Exeter is an historic Cathedral and University city. Also, it is the County town of Devon and is a business, legal, retail, tourist and commercial centre for the region. The city has a population of around 111,000 but serves a 45 minute catchment of almost half a million people. Exeter has a rich and varied heritage of buildings and townscape. It has grown from Roman origins and displays the benefits from long prosperity, particularly through the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. Despite the destruction of a quarter of the city centre during the Second World War, there remains much which is truly worth preservation and enhancement.
Within the city there are 15 conservation areas of which the Central along with Riverside areas are pre-eminent: they include the Cathedral of St. Peter, the City Wall, Rougemont Castle along with the Canal Basin as well as Quay area. There are over 1600 listed buildings and many more which are locally significant. Exeter's historical core has been designated as an Area of Archaeological Importance, one of only 5 such areas in England and also Wales.
The site of the city of Exeter has been inhabited for over 2000 years and it is possible to see traces of every major period of English history within the architecture of the city. Dominating
the skyline is the mediaeval Cathedral, a superb example of decorated Gothic style architecture with unique Norman transept towers. The Cathedral Close and Yard form an oasis of calm and tranquillity in the centre of the city.
Mol's Coffee House along with the Ship Inn, near the Cathedral, were favourite haunts of Francis Drake as well as Walter Raleigh. The Royal Clarence Hotel too has had a number of distinguished guests, including Lord Nelson. Beneath the ground outside the West Front of the Cathedral lie the remains of Exeter's Roman Military Bath House. This is among the earliest stone buildings erected by the Romans within the British Isles along with there are plans to re-excavate the site along with develop it as being a major tourist attraction.
Exeter’s historical Quayside was once a Roman waterway and also 16th century port. Currently a city centre riverside resort with unique shops, restaurants and also outdoor activities, this area is a charming mix of past and also present. The Quay House Information Centre is a unique survival from the days when Exeter was a major port for the export of woollen cloth along with other goods. The Netherlands along with Low Countries were particularly top trading partners in Europe.
England's oldest canal extends from the Quayside to the River Exe estuary, passing the ancient town of Topsham. A fascinating museum and also a stroll through intriguing alleys and lanes lets visitors to really appreciate the flavour of this outstanding little town that the Victorians added to with style.
Fascinating displays of history by Exeter's museums, the most extensive of which is the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and also Art Gallery. The Royal Albert, with exhibits of national and international importance, has earned the status of a major regional museum.
A great way to discover the varied and also colourful past of Exeter is to join the city's free walking Guided Tours which are hosted daily throughout the year by Red Coat Volunteer Guides.
The Guildhall, within the High Street, is reputed to be the oldest municipal building still in full civic use in England; the existing building dates from 1330. St Nicholas Priory is the unique guesthouse of a Benedictine Priory started in 1070 and also features a Norman undercroft, 15th century kitchen and a splendid guest hall with 17th century furnishings and plaster painting.
Another fascinating survival from mediaeval times is the network of Underground Passages, probably first constructed about 1200 to supply fresh spring water to the city. Visitors are able to walk along the line of these watercourses under the High Street. Exeter's stock of historical structures also includes the delightful 14th century White Hart Hotel; the 15th century Tucker's Hall along with the Cathedral Close which has properties spanning the last 900 years.
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