Exeter Cathedral

I’m a huge fan of the UK but I haven’t made it to Exeter yet. I really enjoyed this guest post about what to do in Exeter and I hope you will too!

Haldon Forest Park

There are few forests in the UK that can claim to have as broad an activity base as Haldon Forest Park. If you enjoy walking there are varied trails for all ages and skill levels. The ‘Discovery Trail’ is laid out as a multi-use traditional path with ‘natural play features’, whereas the ‘Sensory Trail’ found at Mamhead is especially designed to stimulate the senses of visitors of all abilities.

Bring your bicycles with you and you can tackle some of the most challenging off-road cycling in the UK, or take a leisurely ride with the family on some of the more gentle routes. The panoramic views at Haldon Forest Park are really quite something; taking the Segway Trail Tour is highly recommended if you want the entire experience.

Exeter Cathedral

Exeter Cathedral stands among the best examples of religious architecture in the world. The monument was completed at the turn of the 15th century and is believed to have been built in St. Peter’s name. If you’re not into the religious history of the building there are a number of other events taking place in the grounds throughout the year. For example the Exeter craft festival runs in July each year and if you’re a fan of old chairs, the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow is on in the cathedral in September.
There are all sorts of ways to see the cathedral – from guided tours to rooftop tours, virtual tours to group visits, whatever your specification there’s something for you. The cathedral is situated close to the city centre

The Quay Climbing Centre

For those more inclined toward active experiences there are several interesting options in Exeter. The most prominent of which is the Quay Climbing Centre. As the name suggests, the centre is based around the sport of climbing and houses a huge range of climbing walls for varying skill levels.

The owners of the building (the old Exeter Electric Works), are all passionate about their sport. According to their site they have all dreamed of running a climbing wall for themselves, so you can expect the resulting product to be mighty fine – and it is.
The climbing centre is located close to Exeter station, so if travelling for the day it’s easy to get to. If you’re tired (as we imagine you will be after a day of climbing), or staying in the city for a few nights there is a Mercure hotel a 10 minute walk away over just over the river.

Picturehouse Exeter

If you enjoy things that are visual in nature, you have to check out the Picturehouse Exeter. While it may sound like your ordinary cinema it’s far from it. Classified as an arthouse or ‘alternative’ cinema the Picturehouse shows some of the more obscure, older and underrated films you might not have heard of. If you’re in town and want to see something more conspicuous in the world of film, they also show some of the more famous Hollywood blockbusters to suit every taste.
This is but a sample of things you can do in this thriving city and, of course, you have to go there for yourself to truly find out what it has to offer.