South West England
Date ideas in Exeter
Updated
Exeter is a small city with a lot packed in: a cathedral with the longest Gothic vault anywhere, Roman walls you can walk beside, and tunnels running under the shops. Down the hill the old quay opens onto a canal path that takes you all the way to the estuary, and Dartmoor and the sea are both under an hour away. These are our picks, with plenty to do when the Devon rain sets in.
Our picks in Exeter
Exeter Cathedral
Cathedral Close, city centre
Address: 1 The Cloisters, Exeter EX1 1HS- Culture
- Rain-proof β
- Mid-price
Walk the length of the nave under the longest unbroken Gothic vault in the world, find the cat hole cut in the door below the astronomical clock, and book a tour up into the roof when they're running.
Why it's a good date: It stops you in your tracks the moment you look up. Your ticket includes a guided floor tour, and Cathedral Green outside is the place to sit with a coffee afterwards.
Photo: Querido, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Royal Albert Memorial Museum
Queen Street, city centre
Address: Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3RX- Culture
- Rain-proof β
- Free
Wander the city's free museum, known to everyone as RAMM, from Roman Exeter and Devon wildlife to a giraffe on the stairs and galleries of art and objects from around the world.
Why it's a good date: Big enough to fill a wet afternoon and free to walk in and out of. Pick a favourite object each and show each other, then have lunch in the cafΓ©.
Photo: David Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Put on a hard hat and follow a guide through the narrow medieval tunnels that once carried fresh water under the city, the only passages of their kind in Britain you can visit.
Why it's a good date: A proper little adventure right under the shops, and dry whatever the weather. Book ahead, especially in school holidays, and skip it if tight spaces aren't your thing.
Photo: Stephen Craven, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum
The Old Library, Prince of Wales Road, University of Exeter
Address: The Old Library, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4SB- Culture
- Rain-proof β
- Free
Browse a free museum of film and the moving image on the university campus, from magic lanterns and peep shows to old cinema posters and film-star souvenirs.
Why it's a good date: Quiet, quirky and lovely for film fans, and it costs nothing. Pair it with a show at the Northcott, which is a short walk across campus.
Photo: Ridiculopathy, CC0 (cropped and resized)
Exeter Quayside
The Quay, below the city walls
Address: Custom House Visitor Centre, The Quay, Exeter EX2 4AN- Outdoors
- Free
- Romantic
Stroll the old quay by the river, cross the little bridges past the 17th-century Custom House and the brick warehouses, and stop for a drink by the water.
Why it's a good date: One of the prettiest spots in the city, and lovely as the light goes. Poke around the craft and antique shops in the old cellars, then pick a pub on the water.
Photo: Simon Cobb, CC0 (resized)
Cycle the canal to the Turf
From Exeter Quay to Turf Locks, about five miles south
Address: Saddles & Paddles, 4 Kings Wharf, The Quay, Exeter EX2 4AN- Activity
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Active
Hire bikes on the quay and ride the flat towpath down the Exeter Ship Canal, past Double Locks, to the Turf, a pub at the sea lock where the canal meets the Exe estuary.
Why it's a good date: There's no road to the Turf, so arriving by bike feels like an achievement. Check it's open before you set off, as it's seasonal, and grab a table on the lawn to watch the boats come in.
Photo: Tim Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Northernhay and Rougemont Gardens
Queen Street and Castle Street, city centre
Address: Northernhay Gardens, Northernhay Place, Exeter EX4 3QE- Outdoors
- Free
Slip off the high street into England's oldest public gardens, where the paths run beside the Roman and Saxon city wall below the ruins of Rougemont Castle.
Why it's a good date: A calm green pocket a minute from the shops, with benches and old trees. Bring a takeaway coffee or a picnic, and look out for open-air theatre here in summer.
Photo: Simon Cobb, CC0 (resized)
Exeter Phoenix
Bradninch Place, off Gandy Street
Address: Exeter Phoenix, Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter EX4 3LS- Event
- Rain-proof β
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Catch an indie film in the small cinema, a gig or a comedy night at the city's arts centre, with free exhibitions and a busy cafΓ© bar downstairs.
Why it's a good date: Relaxed and good value, with something on most nights. Meet in the cafΓ© bar beforehand, and walk down the lanes of Gandy Street afterwards.
Photo: Stephen Richards, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Exeter Northcott Theatre
Stocker Road, University of Exeter
Address: Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QB- Event
- Rain-proof β
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Culture
See a play, a musical or a big-name comedian at the theatre on the university campus, which makes its own shows as well as hosting touring ones.
Why it's a good date: A proper night out without a trip to London or Bristol. Check what's on, book ahead for the stand-up nights, and have a drink in the foyer bar first.
Photo: Smalljim, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Harry's Restaurant
Longbrook Street, near the bus station
Address: 86 Longbrook Street, Exeter EX4 6AP- Restaurant
- Rain-proof β
- Mid-price
- Foodie
- Romantic
Have dinner at a long-running family restaurant in a Victorian Gothic workshop, with a seasonal menu and a relaxed, friendly room.
Why it's a good date: Warm, busy and reliably good, the kind of place locals take people they want to impress. Book ahead, especially at weekends.
Photo: Smalljim, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
The Old Firehouse
New North Road, city centre
Address: 50 New North Road, Exeter EX4 4EP- Bar
- Rain-proof β
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
Climb the creaky stairs of a rambling old pub over several floors, with real ales and ciders, live music and big square pizzas served late.
Why it's a good date: An Exeter favourite for a reason: dim, friendly and open late, so it works as the first stop or the last. Share a pizza, and well-behaved dogs are welcome until the evening.
Photo: Simon Cobb, CC0 (resized)
Haytor on Dartmoor
Haytor Vale, about 40 minutes' drive south-west of the city
Address: Haytor Visitor Centre, Haytor Vale, Newton Abbot TQ13 9XT- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Out of town
Drive out onto Dartmoor and scramble up Haytor, a great granite tor with views across the moor to the sea, then wander over to the old quarry pond.
Why it's a good date: Wild, open and a short walk from the car park, so it's an easy big view. Go late on a clear afternoon for the light, and finish with a cream tea in Widecombe or Bovey Tracey.
Photo: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Orcombe Point and Exmouth seafront
Exmouth, 25 minutes by train from Exeter
Address: Orcombe Point, Foxholes Hill, Exmouth EX8 2DH- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Out of town
Take the train along the estuary to Exmouth, walk the long sandy seafront and climb to the Geoneedle on Orcombe Point, where the Jurassic Coast begins.
Why it's a good date: The train ride beside the water is half the fun. Check the tides before walking on the beach below the cliffs, and stay for sunset over the sea.
Photo: David Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Powderham Castle
Kenton, eight miles south of the city
Address: Powderham Castle, Kenton, Exeter EX6 8JQ- Trip
- Mid-price
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Culture
- Out of town
Take a guided tour of the Earl of Devon's family home beside the Exe estuary, then walk out past the lake and the deer park.
Why it's a good date: Grand rooms, good stories from the guides and big grounds to walk off lunch. It opens for the warmer months and special events, so check the dates before you go.
Photo: Partonez, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Red Coat guided walking tour
Meet at the Richard Hooker statue, Cathedral Green
Address: Richard Hooker statue, Cathedral Green, Exeter EX1 1HS- Activity
- Outdoors
- Free
- Culture
Join one of the city's free walking tours, led by volunteer guides in red coats, from Roman Exeter and the city walls to the cathedral close and the quayside.
Why it's a good date: You learn more in an hour and a half than in a weekend of wandering, and it's free. Most tours don't need booking, so just turn up, and ask your guide where they'd go for a drink afterwards.
Photo: ΠΠ²Π»Π°ΡΠ΅Π½ΠΊΠΎ, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Dates in Exeter: quick answers
What are good rainy-day dates in Exeter?
The cathedral, RAMM, the Underground Passages and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum are all indoors, and RAMM and the cinema museum are free. In the evening, try a film or gig at Exeter Phoenix, a show at the Northcott, or a pizza at the Old Firehouse.
Are there free date ideas in Exeter?
Plenty. RAMM and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum are free, and so are the Red Coat walking tours, Northernhay Gardens and an evening on the Quayside. Further out, Haytor and the seafront at Exmouth cost nothing but the trip.
Can you get to the sea or Dartmoor from Exeter without a car?
The sea, yes: trains run along the estuary to Exmouth in about 25 minutes, and the canal path takes you to the estuary by bike. Haytor is easiest by car, though there are some buses towards Dartmoor in the summer.
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