The University of Exeter’s Streatham campus stretches across 350 acres. A stunning mix of historic and modern architecture intersperses gardens, lakes, and woodlands. It’s a destination for everyone in Exeter. The Streatham Sculpture Walk is a self-guided tour that takes in no less than 40 artworks, including Barbara Hepworth’s Figure for Landscape. It’s on the edge of Queen’s Drive arboretum, home to some of the largest trees in the registered botanic garden. Allow two hours for the full walk or one hour for the outside sculptures. Afterwards, we recommend you stop by The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

Exeter’s home of contemporary art has free access, a number of gallery spaces and a deftly curated programme of exhibitions. Coming up in spring 2025 is Chantal Powell’s Gestation. Working with glass, textiles, and ceramic, her pieces draw upon archetypal symbols from alchemy. Find the micro-installation in the intimate window Gallery 333. Artists, dancers, comedians and musicians all gravitate towards The Phoenix, so you’re bound to strike up an interesting conversation in the café bar. Don't be surprised if you find yourself browsing the extensive list of courses, dreaming up a new creative adventure.

RAMM, as it's known locally, is an award-winning guardian of world-class collections that tell the story of the natural world and human creativity over millennia and across the globe. Over a million objects sit in collections as diverse as local archaeology, 19th-century textiles and extinct birds. FOOD: Beyond the Plate is an upcoming exhibition on the importance of what we eat and how it is produced. This grand yet welcoming space feels less like a museum and more like a constantly evolving hub of curiosity. Regular talks, lectures and family-friendly workshops will beckon you back time and again.

Thanks to its Devonian rolling landscape, Exeter isn’t short of places to admire a view. One underrated spot is Pynes Hill in Ludwell Valley Park. Visit in winter for glorious sunsets; spring for orange-tip butterflies; summer for swifts; and autumn for a spectacular city-wide display of changing tree colours. Ludwell Valley Park is a working farm managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust: some fields are sown for wildflowers and crops, while others are grazed. If your legs need a great stretch, meander down to Northbrook stream to join the Exeter Green Circle, a 12-mile route around the city.

Alternatively, if you don't mind dipping your toe in the water, paddle down to Double Locks pub on the canalside. Refuel in the humungous beer garden (or next to the cosiest roaring fires when temperatures drop). If you’re ready for a day-long adventure, cycle to Starcross, take a ferry to Exmouth, catch a train to Topsham, and then cycle the NCN2 trail back to Exeter. You’ll be spoilt for choice by cafés en route. Whatever your chosen method of transportation, head to Saddles & Paddles on Exeter Quay. Owner Heather and her knowledgeable team rent out canoes, SUPs, bikes, and all the accessories.

The Jolly Pottery, named after founder Holly’s nickname, takes pride of place on Fore Street, the city’s largest indie quarter. Take a friend to a pottery painting session for a relaxed hang-out. Staff encourage you to bring your own drinks (we recommend swinging by Crankhouse, the speciality coffee shop and micro-roastery a few doors down). Fancy working with clay directly? Book a taster throwing session to try out the potter’s wheel, or a project evening to create a specific object. Once you’ve caught the bug you can sign up for a four-week course.

Oyster and doughnut gin, anyone? Quayside Distillery employs innovative distilling methods to bring a modern twist to spirits. Join the movement with a tour and tasting: peruse the lab, sample three spirits, and learn about botanicals. Alternatively, you can go one step further and create your own recipe at their gin school. Master the fundamentals of flavour balancing, then bottle and seal your unique gin. Once it’s run out, put in an order and the team will remake and send your bespoke recipe – it’s kept on their system under a unique code.

STAGE is run by a group of friends devoted to a farm-to-table ethos. Most ingredients for their playful tasting menus are grown, butchered, cured, or brewed by the team. Squeeze on to a stool in the tiny restaurant while the kitchen knocks out dumbfoundingly delicious dish after dish. Courses shift with the seasons – it’s the sort of place you take every houseguest, mostly as an excuse to find out what’s being plated up this week. As Jay Rayner said: “They know just how fabulous everything they’re doing is and are delighted you’re experiencing it”.

Lilac Bakery takes viennoiserie to the next level. Pain suisse, danish pastries, braided buns, and cruffins are all made from scratch on-site and act as buttery beds for moreish flavours such as miso salted caramel or thyme-roasted nectarine. Lilac duo Jenn and Eddie have garnered such a cult following that it’s not uncommon to see customers queuing out of the door. Grab a coffee and a seat at the front to watch the world go by. Don’t leave without a sourdough loaf or focaccia sarnie.

Run by local icon Exeter Brewery, The Hour Glass Inn is the natural home of Devon’s original organic real ale, Avocet. An ever-shifting à la carte demonstrates the kitchen’s commitment to local, seasonal produce. Pull up a chair in the dog-friendly bar, where dark wooden floors and exposed brick fireplaces nod to the pub’s 1840s origins, or take larger parties into either of the snug dining rooms. Amongst stiff competition, The Hour Glass is the place for Sunday lunch in Exeter. Stretch your legs afterwards with a loop around the quayside.

Inspired by Natalie and James’s history in Hong Kong, Manila, and Fuji, Red Panda serves up Asian street food of the highest quality just off Exeter’s high street. This isn’t a lunchtime takeaway to feel guilty about: the perfectly formed menu focuses on gut health, fresh flavours, and low food miles. Pick up a jar of their chilli crisp on your way out. You’ll be adding it to everything from poached eggs on toast to fried noodles.

At the heart of Exeter’s indie quarter lies Bookbag. Bravely opened between lockdowns, owners Charlie and Malcolm curate an international offering of fiction and non-fiction that spans genres. Bookbag also stocks vinyl and runs subscription book boxes: the perfect gift for a voracious reader. Exeter has a long history with tomes: the Exeter Book is believed to be the world’s oldest surviving manuscript of Old English literature. Over a thousand years later, Bookbag Bookshop hosts events as part of the city’s Unesco City of Literature status, as well as authors on tour.

Husband and wife Rob and Frankie moved back to Exeter with the dream of opening up a pub. The distraction of a temporary plant shop soon became their sole focus. Now in its second and much larger premises, Hutch is Exeter’s only dedicated houseplant store. Now with multiple RHS Awards under their belts, they are always happy to help you shop, gift, and care for plants. Pick up a new book or woven basket to complete your visit.

Bring your village street dreams to life on the daily. Purchase your fruit and veggies from The Grocer On The Green, refill your plastic-free pantry at Nourish Zero Waste, then sniff out the best of British cheese at Magdalen Cheese & Provisions. Refuel with a bagel at The Common Beaver – they’re all made fresh in the tiny open kitchen. Stroll onwards: Ben’s Farm Shop stocks local organic produce, Iain at Smith’s will suggest a proper bottle of wine, and tomorrow’s lunch is sorted thanks to Bon Gout Deli. Special occassion? Pick up flowers from Leaf Street and a gift from Maker Maker.

Words Rebecca Broad
Film and photography Marco Kesseler

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