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Exeter is the closest city to Exmouth, where the wedding celebration will take place. We’d recommend staying Saturday night in Exmouth, but to have a day or two in Exeter as well before or after the wedding. It’s a beautiful city and is where the Groom grew up.
Devon is an English county located about 3 hours outside of London and can be reached either by car or train. It’s well known as a beauty spot in England – with sea coasts on both the north and south of the county, and two National Parks that contain the ruggedly beautiful moorlands.
For friends and family looking to make a longer trip down to the beautiful Southwest of England both Devon and Cornwall are beauty spots to be treasured within the UK, and can offer visitors a tremendous amount of history and natural beauty. Tintagel Castle, thought to be home to King Arthur, is in Cornwall, and alone is worth the journey.
Getting to Devon can be achieved through a few ways:
- By Rail from Paddington Station, London using Great Western Railway
- By Rail from Waterloo Station, London using Souhwestern Railway
- By Coach from Victoria Station or Heathrow Airport, using National Express
- By Car
We would recommend either hiring/renting a car or taking the Great Western Railway from Paddington Station.
Exeter
Exeter is the largest city in Devon, and is where Matt grew up and attended University.
Exeter dates back to the Roman times in Britain, and there are signs of the Romans within the city. In the Middle Ages a gorgeous Cathedral was built in Exeter, and is one of the key sites to visit and see while in this historical city.
It’s a beautiful and ancient city situated on the River Exe, which flows into the English Channel.
What to See
Exeter Cathedral
- Website: https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/
- Price: £7.50
This ancient cathedral, completed around 1400, is what makes Exeter such an incredible city to visit. The unusual building features some of the famous architectural structures from it’s time that can be seen from outside or inside the cathedral.
Our local tip, from the groom, is to take the rooftop tour at the cathedral (£14) for some incredible views and close up history of the cathedral and it’s architecture. Book your tour here: https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/visit-us/special-tours/#section1
Quayside
This neighborhood is located in the historical area of the Quayside along the River Exe in Exeter has a lot of charm, restaurants and is a lovely lively location in the city to visit.
There are a lot of restaurants and activities that can be found on the Quayside – kayaking, bowling, bars, cafes, restaurants. It’s a lovely walk along the river as well.
Exeter Underground Passages
- Website: https://exeter.gov.uk/passages/
- Price: £7
- Times: Tue-Fri from 10:30am to 4:30pm / Sat 9:30am – 5:30pm / Sun 11:30am – 4:00pm
Beneath the city of Exeter lies a labyrinth of medieval passages that you can step into and explore. It dates back through the history of Exeter and covers all sorts of history – from war to plague. Guided tours are available of the passages and are required to access them.
Northernhay Gardens
These gardens are set within the city of Exeter and offer a charming respite from the bustle of the wider city scape. They are the oldest public space in England and were originally created in 1612. It was carved out as a quarry during Roman Times and now serves as a beautiful garden
Exeter Medieval Trail
Visit Exeter have released a map of a walking route to the “Medieval Trail”. It covers key sites such as Exeter Cathedral and the Exeter Guildhall. Using this map would be a great way to spend a day and see the city of Exeter and all the glorious history it has to offer its visitors.
The guide is located directly here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4CpCORtOQdTdHdfMHhiR2lXdHc/view
Royal Albert Memorial Museum
- Website: https://rammcollections.org.uk/
- Price: Free
- Open: Tues to Sun from 10am – 5pm, closed Mon.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum includes a museum and an art gallery ans is located relatively near the train station. The collections cover a wide variety of artifacts from Fine Art, Natural Sciences, Social History and a variety of other topic matter.
Topsham Museum
- Website: https://topshammuseum.org.uk/
- Price: Free
- Open: Wed to Mon from 2pm – 5pm, closed Tue
The museum is located along the Quayside next to the River Exe and is set in an old 1600s building. It features furnished rooms from the period of the 1600s and details of the history of the city, with a focus on the maritime history of the region.
The House That Moved
- Address: Stepcote Hill, Exeter, England, EX1 1BD
When a new road system was being planned there was a single challenge – a Grade II listed Tudor building from the 1400s stood in the way. Many other historical houses were lost to time, clearances, and bombings. Instead of demolishing it the government of Exeter opted instead to move it 70 meters / 230 ft out of the way of the new road system. It made global news at the time, with coverage of the move making papers from all over. Why visit now? It’s a unique story but also a really beautiful piece of Tudor heritage in the city.
Read more about the House that Moved on Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/house-that-moved
Where to Eat
The Imperial
- Recommended For: Breakfast, Drinks
- Address: New N Rd, Exeter EX4 4AH
This pub is located in an absolutely gorgeous building from the 1800s complete with an orangery. It is one of the original JD Wetherspoons pubs and is hugely popular with the university students in Exeter. The food and drinks are reasonably priced and decent quality, but by no means the finest you can find in Exeter. We would recommend visiting the “Impy” for breakfast or drinks.
Cosy Club
- Recommended For: Breakfast, Brunch, Drinks
- Address: Halford Wing, Dean Clarke House, 1 Southernhay Gardens, Exeter EX1 1SG
This trendy restaurant features an eclectic menu featuring brasserie and popular fare. The building is quirky, equally eclectic as the menu, and sat within a wing of an old hospital in Exeter.
Rendezvous
- Recommended For: Dinner, Wine
- Address: 38-40 Southernhay E, Exeter EX1 1PE
This wine bar, with it’s adorable walled garden and atmospheric basement interior, also serves high quality food. The menu features seafood and other dishes sourced locally.
Harry’s Restaurant
- Recommended For: Casual Dining, Kid Friendly
- Address: 86 Longbrook St, Exeter EX4 6AP
Long running restaurant located in the center of the city and comes highly rated on Trip Advisor, Open Table, and Google. The menu is full of eclectic foods and the restaurant exists within an unusual building, which ones served as an architectural sculptors workshop.
The Beer Engine
- Recommended For: English Pub
- Address: Newton St Cyres, Sweetham, Exeter EX5 5AX
This charming traditional British gastro pub has a lovely balcony and garden. The menu covers the standard English pub fare – including a proper ale battered fish and chips.
Brody’s
- Recommended For: All Day Breakfast
- Address: 23-24 Queen St, Exeter EX4 3SH
Unlimited breakfast served all day long, what isn’t to love about Brody’s? Another university favorite in Exeter, it’s located downtown and offers burgers for those who don’t fancy breakfast all day.
On The Waterfront
- Recommended For: Pizza
- Address: Southern Warehouse, 4-9, The Quay, Exeter EX2 4AP
This quayside restaurant comes recommended by our local Exeter friends and the recommended dish is pizza. The entire waterfront area, known as the quayside, is a charming place to wander as well as eat.
How to Get to Exeter
These directions all are geared towards guests arriving through one of the London Airports (presuming Heathrow for international flights). If you’re planning something different, or a longer trip around the wedding, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Bride and Groom for suggestions and more information on how to reach Exeter (and eventually Exmouth).
By Car
There are 2 routes from London, down the A303/A30, or across the M4/M5. We recommend the M4/M5 route as it is a motorway (highway) and easier to follow. The A303/A30 turns into country lanes, at times, and is very winding and only one lane in each direction, and though maps often suggest it is faster it is not.
The only reason to take the A303/A30 is if you’re planning to stop off at Stonehenge or want to take the “scenic” route (though there is not much else to see along the way).
By Coach / Bus
There is a Coach / Bus that runs direct from Heathrow to Exeter, with one or two stops along the way.
It is operated by National Express, and you can book with them directly (what I would recommend). The bus leaves from the bus depot, at Heathrow Airport, which is located within the vicinity of Terminals 2 & 3 (free inter airport transfers are available if you fly into Terminals 4 or 5).
The route takes upwards to 4 hours to complete, and you get dropped off at a bus terminal in Exeter, near the city center.
Round trip tickets would cost around £50, if booked in advance.
Tickets can be booked through the National Express website: https://nationalexpress.co.uk
By Train
There are two different train operators and routes you can take to reach Exeter from London – either with Great Western Railways or South Western Railways.
Great Western Railways operates a service from London Paddington Station – this service is slightly pricer, but a shorter journey and you can reserve seats (in fact do not purchase the tickets unless you were able to reserve seats). A round trip from Paddington can cost around £100, and takes around 2.5 hours.
South Western Railways operates a service from London Waterloo Station – this service is cheaper, but slightly longer and you cannot reserve a seat (so ensure that you do not travel at rush hour, which includes trains departing between 4pm and 8pm). A round trip from Waterloo can cost around £50, and takes around 3 hours. If you take this line you’ll pass through the Bride & Groom’s town of Woking as you head southwest towards Devon.
You can research tickets and book them through the National Rail website: http://nationalrail.co.uk
Before booking anything via that website make sure you check a few things:
- Arrival Station is “Exeter St David’s” (unless your hotel tells you otherwise).
- Double check that under the column “Dur. Chg.” there are 0 changes, you do not want to have change trains on either route.
Want some tailor suggestions from the bride and groom? Reach out to wedding@andresonshere.com.