Exeter, ENG - Postcode - EX1 9YX

Exeter, England

The city of Exeter is located in the county of Devon in the southwest region of England. It's located on the River Exe, roughly 58 kilometers northeast of Plymouth and 65 km southwest of Bristol.

As the headquarters of Legio II Augusta, Vespasian himself oversaw the establishment of Exeter as a Roman military outpost in Britain. During the Middle Ages, Exeter developed into an important religious hub. Beginning as a Roman Catholic cathedral in the mid-11th century, Exeter Cathedral converted to Anglicanism during the English Reformation of the 16th century. After thriving as a wool trading hub, Exeter fell on hard times during World War 1. The city's core was extensively rebuilt after World War II, and it now serves as a cultural, economic, and tourist hub for the neighboring counties of Devon and Cornwall. There are two campuses of the University of Exeter here, at Streatham and St. Luke's.

Geography of Exeter

Exeter was founded on a ridge of land with a steep slope on the eastern bank of the River Exe. After merging with the River Creedy, the Exe now flows into a broad flood plain and estuary, making flooding a typical occurrence. Prior to the construction of weirs, this was the lowest bridging point on the River Exe, which was tidal and navigable all the way into the city. Because of this, as well as the ridge's natural defensive advantages, the site where the city now stands was an obvious choice for human habitation and commerce. The "fertility of the surrounding countryside," the "beautiful and commanding height," and the "rapid and navigable river" are cited as the most likely grounds for the initial settlement of what would become modern Exeter by George Oliver in The History of the City of Exeter. Natural resources and hunting opportunities abound in the forest that once covered the area.

Exeter is located 18 miles (29 km) north of Torquay, 36 miles (58 km) northeast of Plymouth, and 74 miles (119 km) east-northeast of Truro. It is 158 miles (254 km) west-southwest of London.

Economy of Exeter

Early in 2004, the Met Office, the United Kingdom's primary weather forecasting organization and one of the most influential in the world, moved from Bracknell in Berkshire to Exeter. It's a significant local economic driver (together with the University of Exeter, Devon County Council and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust).

Daily, some 35,000 people travel to Exeter from outlying areas. Residents of Exeter and the surrounding communities of Teignbridge, Mid Devon, and East Devon (together referred to as the "Exeter & Heart of Devon" area) benefit from the city's services, career opportunities, and retail opportunities (EHOD). Therefore, Exeter serves the needs of the 457,400 people that live in the EHOD.

According to a recent study, Exeter is one of the top ten most lucrative places to set up shop. A variety of stores can be found in and around the city's central business district. With only one remaining independently owned business and fewer types of stores than any other city evaluated, Exeter's High Street was labeled by the New Economics Foundation as the UK's worst clone town in 2005. A similar study conducted in 2010 found that the city was still rated as having the most clones out of any in the country.  This year (2019), the final remaining high-street independent retailer will shut its doors forever.  A little more variety may be found along the High Street because to the three major shopping sections that branch off of it. Princesshay, a post-war shopping district that extends south from the High Street, used to be primarily occupied by individual businesses but has since undergone extensive rebuilding and is now dominated by big chain stores. It is still planned for some of the new spaces to be rented by mom-and-pop shops in the area. Local financial performance management firm Prydis has purchased the former House of Fraser on the high street, and they have announced their plans to rebuild the building into a three-story hotel with a rooftop bar and retail shops.

Across the street from the Harlequins Centre, where local and independent retailers prevail, is the partially covered Guildhall Shopping Centre. Independent retailers can also be found on side streets off the High Street, such as Gandy Street.