Enjoyable Excursions
Here are some of the excursions we offer:
You will pay for your own entrance fees, tickets and food/drink. Exeter’s excellent Royal Albert Memorial Museum has free entry.
Visit Exeter
Exeter is a compact city and so easy to explore on foot:
Visit the beautiful historic Quayside of Exeter by the River Exe and canal, with its Custom House Visitor Centre. Have lunch together in one of the attractive waterside restaurants. PIC https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/exeter-quayside-p1215273
Explore Exeter Cathedral
The cathedral is stunning in its architecture and beauty. Enjoy a cream tea in the Cathedral Green to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/exeter-cathedral-p130543
Visit the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
Enjoy Exeter’s world-class museum with its 16 galleries which take you from prehistory to the present day. Find some of the objects that inspired David’s global storytelling project, Around the World in 88 Tales. https://rammuseum.org.uk/around-the-world-in-88-tales/
Come on a guided history tour with us on Exeter’s Medieval Trail https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/exeter-medieval-trail-p1026023, City Wall Trail https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/exeter-city-wall-trail-p1277583 or Woollen Trail https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/exeter-woollen-trail-p336903
Let’s go shopping! Exeter is the region’s favourite shopping location and offers a whole range of outlets, both popular global and national stores and individual retailers. Have lunch or afternoon tea in one of Exeter’s many varied and high quality restaurants, pubs or tearooms. https://www.visitexeter.com/shopping and https://www.visitexeter.com/food-and-drink
Exeter University Campus: visit the Bill Douglas Cinema museum with three centuries of cinema history, https://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk/ Follow the beautiful campus sculpture tour and stop for a picnic or lunch on campus to soak up the university atmosphere. https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/exeter-sculpture-walk-p396613 PIC
Out and about:
These destinations are all close to Exeter.
Visit the nearby historic town of Topsham and its local museum with its maritime history and a pretty English garden for a cream tea (seasonal). Do the the lovely circular Goat Walk with views over the River Exe Estuary. Beautiful scenery and bird-watching opportunities. https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/visit-topsham
Explore Killerton House and Gardens https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton a stunning 18th Century National Trust property with gardens famous for rare trees and shrubs, set in beautiful Devon countryside. A short drive outside Exeter.
Visit Powderham Castle https://www.powderham.co.uk/ and its beautiful deer park on the banks of the River Exe. It is the 600-year-old family home of the Earl and Countess of Devon. With its fascinating history, guided tours of the castle and grounds and its stunning setting, a visit to Powderham castle and grounds is an unforgettable experience.
Explore Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve and beach. https://www.dawlishwarren.info/ This beautiful 500 acre nature reserve includes the Exe Estuary, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and attracts many unusual seabirds. It is a popular holiday resort with a long, Blue Flag sandy beach, ideal for safe swimming in the summer. Try fish and chips, relax in the sun in summer, and go for a beautiful walk all year round!
Coastal towns nearby
Exmouth and the Jurassic Coast https://jurassiccoast.org/visit/attractions/exmouth/
Exmouth, David Heathfield’s hometown and where his mother still lives, is at the western gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Jurassic coast, England’s only World Heritage site. https://jurassiccoast.org/
Exmouth has 3km of golden, sandy beaches, clear water and safe swimming. Relax on the beach, enjoy a swim in summer, and fish and chips all year round!
Budleigh Salterton https://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/places/budleigh-salterton-p202923, Teignmouth https://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/places/teignmouth-p187813 and Sidmouth https://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/things-to-do/sidmouth-town-beach-p640033
These are 3 pretty coastal towns not far from Exeter where you can experience the gentle atmosphere of a British holiday resort, relax on the beach and have a swim in summer. Explore the town and shops and wander through the lovely parks provided for visitors and locals to enjoy. Marvel at the spectacular red Devon cliffs and stunning views all around, and breathe that clean sea air!
Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary is a great place to stop off when visiting the town of Sidmouth. In a beautiful setting, this inspiring refuge for ill-treated donkeys from all around the world offers them the care and peace they need to recover. Entrance is free and there is a lovely cafe and coastal walks nearby. https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/
Stunning Coastal Walks
Some examples of beautiful routes we can walk some or all of together are:
Otterton down the River Otter to Budleigh Salterton http://walks.walkingworld.com/walk/Otterton-to-Budleigh-Salterton-via-South-West-Coast-Path.aspx
Begin in the picturesque village of Otterton with its thatched cottages, beautiful old church and country pub.
Visit Otterton Mill with its working flour mill and enjoy a cake made with flour ground on the premises, as well as browse the small shop selling beautiful, locally crafted goods. http://ottertonmill.com/
Go down the River Otter, with its crystal clear running water, to the sea at Budleigh Salterton. https://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/places/budleigh-salterton-p202923 Relax on the beach, have a swim (in summer), a picnic and an ice-cream, before we walk back up the river Otter to Otterton.
Exmouth to Sandy Bay and back
This is a beautiful circular walk. Climb to the famous Geoneedle sculpture which marks the western end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Take in the breathtaking views of the English Channel, with the coastline of Devon stretching into the distance, as we walk towards Sandy Bay. Stop for a coffee or an ice-cream. At low tide complete this circular walk by returning along the beautiful beach, enjoying a swim in summer if you fancy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu3HJR-Cjr8 This Youtube video shows the walk beginning from Sandy Bay.
Ladram Bay to the mouth of the River Otter
This walk starts with the stunning ‘sea stack’ formations of red sandstone pillars at Ladram Bay. Next follow the coastal footpath with its stunning views towards the pretty seaside town Budleigh Salterton. https://www.uksouthwest.net/devon/budleigh-salterton-to-ladram-bay/
Dartmoor National Park
https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/ Explore this stunning National Park with us. Enjoy the beautiful landscape with its well-known granite tors such as Haytor, its standing stones, ancient woodlands, rushing streams, Dartmoor ponies and picturesque bridges and villages.
Walking is wonderful here, and swimming in the rivers in summer is cold and energizing! Dartmoor is known for its wild beauty, its mysteries and its folklore. David will tell you Dartmoor tales and legends to amaze you. A wonderful place to spend the day.
Evenings Out
Exeter has a lot to offer if you enjoy theatre and the performing arts, listening to live music, going to the cinema and eating out.
David and Tammy Heathfield can accompany you on your preferred evening activity. With our local knowledge and experience we can recommend theatre shows which you are likely to enjoy, and accompany you to restaurants where we know the food and service are top quality.
There is plenty of information about all of these activities here https://www.visitexeter.com/things-to-do/entertainment-and-nightlife https://www.visitexeter.com/food-and-drink/restaurants
Amazing Activities
Learn to bake a delicious cake, a loaf of bread or an amazing dessert under the expert guidance of Tammy Heathfield, a professional baker’s great-granddaughter!