Living in Exeter

Green Exeter

One of the many charms of Exeter’s city is that despite the busy, buzzy town centre, it’s interwoven with green spaces and cycle lanes. It’s not far from hectic streets to pleasant parks, or secluded footpaths. There are so many locations around the city to relax in greener surroundings it’s easy to find somewhere tranquil to sit and relax with friends or eat a picnic. The best way to discover all the gems of the city is to explore yourself, but here are a few of the best places, just to get you started.

Parks

Exeter certainly has enough shopping to exhaust your average student, and when this does happen, there are green spaces dotted around the city centre for a flop and a quiet moment. That’s not to say that the more energetic of you won’t be able to find a spot for a game of frisbee, football or cricket. Exeter has a wealth of locations just minutes from the heaving High Street to cater to your whims.

Your first thought if you just want somewhere to sit should probably be the Cathedral Green. A favourite place to meet, read, relax and soak up some of the plentiful Westcountry sunshine, it becomes very popular in summer (not least for the beautiful Cathedral). Flanked by old buildings with new shops and bistros inside, the Green is a mix of the classical and the modern Exeter.

Hidden behind Rougemont Castle, and only accessed from the east and west extremities due to steep sides, Northernhay Gardens, the oldest public open-space in the country, remains mostly undiscovered. With benches, lawns, the castle walls to one side, and a panoramic view towards the university and beyond to the other, Northernhay generally provides a quiet spot for anyone stranded in the centre in need of a calming moment. Branching off this, through a small arch in the walls near the western entrance is Rougemont Gardens. You can also get to these beautifully landscaped and remarkably tranquil gardens through an alley off Gandy Street, and the bohemian theme is not lost here either.

If, whilst roaming Princesshay for bargains, you overshoot, then by happy accident you’ll find yourselves in the Georgian surroundings of Southernhay Gardens. A grassy strip, deceptively quiet given their proximity to the shopping centre, they are a great place to sit and eat a picnic or just relax in the Devon sunshine.

One of the great pleasures of Exeter is that in between the modern buildings and busy centre streets, you stumble upon small parks and recreational areas half concealed in the town. Those mentioned so far constitute only a fraction of the parks in Exeter. It never ceases to amaze that such a compact city, containing so much, still has room for such luxurious open spaces.

Walks

Popular with walkers and joggers, the paths running alongside the Exe river and canal proceed for miles downriver. There is beautiful countryside along the many meanders and also great places to stop, like the quay, or one of the various pubs opportunely located along the banks – the ever popular Double Locks and the slightly more distant Turf Locks are pleasant for a rest along the way or even an evening out in the summer when the days are long and you can sit outside late into the evening.

For a more expansive location to walk in Exeter, you might want to try one of the five valley parks around the city. You get something different from each, but the most frequented, Riverside Valley Park, is used by walkers, runners, cyclists, or anyone who just wants a green space.

The Exeter Green Circle, a round-trip that follows paths around the outskirts of town, is popular for the whole 12-mile circuit or just to stroll on a short part. Made up of five individual routes that lead to the next and eventually back to the first, the walk takes in some of the beautiful rivers and brooks and hilly view-points that Exeter is blessed with. The path runs close to the beating heart of the city, though you’d never know it, so it’s easy to plan a route.

Besides these, the University grounds are open to all for a stroll, and are arguably the most beautiful of any university campus. Try ambling through the landscaped lawns and banks of the area around Reed Mews or the winding path alongside the stream behind Lafrowda.

Also, see the pages on Dartmoor and South West Coast Path for more information on walks outside the city.

Cycling in Exeter

The cyclist in Exeter has never had it so good. In 2005, Exeter was declared a Cycling Demonstration Town by the Government and millions was invested in creating new routes.

Both for leisure and getting around the city, the routes are planned to make a journey, wherever you’re going, a much simpler and quicker prospect. Especially by the river and around the university, designated cycle lanes are commonly used. Locations around the city, in greater number in the city centre, are in place to lock up your bike when you get there and there are some cycle lockers too.

It’s easy to rent a bike here if you don’t have your own, if you want it for a day’s relaxing journey down the Exe or into the countryside, or if you have that errand you want to run and don’t fancy the bus or train.