Exeter is a vibrant and ancient city in the southwest of England.
The city has fantastic transport links. It has two junctions on the M5, which provides easy access to the north and rest of the country from the main motorway interchanges at Bristol and Birmingham.
The main train station has national rail services including a direct route to London, with some services taking just over 2hrs15mins. On weekdays there are 99 services going from Exeter into London.
The city’s airport flies to European destinations including international flight hubs such as Amsterdam. The city itself has a great local bus service and three park and ride operations.
Exeter has a wide variety of schools. There are state-funded, private options and some single-gender schools too. A few of the independent schools also offer weekly boarding. The standards of teaching are high in Exeter with over 70% of schools having achieved outstanding or good ratings in their recent Ofsted inspections. The University of Exeter brings a good student population to the city, and it’s an excellent research-focused university that achieved a gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Exeter has many stylish boutiques and independent stores, as well as all the high street names you’d expect to find in the city centre. Fore Street in the West Quarter has over 60 unique and interesting independent shops and eateries to discover, and the area has beautiful architecture too. Gandy Street is an old cobbled street that’s full of character and it has many small shops like Sobey’s which sells vintage clothing. Exeter’s High Street has the household names as do shopping centres like The Guildhall Shopping Centre and the award-winning Princesshay.
The nightlife in Exeter has something for everyone. Enjoy some quiet drinks on the Quayside, live music in a city centre bar, cocktails on Gandy Street (the street that’s said to be the inspiration for Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley), or live theatre at the university’s Northcott Theatre.
The Stand Off is an independently owned Irish bar and restaurant in the centre of Exeter offering live sport, great beers, fantastic food, live music and traditional Irish hospitality. Set on the picturesque Exeter Quayside is On The Waterfront. It’s a great family-friendly pub that’s well-known for serving up delicious homemade pizzas. Harry’s Restaurant is rated as one of the best restaurants in Exeter, and is housed within an iconic gothic-style building in the centre of the city. The seasonal, locally-sourced menu, alongside the warm welcome, makes Harry’s a great choice for a night out with friends.
Exeter has a few hospitals throughout the city, providing different services, and there are plenty of GP, dental and pharmacy services available too.
There’s lots to do in and around Exeter. Try indoor climbing at Clip ‘n Climb or the 26 climbing challenges at the climbing centre on Exeter Quay. For those who enjoy sports, cheer on the Exeter Chiefs (Exeter’s Premier Club rugby team) at their home ground Sandy Park.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum is home to over one million individual objects and specimens from all over the globe and it’s a fun and educational free day out for the family. With regular updates to their collections and new displays, there’s always something different to discover.
Surrounding Exeter is the beautiful, rolling Devon countryside with both the North Devon and South Devon coastlines within quick and easy reach.
