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Exmouth is located approximately 10 miles south of Exeter on the south
devon coast. It is opposite Dawlish Warren at the edge of the Exe estuary.
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The seaside town of Exmouth is a lovely place to spend a day. I have split
this section up into sub-sections below: -
The Arts
Despite being a small town Exmouth has a multi screen cinema showing all
the latest films and a theatre. The cinema is in Rolle Street in the triangle
area of the town centre. The theatre, The Pavilions is on the sea front.
Beaches
The Town Beach
The main attraction though of Exmouth is the beach. There are two miles
of sandy beach running from the edge of the river estuary to the end of
Orcombe point. On the beach you can see Dawlish Warren and round to Dawlish
and Teignmouth and towards Torquay. At low tide the beach continues right
round the headland and round to Sandy Bay, around a mile and a half from
the end of the town beach. There are Sand Dunes in places which provide
a lovely sun trap. There are also rock pools at the eastern end of the
beach. The town beach is nice at high tide but at low tide the river runs
along the edge of the sea. This means that the sea then is very cold
and flows fast so is not really safe for bathing. In fact part of the beach
is not safe no matter where the tide is. This is clearly signed.
Sandy Bay
In my view the best part of the beach in Exmouth is at Sandy Bay. This
is a smaller beach which I think is much nicer than the town beach. It
has a large red cliff behind it and clean sea. It is also less stony than
the main beach. The only problem is that there is a large Caravan park
behind the beach (the Devon Cliffs Holiday Park) which means when this
is open the beach is often full and quite noisy. On the beach though most
of the caravan park is not visible making this a charming rural beach.
You can walk to Sandy bay at low tide right along the beach from Exmouth.
Take care though if the tide is coming in as it is possible to get cut
off in places. There are some steps though about halfway along should you
need them. If it is high tide you can walk along the top of the cliff.
The zig-zag path at the end of the town beach leads up to the coast path
which will take you to Sandy Bay. This walk is lovely as most of the land
is either farmland or National Trust owned so there is no need to walk
by roads. If you are less energetic there is a bus from both Exmouth and
Exeter (in the summer only - see the getting there section below).
Entertainment
Exmouth has a very good selection of restaurants from lovely pubs to fast
food outlets such as KFC. There are plenty of pubs, mostly in the town
centre and docks. There is also a small nightclub called the Q Club in
Manchester Street.
Family Fun
Boat Trips
There are many boat trips operating all year round from both the beach
and the Docks. They offer sightseeing and fishing trips and in the winter
closed top and heated boats are used so you need not freeze! The cruises
run from later March to Mid September and a few selected days during the
winter months. There are River Exe cruises departing from Exmouth Docks
with views of Powderham Castle, Starcross and Lympstone Commando. These
run in the morning, afternoon and some evenings in the summer and cost
£3.50 (£2.00 in the evening). The Round Robin Cruise takes
you from Exmouth Docks to Topsham after a 1 hour cruise. You can then look
around Topsham at your leisure and make the return journey to Exmouth by
rail (trains every 30 minutes). This costs £5.50 inclusive of all
train fares. There are also sea cruises and river cruises from the clock
tower on the sea front in the summer. In addition there are also fishing
trips and you can charter a boat. All these cruises are operated by Stuart
Line Cruises. You can book from the kiosk opposite the clock tower (in
summer), The Kiosk at Exmouth Docks and at the Holiday Shop at Sandy Bay
(in summer). For more information and dates telephone 01395 222144 or 01395
279693 where you can also make reservations.
The Manor Gardens
The manor gardens near both the town centre and the beach are a lovely
place to sit and have lunch or walk through on the way to the beach. The
Tourist Information centre is also in the edge of the gardens.
The Model Railway
Towards the eastern end of the sea front is the worlds largest 00 scale
model railway. A favourite with kids and big kids alike!
The River Side
The Exe estuary is an extremely important conservation area for birds.
Huge flocks of waders feed on the mud flats at low tide There are also
special bird watching boat trips run and there have been some quite rare
birds spotted in the estuary. The river is also famed for it's sunsets
which from the Exmouth side can be stunning. These can also be seen quite
well from the beach (see photos below).
The World of Country Life
The World of Country Life is located at Sandy Bay (mentioned above under
beaches). It is a short drive or bus ride away from the town. There is
a lot to see with Deer Parks, Safari Deer Trains, Pets Centre, Birds of
Prey displays , Falconry Centre, Adventure Playgrounds, Ball Ponds, Crazy
Golf, Vintage Vehicles, Quad Bikes, a Victorian Street, Classic Cars and
Motorcycles a restaurant and much more. Most of the attractions are free
once you have paid for admission. Admission costs £5.25 for adults,
£4.75 for OAP's and £4.00 for children. A family ticket (2
adults and 4 children) costs £17.50. Under 2's are free. There are
special offers on Saturdays (except in July and August) where adults get
on for £3.90, OAP's for £3.50 and children for £3.00.
These offers also apply every day from 23rd - 29th October. The World of
Country Life is open from 10:00am between the 29th March and 29th October.
For more information telephone 01395 274533.
History
A La Ronde is a 16 sided house built in 1796. It is owned by the National
Trust and open to the public. It is around 2 miles north of Exmouth on
the A376 (main road into Exmouth). Admission costs £3.20. There is
a gift shop, refreshments and parking facilities available. It is open
daily from 1st April - 1st November from 11:00am - 5:30pm Sundays - Thursdays
only. Telephone 01395 265514 for more information.
Shopping
Although not a big town Exmouth has a suprisingly good range of shops.
You will find the usual high street shops such as Boots, WH Smiths and
Woolworths but also other stores such as Currys and many other smaller
specialist shops. The central area of the town is pedestrianized and is
a pleasant place to shop, especially in summer, when there are many floral
displays.
Sport
Although quite a small town there are an excellent range of sports.
Bowling
The Madeira Bowling club offers indoor and outdoor greens and welcomes
visitors at reasonable rates. There is also a public green in Phear Park.
Telephone the park on 01395 277514 for more information.
Fishing
Being a sea side town and a river side means there are plenty of fish to
be caught. There are several fishing trips running all year round either
from the beach in summer or the Docks in winter. There is also coarse fishing
available in the nearby Squabmoor reservoir.
Golf
Golf is well catered for in Exmouth. There are putting greens and crazy
golf on the sea front (seasonal) and also in Phear Park (open all year).
There is also an 18 hole pitch and putt course in Phear Park and a putting
green and crazy golf which is to the north of the town. For more information
telephone the park on 01395 277514. There are also two large golf courses
nearby. Either Nigel Mansell's new course or the East Devon Course on the
cliff top between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton.
Tennis
There is a tennis court at the Exmouth Tennis club near the bus and railway
stations. The Cranford sports club also has tennis courts and both centres
offer short term membership for visitors. There are also 6 hard courts
at Phear Park. Telephone 01395 277514 for more information on these.
Walking
The coast path passes through Exmouth and the walk round to Budleigh Salterton
is lovely. It is around 4-5 miles and passes some spectacular scenery.
On a clear day you can see the island of Portland in the distance. The
red cliffs as you head into Budleigh Salterton are also very beautiful
so it is well worth doing the walk. There is no walking along roads as
the path runs right along the cliff top the whole way. Sandy Bay is about
half distance and makes a good stopping off point.
If you prefer walking inland there is the Woodbury Common around two
miles from the town centre. This is a protected area since it is home to
important plant and animal life.
Water Sports
Exmouth has excellent water sports facilities. You can learn to sail a
dinghy in the sea or the river estuary. The water round the imperial recreation
ground is ideal for beginners as at high tide you can still stand up if
you fall in!
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The sunset from Exmouth beach looking towards
Teignmouth
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The Town Beach
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The beach and town viewed from Dawlish Warren
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The beach at Sandy Bay
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The coast between the town and Sandy Bay
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The evening at Sandy Bay
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The sunset over the beach
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Looking towards Budliegh Salterton from Sandy
Bay
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The sunset over the beach.
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I have split this section up into two parts - getting there from Exeter
and getting there from Plymouth.
From Exeter
Getting to Exmouth from Exeter is easy whether you have your own transport
or not.
By Bus
There are two main bus routes between Exeter and Exmouth (services 57 and
56) and one direct service from Exeter to Sandy Bay (X58) at Exmouth. Tickets
are (I think) interchangeable between both the services to Exmouth. Service
57 is the most frequent. There are summaries of these services below. In
addition service 5 provides a half hourly service from Exmouth town and
sea front to Sandy Bay but in the summer only.
Service 5 provides a frequenmt service from Exmouth town centre and
sea front to Sandy Bay.
| Route : |
5 |
| From : |
Exmouth (Bus Station, Rolle Street and Seafront) |
| To : |
Sandy Bay |
| Via : |
Exmouth (bus station, Rolle Street and Seafront), Littleham (The Green)
and Sandy Bay (Devon Cliffs holiday park). |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
Every 30 minutes daily in the summer. No winter service. |
| Journey Time : |
25 Minutes (Bus station - Sandy Bay) |
| Price : |
Unknown (probably about £2.00 adult return and £1.30 with
student card approximatly) |
Service 56 has recently been improved and provides services between
Exeter and Exmouth and also stops at Woodbury (mentioned in walking above)
and Exeter Airport.
| Route : |
56 |
| From : |
Exeter Bus Station |
| To : |
Exmouth |
| Via : |
Exeter Bus Station, Clyst St. George (some journeys only), Exeter Airport
(terminal), Woodbury Salterton (church), Woodbury (square), Lympstone (commando),
Exmouth (Strand) and anywhere en-route. |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon under contract to Devon County Council |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
4 per day (2 hourly, daytime only), No Sunday service |
| Journey Time : |
55 Minutes |
| Price : |
Approx. £3.50 adult return and £2.40 with a student card. |
Service 57 is a fast and frequent service between Exeter and Budleigh
Salterton, stopping at Exmouth.
| Route : |
57, X57 |
| From : |
Exeter Bus Station |
| To : |
Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth via Exmouth. |
| Via : |
Topsham, Lympstone, Exmouth Rolle Street, Exmouth Bus Station (to Sidmouth
only), Littleham (Tesco), Budleigh Salterton (Public Hall), Budleigh Salterton
(Granary lane), East Budleigh (to Sidmouth only), Otterton (to Sidmouth
only), |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
Every 20 Mins (Mon - Sat), Every 30 minutes (Sunday) |
| Journey Time : |
Exeter - Exmouth : 33 Minutes, Exeter - Topsham : 15 Minutes, Exeter
- Budleigh Salterton : 55 Minutes & Exmouth - Sidmouth : 55 Minutes |
| Price : |
Approx. £3.50 adult return, £2.40 with student card. |
Service X58 provides a fast service between Exeter and Sandy Bay.
| Route : |
X58 |
| From : |
Exeter Bus Station |
| To : |
Littleham (Rodney Close) and Devon Cliffs Holiday Park at Sandy Bay
(summer only) |
| Via : |
Exeter Bus Station, Rivermead Avenue, Hulham Road, Jubilee Drive, Birchwood
Road, Bystock (Dinan Way), Littleham (Capel Lane and Rodney Close), Devon
Cliffs (Sandy Bay - summer only) and Exmouth Bus Station (some services
only). |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
Approx. 2 hourly |
| Journey Time : |
Exeter - Littleham : 30 Minutes, Exeter - Devon Cliffs : 40 Minutes |
| Price : |
Unknown. |
By Car
Getting to Exmouth from Exeter by car is easy. On leaving the city you
need to join the A376 from junction 30 of the M5. The A376 ends at Exmouth.
There is plenty of parking on the seafront at Exmouth. I am not sure if
there is parking at Sandy Bay.
By Train
There is an excellent train service from Exeter to Exmouth running every
30 minutes along the Exmouth branch line. The line serves most of the city
centre stations (except Pinhoe and Exeter St. Thomas) so it is very easy
to get to. All services run from Exeter Central, Digby and Sowton and Topsham
and most also Exeter St. Davids, St. James Park and Polsloe Bridge. It
runs right next to the Exe estuary from Topsham to Exmouth and gives excellent
views across the estuary to Powderham Castle, Starcross and Dawlish. This
is the way I usually travel to Exmouth and it is well recommended. There
is a summary of the service below.
| From : |
Exeter (Exeter St. Davids, Exeter Central, St. James Park, Polsloe
Bridge, Digby and Sowton and Topsham) |
| To : |
Exmouth |
| Change : |
Direct (sometimes change at Exeter Central if you start from Exeter
St. Davids) |
| Operator : |
Wales and West Passenger Trains |
| Frequency : |
Every 30 minutes Mon-Sat, 7-9 services on Sundays (depending on season
there may be no morning services on Sundays). |
| Contact : |
0345 48 49 50 (rail enquiries - 24 hour service) |
| Timetable : |
All services are listed in Wales and West timetable D |
| Journey Time : |
Approx. 25 minutes from Exeter Central |
| Price : |
£2.10 with railcard from Exeter Central and St. James Park, £3.20
adult return. |
From Plymouth
Getting to Exmouth from Plymouth normally involves getting into at least
the outskirts of Exeter since you need to cross the river Exe which is
only narrow enough to bridge close to the city. The only alternative is
to use the Starcross to Exmouth ferry which runs in the summer only.
By Bus
There are no direct bus services from Plymouth to Exmouth so you will need
to use on of three services linking Plymouth with Exeter and then use one
of the buses from Exeter. I have put summaries of all the services between
Exeter and Plymouth and Exeter and Exmouth below. It is probably best to
use service X38 from Plymouth and service 57 from Exeter. Both these services
are operated by Stagecoach Devon so you can by a one day explorer ticket
for £5.50 which is valid on all their buses.
Service X38 provides a fast and frequent link between Plymouth and Exeter.
| Route : |
X38 |
| From : |
Plymouth Bus Station (and stops on route through Plymouth) |
| To : |
Exeter Bus Station (and stops into Exeter) |
| Via : |
Limited Stop service : Drumbridges roundabout only |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
Hourly seven days a week. |
| Journey Time : |
1 Hour and 10 minutes (usually one hour though) |
| Price : |
£5.50 adult return, £3.60 student return (ticket tip :
an adult ticket costs the same as an explorer ticket - giving unlimited
use of all Stagecoach Devon services) |
Service 39 provides a slower link between Plymouth and Exeter serving
many of the small towns on the edge of Dartmoor on the way.
| Route : |
39 and X39 |
| From : |
Plymouth Bus Station (and stops on the route through Plymouth) |
| To : |
Exeter Bus Station (and stops through Exeter on the way) |
| Via : |
Chudleigh, Chudleigh Knighton, Bovey Tracey, Drumbridges, Bickington,
Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, South Brent, Bittaford, Ivybridge, Lee Mill and
Plympton |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
2 Hourly (seven days a week) |
| Journey Time : |
Exeter - Plymouth : 1 Hour 45 minutes |
| Price : |
£5.50 adult return, £3.60 student return (ticket tip :
an adult ticket costs the same as an explorer ticket - giving unlimited
use of all Stagecoach Devon services) |
Service 56 provides a less frequent service between Exeter and Exmouth
and runs via Woodbury (see walking above), and Exeter Airport.
| Route : |
56 |
| From : |
Exeter Bus Station |
| To : |
Exmouth |
| Via : |
Exeter Bus Station, Clyst St. George (some journeys only), Exeter Airport
(terminal), Woodbury Salterton (church), Woodbury (square), Lympstone (commando),
Exmouth (Strand) and anywhere en-route. |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon under contract to Devon County Council |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
4 per day (2 hourly, daytime only), No Sunday service |
| Journey Time : |
55 Minutes |
| Price : |
Approx. £3.50 adult return and £2.40 with a student card. |
Service 57 is a fast and frequent service between Exeter and Budleigh
Salterton, stopping at Exmouth.
| Route : |
57, X57 |
| From : |
Exeter Bus Station |
| To : |
Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth via Exmouth. |
| Via : |
Topsham, Lympstone, Exmouth Rolle Street, Exmouth Bus Station (to Sidmouth
only), Littleham (Tesco), Budleigh Salterton (Public Hall), Budleigh Salterton
(Granary lane), East Budleigh (to Sidmouth only), Otterton (to Sidmouth
only), |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
Every 20 Mins (Mon - Sat), Every 30 minutes (Sunday) |
| Journey Time : |
Exeter - Exmouth : 33 Minutes, Exeter - Topsham : 15 Minutes, Exeter
- Budleigh Salterton : 55 Minutes & Exmouth - Sidmouth : 55 Minutes |
| Price : |
Approx. £3.50 adult return, £2.40 with student card. |
Service X58 provides a fast service between Exeter and Sandy Bay.
| Route : |
X58 |
| From : |
Exeter Bus Station |
| To : |
Littleham (Rodney Close) and Devon Cliffs Holiday Park at Sandy Bay
(summer only) |
| Via : |
Exeter Bus Station, Rivermead Avenue, Hulham Road, Jubilee Drive, Birchwood
Road, Bystock (Dinan Way), Littleham (Capel Lane and Rodney Close), Devon
Cliffs (Sandy Bay - summer only) and Exmouth Bus Station (some services
only). |
| Operator : |
Stagecoach Devon |
| Contact : |
01392 427711 |
| Frequency : |
Approx. 2 hourly |
| Journey Time : |
Exeter - Littleham : 30 Minutes, Exeter - Devon Cliffs : 40 Minutes |
| Price : |
Unknown. |
Route 82 is probably the most scenic way of travelling between the two
cities as it runs right across the centre of Dartmoor. This service is
operated by First Western National so you cannot purchase tickets for use
on the buses to Exmouth and will need to buy separate tickets.
| Route : |
82 |
| From : |
Plymouth Bus Station and Railway Station |
| To : |
Exeter (Bus Station and Exeter St. Davids station) and Totnes (Royal
Seven Stars) (certain journeys only) |
| Via : |
Paignton, Torquay, Kingkerswell, Newton Abbot, Sandygate, Countess
Wear (last service only), Exeter Bus Station, Exeter St. David's station,
Longdown, Dunsford, Steps Bridge, Mortenhampstead, The Miniature Pony Centre,
Warren House Inn, Postbridge, Two Bridges, Princetown, Sharpitor, Dousland,
Yelverton, Roborough, Crownhill, Mutley Plain, Plymouth (rail station and
bus station). |
| Operator : |
First Western National |
| Contact : |
01752 402060 |
| Frequency : |
3 Daily on weekends (and some public holidays) only (improved summer
service) |
| Journey Time : |
2 Hours 20 minutes (Exeter - Plymouth) |
| Price : |
Unknown (under £5.50) |
By Car
To travel by car leave the city on the A38 and continue on to the M5 at
the end of the road. Turn off the M5 at junction 30 and join the A376 to
Exmouth. This road leads to Exmouth and there is most car parking on the
seafront. You do have to pay for car parking though. The journey will probably
take about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
By Train
There are only very occasional direct services from Plymouth to Exmouth
and it will usually be neccessary to change at Exeter St. David's (and
occasionally again at Exeter Central). It is a lovely journey though as
the train follows the edge of the river Plym on leaving Plymouth and then
heads inland with views across Dartmoor before arriving at Newton Abott.
From Newton Abbot the train follows the edge of the River Teign and then
runs along the sea wall from Teignmouth to Dawlish Warren. This gives lovely
views of the surrounding coastline. It then follows one side of the River
Exe into Exeter St. Davids. You will then need to change for the service
to Exmouth and this follows the other side of the Exe estuary from Topsham
before arriving in Exmouth. There is a summary of the service below: -
| From : |
Plymouth |
| To : |
Exmouth |
| Change : |
Exeter St. Davids and sometimes also Exeter Central. Occasional direct
services. |
| Operator : |
First Great Western, Wales and West and Virgin Trains to Exeter, Wales
and West from Exeter to Exmouth. |
| Frequency : |
Hourly (half hourly at peak) from Exeter - Plymouth. Half hourly from
Exeter to Exmouth. Less frequent on Sundays and no Sunday morning services
in the winter. |
| Contact : |
0345 48 49 50 (National Rail enquiries - 24 hours) |
| Timetable : |
Wales and West Timetable B (Exeter - Plymouth), Wales and West Timetable
D (Exeter - Exmouth) |
| Journey Time : |
1 hour 30 minutes fastest possible |
| Price : |
Approx. £10 with railcard, £15 adult return. |
By Train and Ferry
There is a ferry from Starcross station to Exmouth. Unfortunately I do
not know when or how frequently it runs so if someone knows perhaps they
can let me know. I would think it is reasonably frequent in the summer
and is probably both cheaper and faster than travelling to Exeter. There
is an approximately hourly service to Starcross station however most of
these run from Paignton and not Plymouth so you will need to change at
Newton Abbott. There is a summary of the train service below.
| From : |
Plymouth |
| To : |
Starcross |
| Change : |
Some direct services but usually change at Newton Abbott. |
| Operator : |
First Great Western, Wales and West and Virgin Trains to Newton Abbott,
Wales and West from Newton Abott to Starcross. |
| Frequency : |
Hourly Mondays - Saturday, less frequent on Sundays (approximately). |
| Contact : |
0345 48 49 50 (National Rail enquiries - 24 hours) |
| Timetable : |
Wales and West Timetable B (Exeter - Plymouth). |
| Journey Time : |
Around 1 hour if no wait for connection. |
| Price : |
Approx. £6 with railcard and £9 without (return). |
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Here are some other links giving information about Exmouth.
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E-Mail to : joncombe@yahoo.com.
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