Exeter
I spent a day in Exeter and I would recommend a stop in. Be sure to check out the shopping centres- they have a Primark! Also, start at the RAMM and take an hour or so to explore the museum. They recently renovated and there are some fabulous displays.
Just down the road from the RAMM is Northenhay Gardens. You cannot miss them! They are stunning and the Roman Wall runs along the right hand side. Gemma and I walked through and enjoyed the views. We also lucked out because our day in Exeter was one of the rare sunny days that we had when I was in Devon.
This is me attempting to jump in front of the Roman Wall
If you are in Exeter for lunch, be sure to stop by the Tesco to grab a sandwich and make your way over to the Cathedral. Pop a squat on the lawn and enjoy the view. It’s a great spot to people watch and unwind.
The Cathedral is quite beautiful
Be sure to wander through town and stop in at the shops- especially the Cath Kidson shop. It has some great items, although most were out of my student budget. Also, get lost in the side streets. There are so many little pubs and shops that you will just stumble across. You cannot go wrong!
Dartmoor
As the setting for the recent film, War Horse, I would say that Dartmoor is a must-see area. Much more rocky than the rest of the county, you will see vast fields with stone walls in lieu of hedges. Fences are frowned upon and sheep and ponies are able to roam at their leisure.
If you are driving, take care of the animals as they tend to lay on the road. Make sure to stop often and take loads of photos.
I went on a rather rainy day, but I still enjoyed it. They tell me that it is not
unusual for the fog to roll in to Dartmoor so thick, that you cannot see your own hand in front of your face. I secretly wanted it to happen ;)
Exmouth
When in Devon, be sure to head to the coast to dip your toes into the English Channel. No need to bring a swimming suit, just dip your toes in ;)
Exmouth is a little tourist town. We walked the beach and G & J pointed out the beach huts along the road. You will find them in all British seaside towns. They are colorful and people own or rent them to keep their beach toys in. Some people will set up chairs and sit in the doorway.
If you look down the beach in Exmouth, you will see a massive building. Don’t be deceived, it is not a restaurant or a holiday let, but rather a lifeboat house! You can walk right up to it and check out the lifeboat. It’s pretty neat. They even do drills occasionally, so be sure to see if you can catch one. I imagine it would be quite interesting.
We finished off our Exmouth trip with Cream tea- my very first! We went to the Model Train Cafe, which I would recommend. G&J said it was a good price. You will get your tea, 2 scones, clotted cream, and jam. Slather on the clotted cream and THEN the jam- you will not be disappointed.
High Streets
Each little town will have a High Street- it’s the equivalent to our Main Street in Canada. Be sure to wander up and down them because they are loaded with little one-of-a-kind shops.
High St in Crediton
Pubs
There is a pub culture in Britain. It isn’t like the pubs at home though- no loud music, just the sound of the locals having a time.
Go to a pub- any pub- and order a lager shandi. I don’t drink beer, but this drink is a must have for anyone who wants the full pub experience! It is beer and lemonade (mostly lemonade) and is quite tasty! You can also get bitter shandis, but I prefer the lager. It is more similar to what we would call beer in Canada. Bitter is flater. I tried a bitter, too, but preferred the lager (if you are drinking more than one ;) ).
Also- most pubs are family friendly, so feel free to take children along!
Those are just some of the tourist-y things that I did in Devon. I must admit, though, that you need to just explore the countryside to get the full Devon experience. Country lanes and hedges, cows and sheep- they have it all!
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