J.JsOH

We have formed a good opinion of Exeter city having chosen to stay over there a couple times on our travels in the past two years. Clean streets, pleasant people, upbeat, modern, nice river access to countryside.

Garbatellamike

Newquay is a bit of a way away down in the PRoK (Peoples Republic of Kernow) - imho easier "Northern" beaches to get to from Exeter include Westwood Ho!, Saunton Sands, Croyde Bay and Woolacombe Bay.

Surfers will know Croyde well.

MnB

Don't forget Putsborough!!

Almo

I spent my teenage years in Exeter and have fond memories. There is another thread on here somewhere where I wrote out some info/opinions about Exeter but not sure if it's on the main board or one of the sub boards.

It's a nice city, yes, it suffered with bombing in the city centre but there is still some nice architecture to be found, the Cathedral and surrounds are very pretty and residentially it has some nice property too. The uni is a very good one, although the students have a bit of a reputation as being posh but too stupid for Oxbridge. Before I get absolutely jumped on, I'm not saying that's the case at all, just what the stereotype is.

It has most of the shops you could want, has some good pubs (or it did have, I haven't been back for a few years). Surrounding countryside is just lovely and there are plenty of options for pottering around on day trips in the summer. Dart's Farm, just outside Topsham is a great place to visit and buy some foodie treats.

I looked at a job at the uni but the role was withdrawn. We agonised over whether we would move back there as for us it would have felt like a backwards step. I wouldnt say it's isolated as such but the Westcountry does get forgotten a little bit at times (other than in summer, when the M5 is a car park), it probably depends in what respect you're asking - are you into music for example and hoping to see big acts? Or do you mean in terms of transport etc? Are you a foodie?

It's a nice city and I would have no qualms about recommending it to anyone. Personally, I wouldn't live in Pinhoe - nothing wrong with it but it's neither city nor countryside, although that development does seem to be on the countryside edge of Pinhoe, and Pinhoe does have a station, if that's important to you. I still wouldn't consider it but it might be just what you're looking for. I grew up in St Leonards which is fantastically located but can be very pricey in pockets.

Happy to answer any specific questions.

Edited to add that when I lived there, and whenever I've visited since, I've felt very safe there. That's not to say there aren't problems, it's a city like any other, but I was always happy to walk around late at night, and although I wouldn't recommend you do it in any city, I happily used to walk home in the early (and not so early) hours of the morning. Used to go past the bakery on Magdalen Rd and depending on the night of the week and the time sometimes the bakers would already be in getting ready for the morning. The smell used to drive me wild, what smells better than baking bread at 3am after some light refreshment?!

Sally Redux

Thanks so much for all the thoughts and especially Almo for taking the time to give so much information.

By 'isolated' I meant geographically but also had in mind the image of the uni as being for toff kids and the demographics on wikipedia which suggested there are very few minorities. I'm white myself but don't want to be surrounded by people muttering about immigrants, if that makes sense.

This thread has helped me to be quite keen, but it seems like my husband is less sure how good a fit the job is so we'll see.

Thanks again.

robin1234

It's true, living in the south-west (we lived on Dartmoor for a couple of years then West Somerset for nine years) you do get used to seeing just white people all the time, with a certain minority of south Asian professionals and business-owners etc.

Almo

It is overwhelmingly white, yes, and was a shock to me when I first moved there! I could count on one hand the number of people I knew from ethnic minorities but I can't say that those people ever had any problems to my knowledge. There is, historically, a Polish connection to the Westcountry and this has increased, recently, according to my parents. There is also evidently a sufficient population to support a number of asian supermarkets, so I'd hazard a guess that times have moved on a bit since I lived there.

One of my best friends stayed in Exeter for uni and she had no issues with the students. I don't know if unis publish demographics or not but it might be that the stereotype isn't based on anything other than history.

aries

This thread has reminded me that I want to go to the Apple Store in Exeter's Princesshay, quite a decent shopping precinct in the centre of the city.

Garbatellamike

Was including that in Woolacombe bay - it is the other end of the same beach

robin1234

I find the whole Princesshay history fascinating. We lived in Devon and Somerset between 1981 and 1991, so although we never lived in Exeter we frequently went there for shopping trips. Exeter was our nearest big city. Our daughter was born in Exeter.

A large area of central Exeter was completely cleared as a result of wartime bombing - sixty acres or more, I seem to remember. A large part of this was redeveloped as Princesshay, named after Princess Elizabeth, the present Queen, who opened the new shopping precinct in 1950 or thereabouts.

Then a few years ago, the whole Princesshay development was swept away and replaced by more ambitious and less mediocre new buildings, mixed retail, restaurants, social housing and more expensive apartments too. It's ok if you like shopping centers but, having read about what the area was like before 23 April, 1942 (central Exeter contained some of the most perfect medieval and Georgian streets in England, including Bedford Circus). I not only miss the pre war Exeter that I never saw, but also Princesshay as it existed in the second half of the twentieth century, and which I have absolutely no recollection of, although I must have been there countless times.. Maybe I tend to expunge shopping trips from memory..

http://demolition-exeter.blogspot.co...ircus.html?m=1

Lorry1

OK, I must be really hormonal right now because I was actually welling up at that story! LOL

MnB

....... missed the 'Bay'!

cheeky_monkey

i lived in Exeter from 1994-2008. Its a safe city with plenty to do and is close to the moors and beaches..it has great road rail and air links to anywhere in the country. Its an ambitious city compared to other towns and cities near by and is often voted as one of the best places to live in the UK. Only problem it does suffer from low wages in comparison to places like Bristol.

There are huge changes a foot also..i was there over Xmas..they are building a brand new town just to the east of the city..a huge science park and another huge business park near the airport..they are building a new terminal at the airport with a view to tripling its size...i think along with Bristol Exeter will be the place to be in the south west over the next 20 years.

Perth

Sally, I went to boarding school near Totnes and saw Elton John perform in Exeter in 1971! Exeter is on our short list as somewhere to retire. I am from London originally but we can't afford to move back there. Please let us know what more you find out, and if you plan on moving there. Good luck!

PS: Don't know how outdoorsy you are but the moors are spectacular!

Englishmum

I was having a coffee this morning with some expat wives whose spouses all work at the same office as my husband. One woman recently moved here (Switzerland) from Exeter. You will be pleased to know that she was telling me how thrilled she was when John Lewis recently opened in Exeter! There is also a Waitrose supermarket too

She says that no-one there is particularly fashion conscious - apparently no-one there would have heard of the 'North Face', 'Hollister', Abercrombie etc. compared to the larger UK cities so she saved a bunch of money lol!