Charming Exeter

Exeter is a beautiful city in Devon, England.

While some parts of its city centre reminds me of Cambridge's city centre, the former is a very much a charming city which can hold its own. It's just located just by the River Exe, hence the name "Exeter"  ("Exe" means "water" in Celtic and "ter"  means "town"). 

We went to this place called "Cafe Expresso" for lunch. The waiters were extremely friendly and they served nice food at an affordable price.

Here is a part of the ancient city ruins. Can you ever imagine a historic site which regrets the loss of witches? This plaque reads:

The Devon Witches

In Memory of

Temperance Lloyd

Sussanah Edwards

Mary Trembles

of Bideford Died 1682

Alice Motland 

Died 1685

The Last People in England 

to be Executed for Witchcraft

Tried Here & Hanged at Heavitree

In the Hope of an End to Persecution & Intolerance

Initially, I had imagined Exeter to be a quiet, rustic town, based on my inference from S's description. Contrary to my expectations, the high street of the city is very lively during weekends. One of the main reasons is due to the large student population of the University of Exeter.

Nonetheless, should you need some respite, lush, green spaces are always around the corner in the city, which reminds me of London.

One of the spots that left quite an impression on me was the quayside of River Exe. It used to be a very busy port in 19th century but declined in importance gradually. Until recent decades, the quay has now evolved into a leisure area, with old warehouses being converted into  cafes, bistros, antique shops by the river.

To cross to the other side of the River, you could either use the bridge or take "Butt's Ferry". We chose to take the latter. But it looks more like a bridge to me! Powered by a pulley system which links both banks, the "captain" of the ferry will pull the steel rope towards her so that the ferry will move forward. The ticket price? 30p.

This is our captain!

"The Rusty Bike" is a favourite haunt of varsity students. As you can see, the design of the pub fits the name well.

We ambled leisurely outside this prison which was built in the 19th century. Ironically, it has this long, picturesque looking wall, making one forget that it's actually a gaol. Then again, the lovely balmy weather must have made it look good.