Exmouth
Understand
Exmouth is a seaside town situated where the Exe Estuary joins the sea. Exmouth is Devon's oldest seaside resort and has a two mile long golden, sandy beach fronting the channel which attracts visitors and locals all year round. At the eastern end of the beach is the start of the Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage Site. The seafront is renowned for its fascinating rock pools, bird life and stunning views across the Exe Estuary.
Exmouth has a wide range of facilities and a wonderful collection of independent shops, beautiful gardens, and superb entertainment for all ages. With a wide variety of places to stay, eat, and drink, Exmouth has gradually established a reputation as a fantastic place to enjoy watersports, sailing, cycling, fishing, walking, eating out and the many spectacular special occasions the town has to offer. There is a full calendar of events such as the Medieval Christmas Cracker and the New Years Eve fancy dress celebrations, which were voted one of the UK's top destinations in which to celebrate, and Exmouth Arts Festival (end of May) which has developed over 17 years from a rich, burgeoning arts scene into the vibrant and all-encompassing celebration it is today, drawing its audience from far and wide. Another regular occasion is the Velo Vintage cycle parade; an eccentric affair, complete with penny farthings, tweed and theatrical, handlebar moustaches!
The town centre's piazza style Strand Gardens, which have undergone a £3 million makeover, is the ideal place to watch the world go by. Once the sun has gone down you can watch the stunning light display around the war memorial as you enjoy a coffee or cocktail al fresco in the café quarter. Exmouth has also benefited from the completion of the South West Coast Path, Exe Cycle Trail and an explosion of water sports, from waterskiing to kite surfing, body-boarding and sailing (Steph Bridge, five times world champion Kite Surfer, is a resident). The town is surrounded by the wooded, rolling hills of Woodbury Common and is a fantastic base to explore this part of Devon's countryside and coast with many charming, quaint towns and villages nearby.
Get in
By train
1 Exmouth station is situated at the end of a branch from Exeter, Trains take about 20 minutes and operate every half hour (Mon-Sat Daytimes, less frequent evenings and Sundays)
By bus
The 57 bus operates from Exeter Bus Station. Note: as of 2018, some buses from Exeter Bus Station, including the 57, have been temporarily relocated [dead link] to stands in Exeter's Sidwell Street, outside the Iceland store.
The 157 bus operates from Sidmouth.
The 56 bus operates from Exeter Airport.
- Traveline South West (Bus timetable and travel information.), ☏ +44 8712002233. 7AM–10PM.
- Stagecoach South West (Bus company.).
By plane
The nearest airport is Exeter Airport, 11 miles away.
By car
Exmouth is about 15 minutes from the M5 Motorway. Leave at Junction 30 and follow the A376; it's around 10 miles to Exmouth.
Get around
Exmouth's town centre is rather small, so it's easy to travel on foot. Exmouth Cycle Hire rents bicycles and cycling equipment, so there is the option of cycling along the South West Coast Path that runs along the coast and connects Exmouth to Topsham to the west and Budleigh Salterton to the east, or along the Exe Estuary Trail which carries on from Topsham around the coast to Dawlish.
The Exmouth Land Train runs from the 5th of May to the 28th of October each year, from 10AM to 4PM, and is a fun way to get around Exmouth, with the train's route following a circuit alongside the beach and through the town centre. A full circuit trip costs £3, or £5 for an unlimited day traveller ticket. It is available for private hire throughout the year.
See
- 1 Exmouth Museum, Sheppards Row (off Exeter Road). M–Sa 10:30AM–12:30PM and Tu W Th 2:30–4:30PM. Closed Bank Holidays & Su. Closed from November for the winter..
- Exmouth is home to a functioning harbour, once a small fishing dock, now mostly used by pleasure craft and the occasional trawler.
- 2 A La Ronde, Summer Lane, EX8 5BD, ☏ +44 1395 265514, alaronde@nationaltrust.org.uk. 18th-century 16-sided house.
- 3 Orcombe Point. National Trust, cliffs and geoneedle.
Do
- Exmouth is a popular tourist destination due to its long, sandy beach. However, swimming is forbidden on a short stretch of the beach due to fast tidal currents.
- A modest range of tourist attractions are open during the summer season, including a small boating lake, miniature golf course, model railway and amusements arcade.
- Exmouth is one end of a long and pleasant coastal walk along the cliffs to Budleigh Salterton. The walk contains steep segments, though, and includes rough ground and stiles, so is not recommended for the frail.
Buy
- 1 Exmouth Indoor Market, 12 Strand. Indoor market with a variety of stalls offering gifts, tourist trinkets, clothing, sweets, local produce, pet supplies, and jewellery and haberdashery. Includes a café.
Eat
The town centre, inland from the beach, has a range of restaurants, cafes, takeaways and pubs, and is busy at night. The beachfront has a few cafes and restaurants open during the day but just a couple of lower-end places open at night, when the beach is nearly deserted.
- 1 The Grove. Pub food is cheap and far from impressive, but the beer garden, across the road from the seawall, is pleasant enough on a warm evening.
- 2 The Chronicle, 3 Chapel Hill, ☏ +44 1395 488015.
- 3 Krispies, 57 Exeter Rd, ☏ +44 1395 278823. Award-winning, family-run fish & chip shop, known for its battered chips.
- 4 The Proper Fish & Chip Co., 73 Exeter Rd, ☏ +44 1395 743217.
Drink
- 1 The Powder Monkey, 2–2a The Parade, ☏ +44 1395 280090. Wetherspoon's pub.
- 2 Spoken, 43 Strand, ☏ +44 1395 265228. Cocktail lounge with a wide variety of drinks available, also serves food. Award-winning venue.
Sleep
- 1 Breken Guest House, 13 Morton Road (one block inland from the beach). One of a dwindling number of lower-end B&Bs in Exmouth, run by the effervescent Tonia. Basic rooms but has WiFi, full breakfast, good location, interesting guests, and is affordably priced. £30pp.
- 2 Premier Inn Exmouth Seafront, The Esplanade, ☏ +44 871 527 9400.
- 3 The Imperial Hotel, The Esplanade, ☏ +44 844 499 9357.
- 4 The Barn, 4 Foxholes Hill, ☏ +44 1395 884032. Dating from 1896 and designed in Arts and Crafts style.
- 5 Lympstone Manor, Courtlands Lane EX8 3NZ, ☏ +44 1395 202040. Georgian mansion stylishly redecorated, very upscale, and no less than three dining rooms where the cuisine is wow. B&B £340.
Go next
Littleham is a suburb about 3 miles east of Exmouth town centre that retains a bit of its village atmosphere and quaint old buildings (including Castle Cottages, along Castle Lane to the east) and holds an annual Duck Race & Hog Roast in September. There is also The Clinton Arms [dead link] pub and the Tythe Cottage Restaurant, which sells traditionally cooked food including breakfast, lunch, evening meals and Devon cream teas.