Exeter City Centre & Central Areas Guide

🏡 Overview

Exeter’s city centre and surrounding central areas offer a vibrant mix of history, culture, and modern living. With a rich architectural heritage, excellent shopping, lively dining scene, and outstanding connectivity, the heart of Exeter is ideal for professionals, students, downsizers, and anyone seeking to live in the middle of it all. Areas such as Southernhay, Princesshay, the Cathedral Quarter, and parts of St Davids and St James are all considered prime central locations.

🛍️ Local Amenities & Shops

The city centre boasts Exeter’s best retail, entertainment, and dining:

• Shopping: Princesshay Shopping Centre, Guildhall Shopping Centre, and independent boutiques along Gandy Street and Fore Street

• Food & Drink: An extensive mix of cafés, pubs, restaurants, and street food — from national names to local gems like The Old Firehouse, The Flat, and Eat on the Green

• Markets: Exeter Street Food and regular events in the Cathedral Green and Piazza Terracina

All major amenities including banks, pharmacies, gyms, and supermarkets are within easy walking distance.

🚆 Transport Links

City centre residents benefit from Exeter’s best transport connections:

• Train: Exeter Central Station is right in the city centre, with Exeter St David’s just a short walk away — offering direct services to London, Bristol, Plymouth, and the wider region

• Bus: The city centre is a major hub for local and regional buses, including services to the university, hospital, airport, and surrounding towns

• Walking/Cycling: Central Exeter is very walkable, and features an expanding network of cycle lanes and riverside paths

• Road Access: Quick links to the A30, A377, and M5 via nearby arterial routes

🏫 Schools & Education

The central areas are close to many of Exeter’s top educational institutions:

• Primary: St Sidwell’s CofE Primary, St Leonard’s Primary, and other options within a short drive

• Secondary: Exeter College is located centrally and is one of the UK’s top-performing sixth form colleges

• Higher Education: The University of Exeter’s Streatham and St Luke’s campuses are both within walking distance, making the city centre especially popular with students and academic staff

🌳 Green Spaces & Leisure

Despite being in the heart of the city, green space is plentiful:

• Cathedral Green: A historic and scenic spot in the middle of the city, perfect for meeting friends or relaxing

• Northernhay Gardens: One of England’s oldest public parks, with stunning views over the city and castle

• Exeter Quayside: A hub for walking, cycling, kayaking, and outdoor dining

• Fitness: Gyms, yoga studios, and climbing centres all within easy reach

🏘️ Property & Living

The city centre offers a variety of properties, from stylish modern apartments and student flats to historic townhouses and Georgian terraces. Southernhay is known for its grand period conversions, while newer developments around Princesshay and the Quayside provide contemporary living options with easy access to work, leisure, and transport.

Rental demand is consistently high in central Exeter, making it an attractive area for both homebuyers and investors.

💬 Why People Love Living in the City Centre

“It’s all right on your doorstep — the shops, the river, the restaurants. It’s the perfect balance of energy and convenience.”

Central Exeter offers an unbeatable lifestyle for those who love city living, culture, and convenience — all within a compact and walkable historic setting.