Introduction
City in Devon, England
For other uses, see Exeter (disambiguation).
City and non-metropolitan district in EnglandExeterCity and non-metropolitan districtCity of ExeterExeter CathedralIron BridgeSouthernhay WestThe QuayGuildhallNorthernhay GardensSt Nicholas Priory
Coat of armsWordmarkMotto: Semper fidelis (Always faithful)The District of Exeter including Topsham shown within DevonExeterLocation within the United KingdomShow map of the United KingdomExeterLocation within EnglandShow map of EnglandExeterLocation in DevonShow map of DevonExeterLocation within EuropeShow map of EuropeCoordinates: 50°43′32″N 03°31′37″W / 50.72556°N 3.52694°W / 50.72556; -3.52694Sovereign stateUnited KingdomCountryEnglandRegionSouth West EnglandCeremonial and shire countyDevonCity statusTime immemorialNon-metropolitan district1974Government • TypeNon-metropolitan district • BodyExeter City Council • Leader of the CouncilCouncillor Philip Bialyk • Council controlLabour • Members of ParliamentStephen Race (L)David Reed (C)Area • Total18 sq mi (47 km2) • Rank246th (of 296)Highest elevation715 ft (218 m)Lowest elevation−9.8 ft (−3 m)Population (2024) • Total138,399 • Rank175th (of 296) • Density7,600/sq mi (2,900/km2) • DemonymsExonian • Ethnicity (2011)
93.05% White
88.32% White British0.53% White Irish0.08% Romani people or Irish Traveller4.12% Other White 1.65% Mixed0.34% White and Black Caribbean0.24% White and Black African0.66% White and Asian0.41% Other mixed 3.90% Asian0.80% Indian0.14% Pakistani0.19% Bangladeshi1.70% Chinese1.07% Other Asian 0.57% Black0.42% Black African0.11% Black Caribbean0.04% Other Black 0.83% Other0.56% Arab0.28% Other
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT) • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)Postcode districtEX1-6Area code01392PoliceDevon and CornwallAmbulanceSouth WesternFireDevon and SomersetWebsiteExeter City Council
Exeter (/ˈɛksɪtər/ ⓘ EK-sit-ər) is a cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately 36 mi (58 km) northeast of Plymouth and 65 mi (105 km) southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal command of Vespasian. Exeter became a religious centre in the Middle Ages. Exeter Cathedral, founded in the mid 11th century, became Anglican in the 16th-century English Reformation. Exeter became an affluent centre for the wool trade, although by the First World War the city was in decline. After the Second World War, much of the city centre was rebuilt and is now a centre for education, business and tourism in South West England. It is home to two of the constituent campuses of the University of Exeter: Streatham and St Luke's.
The administrative area of Exeter has the status of a non-metropolitan district under the administration of the County Council. It is the county town of Devon and home to the headquarters of Devon County Council. A plan to grant the city unitary authority status was scrapped by the 2010 coalition government, but it is currently making another bid for unitary status under local government reorganisation.
History
[edit]
Toponymy[edit]
The modern name of Exeter is a development of the Old English Escanceaster, from the anglicised form of the river now known as the Exe and the Old English suffix -ceaster (as in Dorchester and Gloucester), used to mark important fortresses or fortified towns (from Latin castrum, meaning fortress, or castra, military camp). (Similarly, the city's Cornish name Karesk and its Welsh name Caerwysg both mean "caer or fortress on the Exe".) The name "Exe" is a separate development of the Brittonic name—meaning "water" or, more exactly, "full of fish" (cf. Welsh pysg, pl. "fish")—that also appears in the English Axe and Esk and the Welsh Usk (Wysg).
Prehistory[edit]
Further information: Timeline of Exeter
See also: Dumnonii and British Iron Age
Exeter began as settlements on a dry ridge ending in a spur overlooking a navigable river teeming with fish, with fertile land nearby. Although there have been no major prehistoric finds, these advantages suggest the site was occupied early.
Coins have been discovered from the Hellenistic kingdoms, suggesting the existence of a settlement trading with the Mediterranean as early as 250 BC. Such early towns had been a feature of pre-Roman Gaul as described by Julius Caesar in his Commentaries and it is possible that they existed in Britannia as well.
The source Geoffrey of Monmouth stated that when Vespasian besieged the city in 49 AD its Celtic name was Kaerpenhuelgoit, meaning 'town on the hill under the high wood'.
A portion of Exeter's city wall, formed of both Roman and medieval stones
Roman times[edit]
Main articles: Isca Dumnoniorum, Legio II Augusta, and Roman Britain
The Romans established a 42-acre (17 ha) 'playing-card' shaped (rectangle with round corners and two short and two long sides - "stadium") fort (Latin: castrum) named Isca around AD 55. The fort was the southwest terminus of the Fosse Way (Route 15 of the Antonine Itinerary) and served as the base of the 5,000-man Second Augustan Legion (Legio II Augusta) at some time led by Vespasian, later Roman Emperor, for the next 20 years before they moved to Caerleon in Wales, which was also known as Isca. To distinguish the two, the Romans also referred to Exeter as Isca Dumnoniorum, "Watertown of the Dumnonii", and Caerleon as Isca Augusta. A small fort was also maintained at Topsham; a supply depot on the route between the two was excavated at St Loyes near Topsham Road in 2010.
The presence of the fort built up an unplanned civilian community (vicus or canabae) of natives and the soldiers' families, mostly to the northeast of the fort. This settlement served as the tribal capital (civitas) of the Dumnonii and was listed as one of their four cities (Ancient Greek: poleis) by Ptolemy in his Geography (it also appeared in the 7th-century Ravenna Cosmography, where it appears as an apparently confused entry for Scadu Namorum). When the fortress was abandoned around AD 75, its grounds were converted to civilian purposes: its very large bathhouse was demolished to make way for a forum and a basilica, and a smaller-scale bath was erected to the southeast. This area was excavated in the 1970s, but uncertainty about how to handle the site (now in front of the present-day cathedral) and a lack of funds led to it being reburied. Plans to restore and open the site were made by Exeter Cathedral in 2015 but abandoned after failing to secure funds.
In the late 2nd century, the ditch and rampart defences around the old fortress were replaced by a bank and wall enclosing a much larger area, some 92 acres (37 hectares). Although most of the visible structure is older, the course of the Roman wall was used for the subsequent Exeter city walls. Thus about 70% of the Roman wall remains, and most of its route can be traced on foot. The Devonian Isca seems to have been most prosperous in the first half of the 4th century: more than a thousand Roman coins have been found around the city and there is evidence for copper and bronze working, a stock-yard, and markets for the livestock, crops, and pottery produced in the surrounding countryside. The dating of the coins so far discovered, however, suggests a rapid decline: virtually none have been discovered dated after 380.
Medieval times[edit]
See also: Sub-Roman Britain, Saxon England, and Norman England
Bishop Ussher identified the Cair Pensa vel Coyt, listed among the 28 cities of Britain by the History of the Britons, as Isca, although David Nash Ford read it as a reference to Penselwood and thought it more likely to be Lindinis (modern Ilchester). Nothing is certainly known of Exeter from the time of the Roman withdrawal from Britain around the year 410 until the seventh century. By that time, the city was held by the Saxons, who had arrived in Exeter after defeating the British Dumnonians at Peonnum in Somerset in 658. It seems likely that the Saxons maintained a quarter of the city for the Britons under their own laws around present-day Bartholomew Street, which was known as "Britayne" Street until 1637 in memory of its former occupants.
Exeter was known to the Saxons as Escanceaster. In 876, it was attacked and briefly captured by Danish Vikings. Alfred the Great drove them out the next summer. Over the next few years, he elevated Exeter to one of the four burhs in Devon, rebuilding its walls on the Roman lines. These permitted the city to fend off another attack and siege by the Danes in 893. King Athelstan again strengthened the walls around 928, and at the same time drove out the remaining Britons from the city. (It is uncertain, though, whether they had lived in the city continuously since the Roman period or returned from the countryside when Alfred strengthened its defences.) According to William of Malmesbury, they were sent beyond the River Tamar, which was fixed as the boundary of Devon. (This may, however, have served as a territorial boundary within the former kingdom of Dumnonia as well.) Other references suggest that the British simply moved to what is now the St David's area, not far outside Exeter's walls. The quarter vacated by the Britons was apparently adapted as "the earl's burh" and was still named Irlesberi in the 12th century. In 1001, the Danes again failed to get into the city, but they were able to plunder it in 1003 because they were let in, for unknown reasons, by the French reeve of Emma of Normandy, who had been given the city as part of her dowry on her marriage to Æthelred the Unready the previous year.
The gatehouse of Rougemont Castle
Two years after the Norman conquest of England, Exeter rebelled against King William. Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, the mother of the slain King Harold, was living in the city at the time, and William promptly marched west and initiated a siege. After 18 days, William accepted the city's honourable surrender, swearing an oath not to harm the city or increase its ancient tribute. However, William quickly arranged for the building of Rougemont Castle to strengthen Norman control over the area. Properties owned by Saxon landlords were transferred into Norman hands and, on the death of Bishop Leofric in 1072, the Norman Osbern FitzOsbern was appointed his successor.
In 1136, early in the Anarchy, Rougemont Castle was held against King Stephen by Baldwin de Redvers. Redvers submitted only after a three-month siege, not when the three wells in the castle ran dry, but only after the exhaustion of the large supplies of wine that the garrison was using for drinking, baking, cooking, and putting out fires set by the besiegers. During the siege, King Stephen built an earthen fortification at the site now known (erroneously) as Danes Castle.
Remains of the medieval Exe Bridge, built around 1200
Oil on canvas painting by an unknown artist c.1870. These houses were later demolished to make way for St Edmund's Church. The painting depicts the edge of the River Exe flowing under three arches of the Old Exe Bridge, with houses on the bridge and on the river bank, St Edmund's Church can be seen in the top left.
The city held a weekly market for the benefit of its citizens from at least 1213, and by 1281 Exeter was the only town in the south-west to have three market days per week. There are also records of seven annual fairs, the earliest of which dates from 1130, and all of which continued until at least the early 16th century.
Prior to the expulsion of the Jews of England in 1290, Exeter was home to England's most westerly Jewish community.
During the high medieval period, both the cathedral clergy and the citizens enjoyed access to sophisticated aqueduct systems which brought pure drinking water into the city from springs in the neighbouring parish of St Sidwell's. For part of their length, these aqueducts were conveyed through a remarkable network of tunnels, or underground passages, which survive largely intact and which may still be visited today.
Exeter and Bristol hosted the first recorded Common Council in the medieval England. The first detailed and continuous evidence of its existence and activity was founded after 1345. Formed by twelve "better and more discreet men" (in Latin: duodecim meliores), reelected each year, it was originally designed to control the abuse of the Major and of his four stewards, which respectively presided over the borough court and the provost court. The members of the Common Council come from the same elite of wealthy citizens, as did the major and the stewards and this concern introduced a second conflict of interests in the government organism of the city.
Modern times[edit]
An illustration of Exeter in 1563, entitled Civitas Exoniae (vulgo Excester) urbs primaria in comitatu Devoniae
Tudor and Stuart eras
In 1537, the city was made a county corporate. In 1549, the city successfully withstood a month-long siege by the so-called Prayer Book rebels: Devon and Cornish folk who had been infuriated by the radical religious policies of King Edward VI. The insurgents occupied the suburbs of Exeter, burnt down two of the city gates and attempted to undermine the city walls, but were eventually forced to abandon the siege after they had been worsted in a series of bloody battles with the king's army. A number of rebels were executed in the immediate aftermath of the siege. The Livery Dole almshouses and chapel at Heavitree were founded in March 1591 and finished in 1594.
When John Hooker was appointed to the city payroll in 1561, he created the Court of Orphans as a municipal government for families broken by the premature death of their major economic source. He also was made the Common Council as the legal owner of any estate left to the orphan children of Exeter, until they have reached the age of 21 to be partially paid back. The orphan tax was used to fund the construction of the Exeter canal.
The city's motto, Semper fidelis, is traditionally held to have been suggested by Elizabeth I, in acknowledgement of the city's contribution of ships to help defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588; however its first documented use is in 1660.[citation needed] Schools in Exeter teach that the motto was bestowed by Charles II in 1660 at the Restoration due to Exeter's role in the English Civil War.[citation needed]
When in 1638 Reverend John Wheelwright was exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and subsequently established a community on the banks of the Squamscott River, he named the region Exeter after its Devonian counterpart. During the American Revolution it became the capital of New Hampshire.
Exeter was secured for Parliament at the beginning of the English Civil War, and its defences very much strengthened, but it remained under pressure from the Royalists. In October 1642, Parliament extended powers to send troops into the city to search out royalist supporters. In September 1643, Exeter was captured by the Cornish Royalist Army led by Prince Maurice. Queen Henrietta Maria stayed in Exeter for the birth of her youngest daughter, Henrietta, in 1644. The city remained firmly under the king's control until near the end of the war, being one of the final Royalist cities to fall into Parliamentarian hands. The surrender of Exeter was negotiated in April 1646 at Poltimore House by Thomas Fairfax. During this period, Exeter was an economically powerful city, with a strong trade of wool. This was partly due to the surrounding area which was "more fertile and better inhabited than that passed over the preceding day" according to Count Lorenzo Magalotti who visited the city when he was 26 years old. Magalotti writes of over thirty thousand people being employed in the county of Devon as part of the wool and cloth industries, merchandise that was sold to "the West Indies, Spain, France and Italy". Celia Fiennes also visited Exeter during this period, in the early 18th century. She remarked on the "vast trade" and "incredible quantity" in Exeter, recording that "it turns the most money in a week of anything in England", between £10,000 and £15,000.
Georgian and Victorian eras
John Rocque's 1744 map of Exeter
Early in the Industrial Revolution, Exeter's industry developed on the basis of locally available agricultural products and, since the city's location on a fast-flowing river gave it ready access to water power, an early industrial site developed on drained marshland to the west of the city, at Exe Island. However, when steam power replaced water in the 19th century, Exeter was too far from sources of coal (or iron) to develop further. As a result, the city declined in relative importance and was spared the rapid 19th-century development that changed many historic European cities. Extensive canal redevelopments during this period further expanded Exeter's economy, with "vessels of 15 to 16 tons burthen [bringing] up goods and merchandise from Topsham to the City Quay". In 1778 a new bridge across the Exe was opened to replace the old medieval bridge. Built at a cost of £30,000, it had three arches and was built of stone. In 1789, King George III and his family made a royal visit to Exeter.
Frontispiece to Shapter's "History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832"
In 1832, cholera, which had been erupting all across Europe, reached Exeter. The only known documentation of this event was written by Dr Thomas Shapter, one of the medical doctors present during the epidemic.
The first railway to arrive in Exeter was the Bristol and Exeter Railway that opened a station at St Davids on the western edge in 1844. The South Devon Railway Company extended the line westwards to Plymouth, opening their own smaller station at St Thomas, above Cowick Street. A more central railway station, that at Queen Street, was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1860 when it opened its alternative route to London. Butchers Lloyd Maunder moved to their present base in 1915, to gain better access to the Great Western Railway for transportation of meat products to London.
The High Street c. 1895
The first electricity in Exeter was provided by the Exeter Electric Light Company, which was formed at the end of the 1880s, but it was municipalised in 1896 and became the City of Exeter Electricity Company.
In 1896 £88,000 was spent constructing sewerage system which reduced the risk of infectious diseases,
The first horse-drawn trams in Exeter were introduced in 1882 with 3 lines radiating from the city's East Gate. One line went to St David's station via New North Road, the Obelisk (where the Clock Tower now stands) and St David's Hill. The second line went out along Heavitree Road to Livery Dole and the third went to Mount Pleasant along Sidwell Street. There was a depot off New North Road.
20th century[edit]
A new bridge across the River Exe was opened on 29 March 1905, replacing the former Georgian structure. Constructed of cast iron and steel to a three-hinged arch design, it was built to the designs of Sir John Wolfe Barry at a cost of £25,000.
Lamp standard from the 1905 Exe Bridge, installed at Butts Ferry on Exeter Quay in 1983
In the same year, electric trams replaced the earlier horse-drawn system. A new route ran along High Street, down Fore Street, and over the Exe Bridge before dividing towards Alphington Road and Cowick Street. Other changes included rerouting the St David's Station line via Queen Street and extending the line to Heavitree.
On 17 March 1917, a tram descending Fore Street went out of control, collided with a horse-drawn wagon, and overturned on Exe Bridge, killing one passenger.
By the 1920s, tram services were increasingly seen as problematic due to congestion, high maintenance costs, and slow speeds in Exeter’s narrow streets. The city council decided to replace the system with double decker buses. The final tram ran on 19 August 1931. The only surviving Exeter tram, car 19, is preserved at the Seaton Tramway.
During the Second World War, Exeter was subjected to 18 air raids by the German Luftwaffe between 1940 and 1942, resulting in widespread destruction of the city centre. From April 1941 to April 1943, the city was defended by No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron, known as the "Lwów Eagle Owls", based at Exeter Airport. The Polish city of Lwów shared Exeter’s motto, Semper Fidelis ("Always faithful").
In April and May 1942, as part of the Baedeker Blitz, launched in response to RAF attacks on Lübeck and Rostock, approximately 40 acres (16 ha) of the city was destroyed by incendiary bombing. Many historic buildings, particularly around High Street and Sidwell Street, were lost, and others, including the cathedral, were damaged. On the night of 4 May 1942, four aircraft from No. 307 Squadron engaged around 40 German Junkers Ju 88 bombers, preventing four from dropping their payloads. A total of 156 people were killed in the raids.
Watercolour by Olive Wharry c. 1942 depicting St Sidwell's Church after the Blitz. A 250 kilograms (550 lb) bomb struck the church in the early hours of 4 May 1942, leaving the tower standing but fatally weakened. It was subsequently demolished. (Collection of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum)
The wartime relationship between Exeter and No. 307 Squadron was commemorated when the unit presented the city with a Polish flag on 15 November 1942, the first British city to receive this honour, outside Exeter Cathedral. Since 2012, a Polish flag has been raised over the Guildhall annually on 15 November. The day is now marked as "307 Squadron Day". In 2017, a memorial plaque to the squadron was unveiled in St James Chapel at the cathedral.
Large areas of the city centre were rebuilt during the 1950s, often with limited effort to preserve historic structures. The street layout was altered to improve traffic flow, resulting in the loss of landmarks such as St Lawrence Church, the College of the Vicars Choral, and Bedford Circus. The resulting modern architecture contrasts with the surviving red sandstone buildings.
A notable exception was The House That Moved, one of the oldest private residences in Europe, which was saved from demolition and relocated following intervention by the Ministry of Works.
On 27 October 1960, following exceptionally heavy rainfall, the River Exe burst its banks, flooding large parts of Exeter, including Exwick, St Thomas, and Alphington. Water levels reached up to 2 metres above ground level in places, and 150 employees of the firm Beach Bros were stranded for nine hours. Around 2,500 properties were affected. Further flooding on 3 December that year impacted an additional 1,200 properties.
Exe Flood Relief Channel, constructed after the floods of 1960
These events led to the construction of new flood defences for the city. Work began in 1965, took 12 years to complete, and cost £8 million. The scheme included three flood relief channels and two new concrete bridges, completed in 1969 and 1972, replacing the earlier Exe Bridge which had impeded river flow and exacerbated flooding.
In 1997, the city was the site of a high profile unsolved murder. Fourteen year old Kate Bushell, a pupil at what is now West Exe School, was killed on 15 November while walking her dog along Exwick Lane. Despite extensive investigation, including appeals on Crimewatch, the attacker has never been identified. Police have suggested a possible link to the 1998 murder of dog walker Lyn Bryant in Cornwall. A £10,000 reward remains in place for information relating to both cases.
21st century[edit]
The Princesshay shopping centre, adjoining the Cathedral Close and the High Street, was redeveloped between 2005 and 2007. The scheme attracted local opposition due to its scale and the redevelopment of parts of the historic street layout.
In May 2008, an attempted bombing occurred at the Giraffe café in Princesshay. The attacker was the only person injured in the incident.
John Lewis store on Sidwell Street
A £30 million flood defence improvement scheme was approved in 2015 following a review by the Environment Agency. The scheme aimed to improve flow capacity and resilience across the River Exe system.
The Exeter Pound, a local currency designed to encourage local trade, was introduced in 2015 and discontinued in 2018.
On 28 October 2016, a major fire destroyed large parts of the Royal Clarence Hotel and adjoining historic buildings at Cathedral Yard. The fire resulted in the loss of most of the hotel structure and severe damage to adjoining listed buildings within Cathedral Yard and the High Street frontage. Subsequent redevelopment proposals have progressed through multiple planning stages, with permission ultimately granted for a mixed residential scheme incorporating retained historic fabric.
On 27 February 2021, a Second World War bomb was discovered at a construction site, leading to the evacuation of more than 2,600 people, including nearby residents, businesses, and University of Exeter students. The bomb was safely detonated by bomb disposal teams.
Exeter has recorded relatively high levels of rough sleeping compared with other English local authorities. In the autumn 2020 snapshot, it had the sixth highest number of rough sleepers in England. In 2014, Exeter had one of the highest per capita rates of rough sleeping outside London. During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency accommodation was provided under the UK Government’s "Everybody In" initiative for rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness. Government and council funding supported both short-term accommodation and longer-term housing initiatives, including the creation of move-on accommodation for people with experience of rough sleeping.
Governance
[edit]
The Exeter Law Courts
Exeter Civic Centre
Parliamentary[edit]
Exeter is in two parliamentary constituencies, the majority of the city is in the Exeter constituency but three wards (Pinhoe, St Loyes, and Topsham) are in Exmouth and Exeter East. From 1910 to 1997, Exeter was a Conservative stronghold returning Conservative MP's in all but two elections - 1929 and 1966. This meant that the seat was represented by a Conservative Member of Parliament for 81 years of the 87 year period 1910 to 1997. Following the 1997 General Election the Exeter seat has increasingly become a Labour stronghold. The current Exeter MP is Steve Race. Prior to Brexit in 2020, Exeter was part of the South West England European constituency, which elected 6 MEPs.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Exmouth and Exeter East were first contested at the 2024 general election, electing Conservative David Reed.
Local government[edit]
Main article: Exeter City Council
Exeter's city council is a district authority, and shares responsibility for local government with the Devon County Council. In May 2012 Labour became the majority party on the council. Exeter City Council's bid for the city to become a Unitary Authority was initially approved by ministers in February 2010. A judicial review was called by Devon County Council and the Court held that the Minister had acted unlawfully in granting Unitary status to Exeter at the same time, however, following the 2010 general election the new coalition government announced in May 2010 that the reorganisation would be blocked.
From Saxon times, it was in the hundred of Wonford. Exeter has had a mayor since at least 1207 and until 2002, the city was the oldest 'Right Worshipful' Mayoralty in England. As part of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II Exeter was chosen to receive the title of lord mayor. Councillor Granville Baldwin became the first Lord Mayor of Exeter on 1 May 2002 when Letters Patent were awarded to the city during a visit by the Queen.
The Lord Mayor is elected each year from amongst the 39 Exeter city councillors and is non-political for the term of office.
Public services[edit]
Policing in Exeter is provided by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary who have their headquarters at Middlemoor in the east of the city.
The fire service is provided by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, which is headquartered at Clyst St George near Exeter. It has two fire stations located at Danes Castle and Middlemoor.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has a large hospital located to the south-east of the city centre. Ambulance services in Exeter are provided by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The HQ, West Trust Divisional HQ and 999 control is in Exeter which provides cover for Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and the Isles of Scilly.
Geography
[edit]
See also: List of places in Exeter
The River Exe
The city of Exeter was established on the eastern bank of the River Exe on a ridge of land backed by a steep hill. It is at this point that the Exe, having just been joined by the River Creedy, opens onto a wide flood plain and estuary which results in quite common flooding. Historically this was the lowest bridging point of the River Exe which was tidal and navigable up to the city until the construction of weirs later in its history. This combined with the easily defensible higher ground of the ridge made the current location of the city a natural choice for settlement and trade. In George Oliver's The History of the City of Exeter, it is noted that the most likely reasons for the original settling of what would become modern Exeter was the "fertility of the surrounding countryside" and the area's "beautiful and commanding elevation [and] its rapid and navigable river".
Its woodland would also have been ideal for natural resources and hunting.
Exeter sits predominantly on sandstone and conglomerate geology, although the structure of the surrounding areas is varied.
The topography of the ridge which forms the backbone of the city includes a volcanic plug, on which the Rougemont Castle is situated. The cathedral is located on the edge of this ridge and is therefore visible for a considerable distance.
Exeter is 80 mi (130 km) west-southwest of Salisbury, 158 mi (254 km) west-southwest of London, 18 mi (29 km) north of Torquay, 36 mi (58 km) northeast of Plymouth and 74 mi (119 km) east-northeast of Truro.
Climate[edit]
The Cathedral Green after a rare snowfall
Exeter has mild wet winters, punctuated by colder spells that are usually short-lived. Summer is characterised by warm and changeable weather with hot and cooler rainy spells. Temperatures do not vary much throughout the year compared to other locations at this latitude; however, the topography of Exeter can enhance the diurnal range by a couple degrees Celsius, as spots along the sheltered valley of the River Exe such as Quayside, St Thomas and Exwick see colder nights and warmer days, the only exception to this is with foggy and frosty weather in the winter during anticyclonic activity when fog can linger all day and keep daytime temperatures suppressed.[citation needed] Similarly, the same weather patterns can elevate the maximum daily temperatures, The hottest month is July with an average high of 21.8 °C (71.2 °F), and the coldest month is January with an average high of 9.1 °C (48.4 °F). November is the wettest month with 95.3 mm (3.75 in) of rain. The weather station for these reading is at Exeter Airport; adding one degree Celsius to the readings from the maximum daily temperature and deducting a degree from the overnight minima broadly covers the location disparity.[citation needed] It is precisely because of shelter from Dartmoor that Exeter is more frost-prone than areas to the southwest, such as Plymouth. It is also drier and warmer in the summer for the same reason. The highest recorded temperature in Exeter stands at 33.5 °C (92.3 °F) recorded in June 1976, while the lowest recorded temperature is −16.5 °C (2.3 °F) recorded in December 2010.
Climate data for Exeter Airport (EXT), elevation: 27 m (89 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1958–present
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °C (°F)
16.5(61.7)
16.1(61.0)
20.9(69.6)
23.8(74.8)
30.9(87.6)
33.5(92.3)
32.2(90.0)
32.4(90.3)
28.5(83.3)
25.9(78.6)
18.5(65.3)
15.9(60.6)
33.5(92.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
9.1(48.4)
9.4(48.9)
11.3(52.3)
13.8(56.8)
17.1(62.8)
20.0(68.0)
21.8(71.2)
21.6(70.9)
19.3(66.7)
15.5(59.9)
12.0(53.6)
9.4(48.9)
15.0(59.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)
5.9(42.6)
5.9(42.6)
7.4(45.3)
9.3(48.7)
12.2(54.0)
15.2(59.4)
17.0(62.6)
16.9(62.4)
14.6(58.3)
11.6(52.9)
8.2(46.8)
6.0(42.8)
10.9(51.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
2.6(36.7)
2.4(36.3)
3.5(38.3)
4.8(40.6)
7.3(45.1)
10.4(50.7)
12.1(53.8)
12.1(53.8)
9.9(49.8)
7.8(46.0)
4.4(39.9)
2.7(36.9)
6.7(44.1)
Record low °C (°F)
−15.0(5.0)
−9.3(15.3)
−9.6(14.7)
−4.6(23.7)
−2.3(27.9)
0.8(33.4)
2.0(35.6)
1.9(35.4)
−1.1(30.0)
−5.2(22.6)
−6.6(20.1)
−16.5(2.3)
−16.5(2.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)
85.6(3.37)
65.1(2.56)
62.3(2.45)
61.4(2.42)
51.0(2.01)
53.8(2.12)
48.2(1.90)
64.1(2.52)
60.3(2.37)
92.5(3.64)
95.3(3.75)
90.1(3.55)
829.2(32.65)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)
12.4
10.4
10.2
9.9
9.7
7.4
7.8
7.9
8.8
12.1
12.6
12.0
121.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours
58.4
82.7
117.1
167.4
195.5
194.7
193.8
171.8
151.2
106.8
69.5
52.6
1,561.6
Source 1: Met Office (precipitation days 1981-2010)
Source 2: Starlings Roost Weather
Demography
[edit]
Population pyramid of Exeter (district) in 2021
The mid-year estimate for 2024 by the Office for National Statistics put Exeter's district area population at 138,399. Between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Exeter increased by 11.0%, from around 117,800 in 2011 to around 130,700 in 2021. This was a greater percentage increase than was experienced by the overall population of the South West (7.8%) and by the overall population of England (up 6.6% since the 2011 Census).
In 2021, 90.3% of people in Exeter identified their ethnic group within the "White" category (compared with 93.1% in 2011), 4.9% within the "Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh" category (up from 3.9% in 2011), and 2.5% identified within the "Mixed or Multiple" category (compared with 1.6% in 2011). The median age in 2024 was 35 years, remaining unchanged from 2011 and 2021. In 2021, 48.5% of Exeter residents reported having "No religion", making it the most common response in this local authority area (up from 34.7% in 2011) and higher than the percentage reporting this in the South West and across England (which increased from 29.3% to 44.1%, and from 24.8% to 36.7%, respectively).
The Exeter Urban Area had a population of 124,079 in 2014, compared with 124,328 for the city and borough of Exeter. While the Exeter Metropolitan Area had a population of 467,257 in the same year and includes Exeter along with Teignbridge, Mid Devon and East Devon. Out of all the Devon districts, Exeter receives the largest number of commuters from East Devon, followed by Teignbridge. Most of the city's ethnic minority population live in the central, northwestern and eastern suburbs of the city. Outlying areas such as Pinhoe, Cowick and the expensive suburb of Topsham are all 95% White British as of 2011.
Ethnicity[edit]
The ethnicity of the City of Exeter from 1991 to 2021 is below:
Ethnic Group
Year
1991
2001
2011
2021
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
White: Total
96,811
98.7%
108,459
97.6%
109,590
93.1%
118,034
90.3%
White: British
–
–
105,231
94.7%
104,013
88.3%
108,095
82.7%
White: Irish
–
–
668
629
875
0.7%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller
–
–
–
–
93
100
0.1%
White: Roma
181
0.1%
White: Other
–
–
2,560
2.3%
4,855
4.1%
8,783
6.7%
Asian or Asian British: Total
663
0.7%
1,107
1%
4,595
3.9%
6,375
4.8%
Asian or Asian British: Indian
212
284
946
1,588
1.2%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani
37
67
164
274
0.2%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi
80
142
227
513
0.4%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese
185
378
1,998
2,020
1.5%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian
149
236
1,260
1,980
1.5%
Black or Black British: Total
202
0.3%
225
0.2%
667
0.6%
1,137
0.9%
Black or Black British: Caribbean
51
62
128
893
0.7%
Black or Black British: African
76
142
492
137
0.1%
Black or Black British: Other Black
75
21
47
107
0.1%
Mixed or British Mixed: Total
–
–
924
1%
1,938
1.6%
3,308
2.6%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean
–
–
179
403
503
0.4%
Mixed: White and Black African
–
–
108
278
484
0.4%
Mixed: White and Asian
–
–
350
773
1305
1.0%
Mixed: Other Mixed
–
–
287
484
1016
0.8%
Other: Total
449
0.5%
361
0.3%
983
0.8%
1,853
1.4%
Other: Arab
–
–
–
–
659
802
0.6%
Other: Any other ethnic group
449
0.5%
361
0.3%
324
1,051
0.8%
Other: Ethnic Jew
220
0.3%
281
0.35%
321
0.3%
442
0.3%
Total
98,125
100%
111,076
100%
117,773
100%
130,707
100%
Religion[edit]
Religion
2001
2011
2021
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Holds religious beliefs
78,839
70.9
67,382
57.2
57,697
44.1
Christian
76,773
69.1
63,486
53.9
52,221
40.0
Buddhist
375
0.3
683
0.6
715
0.5
Hindu
123
0.1
372
0.3
698
0.5
Judaism
152
0.1
155
0.1
201
0.2
Muslim
858
0.8
1,855
1.6
2,815
2.2
Sikh
76
0.1
160
0.1
179
0.1
Other religion
482
0.4
671
0.6
868
0.7
(No religion and Religion not stated)
32,237
29.1
50,391
42.8
73,012
55.9
No religion
22,719
20.5
40,862
34.7
63,385
48.5
Religion not stated
9,518
8.6
9,529
8.1
9,627
7.4
Total population
111,076
100.0
117,773
100.0
130,709
100.0
Economy
[edit]
Princesshay Shopping Centre with Exeter Cathedral in the background
The Higher Market, Exeter, in 1943; at this time the larger firms such as Mac Fisheries had joined the smaller shopkeepers' stalls in the market, which, before the war, along with neighbouring Goldsmith Street, was earmarked for demolition; a new Civic Centre was to be built on the site.
Based on a group of the latest economic indicators (2023 onwards), Exeter belongs to a cluster defined by a high percentage of children in relative poverty, low rate of active businesses, low gross median weekly pay, low employment rate, low gross value added per hour worked and a low rate of housing completions. Exeter ranked fourth out of 50 in PwC's Good Growth for Cities Index (2025), scoring particularly highly for its jobs and skills.
Notable employers in Exeter include the Met Office, the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service, the University of Exeter, Devon County Council and Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The university is the largest international export sector for the city and employs a large portion of those working in high-skilled (knowledge sector) jobs.
The Exeter Science Park was opened in 2015 and expects to be completed by the late 2030s, at which time the companies sited there will contribute £350 million to the local economy.
Exeter is a major commuter town in the region: around 35,000 people commute into the city on a daily basis. Exeter provides services, employment and shopping for local residents within the city limits and also from nearby towns in Teignbridge, Mid Devon and East Devon, together sometimes known as the Exeter & Heart of Devon area (EHOD). Exeter therefore provides for the EHOD area population of 457,400.
Exeter has been identified among the top ten most profitable locations for a business to be based. As of 2022[update], 39% of Exeter workers are in professional occupations, much higher than the national average of 26%. However, median pay for full-time workers is below the figure for Great Britain as a whole, though above that for South West England.
Shopping in Exeter is centred on the High Street and two shopping centres, the pedestrianised Princesshay and indoor Guildhall, which offer a wide range of major retailers. Independent retailers are concentrated in the adjoining streets, such as Fore Street and Gandy Street. Historically, Exeter has been criticised for its overabundance of chain stores and lack of diversity in categories of other shops, leading the New Economics Foundation to brand it a clone town in 2005 and 2010. In 2024, Exeter's High Street was ranked as one of the UK's most appealing.
On 26 June 2004, Exeter was granted Fairtrade City status.
Tourism is relatively less important to Exeter's economy compared to the local area, with only 7% of employment dependent on tourism compared with 13% for the county of Devon (2005 figures). In 2024, domestic and overseas tourism spend was £68 and £43 million, respectively, as compared to £231 and £47 million for Torbay (the area with the largest spend).
There are also plans to build on land in the Teignbridge and East Devon areas, which border Exeter's boundaries, as part of the "Exeter Growth Point" strategy. This includes the new town of Cranbrook, located about five mi (eight km) east of the city in East Devon, where construction began in 2011 and which is now home to several thousand residents.
Landmarks
[edit]
Further information: Grade I listed buildings in Exeter and Grade II* listed buildings in Exeter
A panorama of the city taken from the roof of the north tower of the cathedral
Among the notable buildings in Exeter are:
Religious buildings[edit]
See also: Exeter § Religion
Exeter Cathedral and the Devon County War Memorial
The cathedral, founded in 1050 when the bishop's seat was moved from the nearby town of Crediton (birthplace of Saint Boniface) because Exeter's Roman walls offered better protection against "pirates", presumably Vikings. A statue of Richard Hooker, the 16th century Anglican theologian, who was born in Exeter, has a prominent place in the Cathedral Close.
St Nicholas Priory in Mint Lane, the remains of a monastery, later used as a private house and now a museum owned by the city council. The priory was founded in medieval times and was home to Benedictine monks for over 400 years, until it was closed and partly demolished by Henry VIII. The remaining buildings were then sold off in 1602 and became the home of the locally wealthy Hurst family. The property has been fully renovated by Exeter City Council, and the small garden area features Tudor plants and herbs
A number of medieval churches including St Mary Steps which has an elaborate clock.
The Exeter Synagogue is the third oldest synagogue in Britain, completed in 1763.
St Thomas' Church, originally built in the 13th century just outside the city walls. Destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 17th century; grade I listed.
A panorama of Exeter Cathedral and Cathedral Close
Secular buildings and features[edit]
"The House That Moved", West Street, Exeter
The ruins of Rougemont Castle; later parts of the castle were still in use by the Crown Court and the County Court until 2004 when the new Exeter Law Courts opened. A plaque near the surviving medieval gatehouse recalls the fate of Alice Molland, tried for witchcraft at Exeter in 1685, and reputedly the last person in England to have been executed for that crime; others convicted of witchcraft had been hanged in Exeter in 1581, 1610, and 1682.
The Guildhall, which has medieval foundations and has been claimed to be the oldest municipal building in England still in use.
47 Union Road Exeter, a monumental student house that has been noted for its character and high-achieving students.
Mol's Coffee House, a historic building in the Cathedral Close.
Tuckers Hall, a 15th-century guild hall for the incorporation of Weavers, Fullers and Shearmen, that is still in use today.
The Custom House in the Quay area, which is the oldest brick building surviving in the city.
"The House That Moved", a 14th-century Tudor building, earned its name in 1961 when it was moved from its original location on the corner of Edmund Street in order for a new road to be built in its place. Weighing more than twenty-one tonnes, it was strapped together and slowly moved a few inches at a time to its present-day position.
Parliament Street in the city centre is one of the narrowest streets in the world.
The Butts Ferry, an ancient cable ferry across the River Exe.
Wyvern Barracks, a former artillery barracks, dates back to about 1800.
Higher Barracks, a former cavalry barracks, dates back to 1794.
The Devon County War Memorial in the Cathedral Close, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and unveiled in 1922 by Edward, Prince of Wales.
Northernhay Gardens[edit]
Located just outside the castle, Northernhay Gardens is the oldest public open space in England, being originally laid out in 1612 as a pleasure walk for Exeter residents.
Transport
[edit]
Car[edit]
Bridge carrying the M5 motorway across the River Exe
The M5 motorway to Bristol and Exeter starts at Birmingham, and connects at Bristol with the M4 to London and South Wales. The older A30 road provides a more direct route to London via the A303 and M3, and a non-motorway route to Bristol via the A303 and A37. The M5 is the modern lowest bridging point of the River Exe. Going westwards, the A38 connects Exeter to Plymouth and south east Cornwall, whilst the A30 continues via Okehampton to Cornwall and ends at Penzance. The cities of Bristol, Plymouth, Bath, Salisbury and Truro can all be reached within two hours.
Travel by car in the city is often difficult with regular jams centred on the Exe Bridges area.[citation needed] Historically, the bridges were a significant bottleneck for holiday traffic heading to southwest England, leading to the construction of the first bypass in the mid-1930s over Countess Wear Bridge, followed by the M5 in 1977. To further address the problem of congestion in the city centre, Devon County Council opened three park and ride sites near junctions with the M5, and in 2006 considered the introduction of congestion charges.[needs update]
Bus[edit]
Exeter's main operator of local buses is Stagecoach South West, which operates most of the services in the city. Dartline Coaches and Greenslades are minor operators in the city, with Country Bus serving semi-regular services to Moretonhampstead. Former operator Cooks Coaches were taken over by Stagecoach forming Stagecoach South West. Western Greyhound was also a main operator connecting Exeter to Cornwall until its services were taken over by First Devon & Cornwall, Plymouth Citybus and Stagecoach South West in March 2015. On July 25, 2021, the new bus station opened. It was "...built on the same site as the old station, was funded by Exeter City Council and a £800,000 grant from the Local Enterprise Partnership's (LEP) 'Getting Building Fund'."
Railway[edit]
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter is a major rail hub in the South West and is linked to most branch lines in Devon, including to Paignton, Exmouth, Barnstaple and Okehampton. This makes it possible to reach most stations in Devon directly from Exeter St Davids.
Exeter is served by three main railway stations. Exeter St Davids is served by all services and is a major interchange station within the South West Peninsula's rail network, whilst Exeter Central is more convenient for the city centre but served only by local services and the main line route to London Waterloo. In the south-west of the city, Exeter St Thomas serves the western side of the city. There are also seven suburban stations, Topsham, St James Park, Polsloe Bridge, Pinhoe, Digby & Sowton, Marsh Barton and Newcourt, served only by local services. Under the ongoing Devon Metro scheme, a gradual upgrade programme is underway to bring a rapid transit-style service on Exeter's local rail network using these existing commuter lines.
There are two main line railway routes from Exeter to London, the faster route via Taunton and Reading to London Paddington and the slower West of England Main Line via Salisbury and Basingstoke to London Waterloo. Another main line, the Cross Country Route, links Exeter with Bristol, Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Great Western Railway and CrossCountry services continue westwards along the Exeter to Plymouth Line, variously serving Torquay, Plymouth and Cornwall. Local branch lines run to Paignton (see Riviera Line), Exmouth (see Avocet Line), Barnstaple (see Tarka Line) and Okehampton (see Dartmoor Line).
The Exeter to Plymouth line of the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) used to provide an alternative route via Okehampton connecting north Cornwall and Plymouth to Exeter and the rest of the UK railway system until its closure in 1968. There are proposals to reopen the line from Okehampton via Tavistock to Bere Alston, for a through service to Plymouth. On the night of 4 February 2014, amid high winds and extremely rough seas, part of the South Devon Railway sea wall at Dawlish was breached, washing away around 40 m (130 ft) of the wall and the ballast under the railway immediately behind and closing the Exeter to Plymouth Line. Network Rail began repair work and the line reopened on 4 April 2014. In the wake of widespread disruption caused by damage to the mainline track at Dawlish by coastal storms in February 2014, Network Rail is considering reopening the Bere Alston to Okehampton and Exeter section of the former LSWR line as an alternative to the coastal route.
Air[edit]
Exeter International Airport
Exeter Airport lies east of the city, and the local airline, previously called Jersey European and British European but later as Flybe, was a significant local employer until its collapse in 2020. It is also a base for TUI Airways with flights to Faro, Mallorca, Lanzarote and elsewhere. The airport offers a range of scheduled flights to British and Irish regional airports and charter flights. Connections to international hubs began with Paris-Charles de Gaulle in 2005 and later a daily service to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport which ended with the collapse of Flybe in 2020. Ryanair started flights in 2019 to Luqa, Naples and Málaga. Shortly adding Alicante but stopping the Naples and Luqa flights.
Canal[edit]
Exeter Canal Basin
The Exeter Canal, also known as the Exeter Ship Canal, was first constructed by John Trew in about 1566, representing one of the oldest artificial waterways in Britain. It was cut to bypass the St James' Weir that had been built across the River Exe at Duckes Marsh to provide a leat to a mill constructed just below the confluence of the Northbrook, in what became the village of Countess Weir. The weir had the effect of preventing water-borne trade in the City of Exeter and forced boats to load and unload at Topsham from where the Earls of Devon were able to exact large tolls to transport goods to and from Exeter.
Originally 3 ft (0.9 m) deep and 16 ft (5 m) wide, the canal ran 2 mi (3 km) from the confluence of the Matford Brook, just above Bridge Road in Countess Weir to Haven Banks, close to the centre of Exeter. In order to maintain a consistent navigable water level, another weir was constructed by Trew, just below the point the canal joins the river. The canal was later extended south to Topsham Lock 3+21⁄32 mi (5.88 km), deepened and widened, and later still it was extended to Turf Lock near Powderham 5 mi (8 km). The canal was successful until the middle of the 19th century, since when its use gradually declined – the last commercial use was in 1972. However it is now widely used for leisure purposes, and the city basin is part of a £24 million redevelopment scheme.
Education
[edit]
See also: List of schools in Devon
The Great Hall and piazza at Streatham Campus, University of Exeter
Exeter's principal higher education provider, the University of Exeter, has two campuses in the city: its main campus, Streatham, and St. Luke's, at which Sport and Health Sciences, the Graduate School of Education, and the Medical School are based; its other campus is in Penryn, Cornwall and shared with Falmouth University. The University formally came into existence in 1955 with the receipt of its royal charter, having previously been the University College of the South West, but can trace its origins to predecessor institutions established in 1838, 1855, 1863, and 1888.
Exeter College is a further education college. It previously operated as the sole sixth form for the entire maintained school sector in the city. However, in 2014 Exeter Mathematics School was established, a free school sixth form with a specialism in Mathematics.
For about 30 years the city of Exeter operated a maintained school system in which the divisions between phases came at different ages from most of the United Kingdom, with first, middle and high rather than infant, junior and secondary schools, so that children transferred between schools at the age of about 8 and 12 rather than 7 and 11.[citation needed] From 2005, however, it has adopted the more usual pattern, because of the pressures of the UK National Curriculum. The changeover back to the more typical structure led to a citywide, PFI funded, rebuilding programme for the high schools and led to the changing of names for some schools. Following the reorganisation there are 25 primary schools, four referral schools, three special schools and five secondary schools within Exeter. The secondary schools are Isca Academy (formerly Priory High School), St James School (formerly St James High School), St Luke's Church of England School (formerly Vincent Thompson High School), St Peter's Church of England Aided School (a consolidation of the former Bishop Blackall High School for Girls and Heles High School for Boys) and West Exe School (formerly St Thomas High School).
The city has a number of independent schools, including Exeter School, Exeter Cathedral School, The Maynard School and St Wilfrid's School.
There are specialist schools for pupils with sensory needs, including Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education (which has now relocated to the former Rolle College in Exmouth), and the West of England School for the Partially Sighted.
The Atkinson Unit is a secure specialist residential and educational complex for children in care or remanded by the courts.
Religion
[edit]
St Michael's Church and Episcopal Building
At the 2001 census, 69.12% of Exeter's population stated their religion as Christian, which is mildly lower than the regional average of 73.99% and the national average of 71.74%. Despite this, all other religions had exceeded the regional average at just under 1%. Although, they were much lower than the national average with the exemption of Buddhism. 20.45% of Exeter's population stated they had no religion, which was higher than the regional average of 16.75% and the national average of 14.59%.
The majority of Exeter's religious buildings belong to Christian denominations. Exeter Cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, was founded in 1050, although the present building dates from approximately 1400. It is considered a superb example of the Decorated Gothic style and possesses the longest continuous medieval stone vault in the world, among other features of historical significance. A collective of Anglican churches form the Exeter Deanery. There are two Catholic Churches: the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Sacrament, with congregations reflecting the nature of older and more recent immigration. The medieval city of Exeter had nearly 70 churches, chapels, monasteries and almshouses.
Few purpose-built places of worship exist for faiths other than Christianity.
Exeter Synagogue was completed in 1763 and is Britain's third oldest active synagogue. The first mosque opened in 1977 in a pre-built space, and a purpose-built site, Exeter Mosque, was established in 2011; it was the first in the South West.
Anglican churches[edit]
St David's Church, Exeter
John Betjeman (writing in 1958) selects St David's ("Caroe's best church"), St Martin's ("characteristic little city church, 15th century"), St Mary Steps ("medieval city church; font"), St Michael's ("Victorian, on a fine site"), and St Thomas's ("fittings"). His coverage of St Mary Arches is more detailed: "worth seeing ... as the completest Norman church in Devon: beautifully light and airy after its restoration from the bombing in 1942. 18th-century altar arrangements. Memorials to Exeter worthies, 16th to 18th centuries."
The aforementioned collective of Anglican churches include St David's Church, located near to St David's Station. The church was envisaged by W. D. Caroe, with the windows being manufactured by Kempe & Tower, and was later constructed between 1897 and 1900. A tower stands on the northeast side, with the overall design being described as "highly picturesque" by Nikolaus Pevsner.
St Edmund-on-the-Bridge was built on the Exe Bridge c. 1230–40. Two arches of the bridge remain under the undercroft though the church was rebuilt in the Perpendicular style in 1835, using the old materials.
St Martin's is in the Cathedral Close; the plan is odd, and there are numerous items of church furniture, though these are not of high aesthetic value. St Mary Arches is a Norman church with aisles. St Mary Steps was originally by the West Gate of the city; the font is Norman, and there is a remarkable early clock. St Michael, Heavitree was built in 1844–46 and extended later in the century. St Pancras is of the 13th century and has a nave and chancel only; the font is Norman. The plan of St Petroc's church is highly unusual: a second chancel has been added facing north while the original chancel has another use and faces east. There are two aisles on the south, one of 1413 and another of the 16th century.
St Sidwell's church is by W. Burgess, 1812, in the Perpendicular style. St Stephen's church is partly of the 13th century but most of the structure is as rebuilt in 1826. St Michael and All Angels Church on Mount Dinham has a spire which exceeds the height of the towers of Exeter Cathedral.
Sport
[edit]
Rugby union[edit]
The city's professional rugby union team is the Exeter Chiefs. Founded in 1871, as Exeter Rugby Club, the team have played their home games at Sandy Park stadium, located adjacent to junction 30 of the M5, since 2006 after relocating from their previous stadium at the County Ground which had been used continually from 1905. They have been continuous members of the highest division of English rugby, the Premiership, since 2010. They have been English champions twice, in 2017 and 2020, and Anglo-Welsh Cup winners twice, in 2014 and 2018. In 2020, the club became European Champions for the first time in their history, defeating Parisian based club Racing 92 in the final at Bristol's Ashton Gate Stadium 31–27.
The city also has two other clubs: Wessex Rugby Club, which is located in Exwick, and Exeter Saracens Rugby Club, which is located in Whipton.
Football[edit]
Exeter City is Exeter's only professional football club. Currently members of EFL League One, they have played their home games at St James Park since their formation in 1901. The club were founder members of the Football League's Third Division (south) in 1920, but have never progressed higher than the third tier of the English football league system, and in 2003 were relegated to the Conference.
Other sports[edit]
Exeter Cricket Club administers three teams that play in the Devon Cricket League. The first of these plays in the Premier Division at first XI level, and the next plays at second XI level. The teams play their home games at County Ground, where the club has remained for over 180 years.
Exeter Rowing Club competes both locally and nationally, and has a recorded history originating in the early 19th century. The City of Exeter Rowing Regatta is run annually in July, and is the eldest and largest regatta in the South West, with racing first recorded on the river in the 1860s.
Exeter's speedway team, Exeter Falcons, was established in 1929 and were located at the County Ground until its permanent closure in 2005.[clarification needed] The team was revived in 2015, but is currently[when?] based in Plymouth. Speedway was also staged briefly at tracks in Alphington and Peamore after the Second World War.
Culture
[edit]
Exeter Guildhall, which dates from 1470
Literature[edit]
The Exeter Riddle Sculpture in Exeter High Street, created by artist Michael Fairfax and installed in 2005
The Exeter Book, an anthology of Anglo Saxon poetry, is conserved in the vaults of Exeter Cathedral. The Exeter Book originates from the 10th century and is one of four manuscripts that between them encompass all surviving poetry composed in Old English. Predominantly, the Book incorporates shorter poems, several religious pieces, and a series of riddles, a handful of which are famously lewd. Some of these riddles are inscribed on a highly polished steel obelisk in High Street, placed there on 30 March 2005.
Another famous manuscript is the Liber Exoniensis or Exon Domesday, a composite land and tax register of 1086. The piece contains a variety of administrative materials concerning the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. This document is also conserved in Exeter Cathedral.
In 2019, the city became a UNESCO City of Literature.
Theatre[edit]
Exeter has several theatres. The Northcott Theatre is situated in the Streatham campus of the University of Exeter and is one of relatively few provincial English theatres to maintain its own repertory company.
Barnfield Theatre
The Barnfield Theatre was originally constructed as Barnfield Hall by Exeter Literary Society towards the end of the 19th century and converted to a theatre in 1972.
The Cygnet Theatre in Friars Walk is the home of the Cygnet Training Theatre and is a member of the Conference of Drama Schools.
Additionally, more innovative and contemporary performances, theatrical productions and dance pieces are programmed the Exeter Corn Exchange in Market Street.
Music[edit]
The largest orchestra based in Exeter is the EMG Symphony Orchestra.
Chris Martin, lead singer of rock band Coldplay, was born in Exeter and grew up in a Grade II-listed Georgian house in the nearby village of Whitestone. He was educated at Exeter Cathedral School during his early teens. Subsequently, the band has frequently returned to Exeter to perform, including during BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2016, which was hosted at the nearby Powderham Castle. Coldplay also teased the track list to their eighth studio album, Everyday Life (2019), in the Express & Echo, Exeter's local newspaper.
Another major rock band, Muse, has ties to Exeter. The band's members were all born and raised in nearby Teignmouth, and some of the band's earliest performances were at Exeter's 220-capacity Cavern Club, on Queen Street, in the early 1990s. They have since performed 33 times at the venue, most recently in 2022, when they débuted new material from their upcoming ninth studio album, Will of the People (2022).
The Cavern Club has become one of Exeter's primary live music venues since its opening in 1991, hosting artists including Coldplay, Muse, Biffy Clyro, George Ezra, The 1975, Bastille and Kaiser Chiefs. It remains a popular venue for local artists, as well as one of the city's main student nightclubs.
Thom Yorke, lead singer of rock band Radiohead, attended the University of Exeter in the early 1990s and helped to set up the Cavern Club. He also played multiple gigs on the university campus with techno band Flickernoise, and regularly DJed at the Lemon Grove, a student nightclub on the Streatham Campus, where he is rumoured to have written the lyrics to Radiohead's first hit single "Creep".
The University's Great Hall has emerged as a popular venue for live concerts in recent years, including English pop band Blossoms in 2022 and English internet personality and musician KSI in 2022. Westpoint Arena, on the city's eastern outskirts near Exeter Airport, has also hosted a handful of major artists, such as The 1975 and Lewis Capaldi in 2023.
Museums and galleries[edit]
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Queen Street is Exeter's predominant museum. The museum maintains its own collections of regional, national and international importance. Recently, the museum underwent an extensive refurbishment. It reopened on 14 December 2011, and was subsequently awarded the National Art Fund Prize – UK Museum of the Year 2012. The Museum also runs St Nicholas Priory in Mint Lane, near Fore Street.
Additionally, the University of Exeter has an extensive fine art collection and an assortment of exhibition spaces across its Streatham campus. Showing a vibrant programme of exhibitions, performances, films and visual arts. The sculpture collection contains works by artists including Barbara Hepworth, Peter Thursby, Geoffrey Clark and Elaine M. Goodwin. It can be located using the Sculpture Trail.
Exeter Phoenix is one of South West England's leading contemporary arts venues. The venue occupies the former university site in Gandy Street and programmes international, national and outstanding regional artists.
Until its closure in 2017, Spacex was a contemporary arts organisation that programmed exhibitions of contemporary art and promoted artist-led projects, events and research.
Newspapers[edit]
Express and Echo, published weekly on Thursdays.
Exeter Flying Post, published weekly. It was discontinued in 1917, but was revived in 1976 as an alternative community magazine. The last issue was in 2012.
The Western Morning News, a Plymouth printed daily regional paper.
Exeposé, the university's student newspaper, printed fortnightly.
Radio[edit]
BBC Radio Devon broadcasts to Exeter locally on FM (95.8) and AM (990 AM/MW), although the majority of programming originates in Plymouth. In the evenings, BBC Radio Devon joins the South West Regional service. Heart West formerly Gemini FM and DevonAir, broadcasts on 97.0 FM, with East Devon and Torbay utilising their own frequencies. Both Heart West and BBC Radio Devon broadcast from the St Thomas transmitter. AM radio is broadcast from Pearce's Hill located at J31 of the M5.
Other radio stations include Radio Exe, an easy listening station broadcasting on 107.3 FM, Phonic.FM which provides a "no adverts no playlist" alternative on 106.8 FM or online at www.phonic.fm, VI, a station broadcasting from the West of England School and College on 1386 AM/MW.
Additionally, Exeter University has a well established student station, Xpression FM, which broadcasts on 87.7 FM using two low-powered transmitters, although it can be heard over much of the north of the city.
The local commercial radio station is Radio Exe. The local community radio station is Phonic FM.
Television[edit]
Both BBC Spotlight and ITV West Country provide Exeter with regional news outputs. BBC Spotlight is broadcast from Plymouth and ITV West Country is broadcast from Bristol, although both services do have newsrooms in Exeter. The St Thomas and Stockland Hill transmitting station both provide the city's coverage.
Twin towns[edit]
Rennes House, named after Rennes
Piazza Terracina, named after Terracina
Yaroslavl Footbridge, named after Yaroslavl
Exeter is twinned with:
City
Since
Organisation
Rennes, France
“early 1950s”
Exeter Twinning Circle
Bad Homburg, Germany
1965
Terracina, Italy
1988
Yaroslavl, Russia
1989
Exeter Yaroslavl Twinning Association (Russian: Общество Дружбы Ярославль-Эксетер)
Freedom of the City
[edit]
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2021)
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the City of Exeter.
Individuals[edit]
Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson: 15 January 1801.
Rob Baxter: 25 July 2017.
Gareth Steenson: 7 October 2021.
Richard Jacobs: 1 December 2021.
Philip Bostock: 18 July 2022.
Sir Samual Hall: 24 July 2018
Military units[edit]
The Royal Marines: April 1977.
243 (The Wessex) Field Hospital (V): July 2002.
The Rifles (formerly The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment): June 2007.
The Coldstream Guards: July 2011.
RAF Brize Norton: 21 October 2013.
HMS Defender, RN: March 2014.
HMS Exeter, RN: August 1928.
Notable people
[edit]
See List of people from Exeter and Category:People from Exeter
Sources and further reading
[edit]
See also: Bibliography of the history of Exeter
Gray, Todd (2000). Exeter: The Traveller's Tales. Exeter: The Mint Press. ISBN 1-903356-00-8.
Higham, Robert (2008). Making Anglo-Saxon Devon. Exeter: The Mint Press. ISBN 978-1-903356-57-9.
Hoskins, W. G. (2004). Two Thousand Years in Exeter (Revised and updated ed.). Chichester: Phillimore. p. 23. ISBN 1-86077-303-6.
Neville, Julia (2010). Exeter and the Trams 1882–1931. Exeter Civic Society. ISBN 978-0-9544343-1-1.
Sellman, R.R. (1985). Aspects of Devon History (New ed.). Exeter: Devon Books. ISBN 0-86114-756-1.
Sharp, Thomas (1946). Exeter Phoenix: A Plan for Rebuilding. London: The Architectural Press.
Stoyle, Mark (2003). Circled With Stone: Exeter's City Walls, 1485–1660. Exeter: University of Exeter Press. ISBN 978-0-85989-727-3.
Stoyle, Mark (1996). From Deliverance to Destruction: Rebellion and Civil War in an English City. Exeter: University of Exeter Press. ISBN 978-0-85989-478-4.
Stoyle, Mark (2014). Water in the City: The Aqueducts and Underground Passages of Exeter. Exeter: University of Exeter Press. ISBN 978-0-85989-877-5.
