Topsham, Devon
If you’re planning a day out in Exeter when you’re on your group holidays in the South West, it wouldn’t hurt to factor in enough time to visit Topsham, just 4 miles away on the Exe estuary, because it’s such a lovely little town and makes for a very pleasant browse. Look around, explore the nooks and crannies and you’ll notice there are some very charming buildings – elegant townhouses, cosy cottages and 17th century Dutch merchant’s houses among them; the main street is an eclectic mix of shops with the traditional and the more quirky up-to-the-minute sitting side by side. There are gift shops, boutiques and in the old Custom House on the quay, an impressive antiques emporium rambling over several floors.
The views over the River Exe are incredible, the air is distinctly maritime and gentle; it’s a quiet corner of the world that isn’t part of the push and shove of modern life, and that’s nice. Go for an amble along the Goat Walk and Bowling Green Marsh Nature Reserve, catch the passenger ferry across to the Double Locks or The Turf for lunch, or wander down the alleyway to The Passage House Inn. Perhaps though, if you’re here the right time of day, one of the simplest pleasures is to sit on the harbour wall and watch the sunset over the calm waters of the estuary.
All information correct at the time of writing