Route Highlight
Topsham & the Exe Estuary
Villages lining the Exe Estuary offer pubs with watery views, boat trips and scenic walks. Explore and you’ll see why the estuary landscape is a little-known highlight of the west country.
The best spot is Topsham, once a bustling river port, and now a trendy upmarket suburb of Exeter. Narrow alleys and streets wind between restored historic buildings to reveal atmospheric river views. Explore to find seafood restaurants, delis and pubs – plus quirky antique and gift shops to browse.
During your trip
Other Route Highlights
Exeter
With its iconic Gothic Cathedral in a relaxed pedestrianised Close, vibrant river waterfront and a huge bustling shopping zone, Exeter is one of the west’s urban highlights.
Sidmouth
Framed by high red sandstone cliffs, Sidmouth’s elegant Regency houses and hotels line a classic esplanade with a busy labyrinth of shopping streets behind. They lead northwards towards the picturesque Sid Valley.
Exmouth
The two miles of seafront from a glossy yacht marina at the mouth of the Exe to the weathered red cliffs at Orcombe headland make an interesting drive – or a bracing walk.
AXMOUTH, SEATON AND BEER
Once an important international port, Axmouth is now a sleepy waterside village of stone cottages. Look for the photogenic spot where the River Axe curves through pebbles to the sea.
