what is on offer here. For the unique and original head down the narrow cobbled streets of the old town where you will find retro clothing stores, second hand book shops and all kinds of outlets.

This is an old town and as such it is not short of a bar or three. Take a drink in The Ship Inn, the pub believed to have been the drinking establishment favoured by Sir Francis Drake himself. There are plenty of clubs, music bars and night clubs for you to while your night away. Plan your visit well and you could be in the right place at the right time for the Food and Drink festival with plenty of celebrity chefs cooking up a storm and tantalising your taste buds. This is an annual festival which takes place here every spring, May sees the Devon County Show held here and throughout the summer there are a number of music festivals to look forward to.