Exeter Estate Agents
24 Southernhay West
Exeter
EX1 1PR
A double helping of unbelievably beautiful coastline, ancient moorlands, great surfing beaches, dramatic coastline and long hours of summer sunshine make this one of the most popular places to move to in the country.
Welcome to our Devon area guide, where we explore this beautiful coastal area and its various highlights as well as practical attributes such as schooling, transport links and property prices.
Nowhere is far from the sea and of course Devon and Cornwall each have two coastlines.
You can choose from a cliff-top house, a whitewashed thatched cottage on one of the hidden creeks, a surfer’s pad with room to stash the board, a sailor’s paradise with a boat mooring, or a farmhouse inland with views across the tors to the sea. Exeter is a vibrant and expanding city, boosted by the presence of the university, the Peninsular Medical School, The Meteorological Office, a new Science Park currently under construction and a rich, cultural heartbeat. A new town, Cranbrook is being built to the east and the city is seen as a place of growth, a place to invest. We have a special appeal to people who want to step off the treadmill and change their lives. There is no better time to sell in London, where values are high, to move west where prices are lower and the pace of life is more relaxed.
Strutt & Parker’s Exeter office covers the entire region, from Somerset and Dorset through to Devon and Cornwall. The estate agency team sell some stunning properties throughout the region and are joined by a strong land management department who provide landowners across the West Country with strategic advice.
Things to do in Devon
Devon has a wide range of recreational and sports activities, which makes it a great place to live if you like to be active.
There are wonderful sailing opportunities and other water sports on the beautiful Dart Estuary and along the South and East Devon coastlines. The East Devon coastline is also a good spot for fishing, but there are plenty of others in local rivers, including the Rivers Exe and Teign, and reservoirs.
The Dartmoor National Park offers 95,300 hectares and the Exmoor National Park offers 69,400 hectares of open land, ideal for riding, walking, cycling and climbing.
Devon has over 50 golf courses to choose from, including courses in Exeter, Crediton, Tiverton, Honiton and Woodbury Park.
Why we love Devon
We also love it because of its hidden valleys, thatched cottages, farmers markets, food fairs, pannier markets, great pubs and excellent schools.
Devon is ideal for:
- Getting away from it all
- Good transport links
- Enjoying the great outdoors
- Water sports and fishing
- Farmers’ markets
- Country houses and thatched cottages
Our Exeter office team recommend the following:
- The Rendezvous Wine Bar in Central Exeter
- The Lazy Toad pub in Brampford Speke
- The Honiton Agricultural Show
- Visiting the Obelisk at Mamhead
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Key villages & towns in Devon
Exeter
Exeter, situated on the River Exe is a cathedral city and the county town of Devon, parts of which date back to Roman times. It is also home to the well-respected University of Exeter and a wide range of recreational, shopping and cultural facilities, the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital and the Nuffield Hospital. It now has a John Lewis store and recently re-built 11 acre retail and restaurant area, Princesshay.
Crediton
The market town of Crediton offers an extensive range of everyday facilities, including a monthly farmers’ market, a popular delicatessen, supermarkets, health centre, leisure complex, library, the Queen Elizabeth Community College, inns and garages. It is just 7 miles North West of Exeter.
Barnstaple
The pannier market town of Barnstaple is located in North Devon, and has great shopping facilities including a number of supermarkets and leading brand retailers as well as independent boutiques. Barnstaple is within easy access of the North Devon’s sandy beaches, ideal for walks, sailing and surfing.
Honiton
The market town of Honiton is located in East Devon and is surrounded by rich farmland. It is well equipped with a range of local and specialist shops including an excellent wine merchant, a street market and a monthly country market.
Okehampton
Another popular Devon market town is Okehampton, situated on the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park. Okehampton has a great range of facilities including a Waitrose Supermarket and shops as well as a farmers’ market twice a month.
Totnes
Totnes is a historic Elizabethan market town in the heart of South Devon, 22 miles south of Exeter and on the River Dart. It has a wide range of facilities, clubs and societies.
Tiverton
Tiverton is situated in mid Devon on the rivers Exe and Lowman, it has various shops and facilities and is home to many leisure activities.
Tavistock
Tavistock is a town on the south-western edge of Dartmoor National Park. It’s a great location for riding and golf.
Schools in the area
Choose from a large number of independent, state and Church of England schools in Devon.
Exeter has a number of excellent independent schools, including Exeter School (boys and girls), St Margaret’s School (girls) and the Maynard School (girls), as well as junior schools: Exeter Cathedral School (boys and girls), Exeter Junior School (girls and boys).
Tiverton has the renowned Blundell’s School founded in 1604, a day and boarding school for boys and girls.
Crediton is home to Queen Elizabeth's School, founded by Edward VI and refounded by Elizabeth I, is today a state run, part boarding school, and a community Technology College, named Queen Elizabeth's Community College. There are two primary schools; Hayward's Primary School and Landscore Primary School.
Torquay has a number of state schools including Upton St James CofE Primary School and Torquay Grammar Schools for boys and girls.
Okehampton College, adjacent to Simmons Park, provides secondary education and there also are a number of independent schools in the Okehampton area, including Shebbear College, West Buckland School, New South Molton and Kelly College at Tavistock.
Colyford in East Devon has Colyton Grammar School, a co-educational grammar school located in the village.
For a more comprehensive list of schools in Devon, we recommend the Good Schools Guide.
Transport links
By train
The main rail station is Exeter St. David’s with regular trains to London Paddington, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. Tiverton, Newton Abbot and Plymouth also have regular services to London and Leeds. Other smaller towns such as Honiton are also connected to Exeter and London and Waterloo.
By train
The M5 motorway runs to Exeter, while other larger towns are well connected to Exeter through major A roads.
Devon is great for nature lovers, boasting a beautiful coastline, and two fantastic National Parks; Dartmoor and Exmoor.