Yes, Devon has a wonderful trawl of place names. Over the last year or two we’ve roamed from King’s Nympton to Eggbuckland, from Nymet Rowland to Weare Giffard.

Car-free Devon

If you really want to make the most of any stay in Devon, leave the car at home. The slow train on the Tarka Line to Barnstaple and the market day bus to Chagford tell more of the county than the nose-to-tail traffic on the Exeter bypass — which captured the public imagination in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s as a highway that each summer boasted fabulous traffic snarl-ups.

The bypass has been tamed, and these days the cars no longer splutter in a stop-and-go procession of exhaust fumes. But many of Devon’s roads are still crowded and, in a county that boasts a wonderful range of public transport options, it just makes sense to take the train… or the bus… or even a boat.

The 319 Hartland to Barnstaple bus. Photo © hidden europe

Devon by rail

For rail travel, the Devon Day Ranger ticket affords unlimited travel by train around Devon for a day. It costs just £10. On some routes there are restrictions on its use on weekdays prior to 9 a.m., but elsewhere you can set off at the crack of dawn — even on the first train of the day from Exeter to Barnstaple. Early birds who take the 5.50 a.m. train on the Tarka Line stand a better chance of seeing the famously elusive otters that frequent the banks of the River Taw.

The Devon Day Ranger rail ticket is superb value. Roam from Axminster (on the Dorset border) to Gunnislake in Cornwall — one of two stations in Cornwall to which the ticket may be used. The other is Calstock.

For travelers who fancy a summer evening roaming Devon by train, there is a half-price version of the Devon Ranger ticket generally valid from 6 p.m. It’s predictably called the “Devon Evening Ranger” ticket.

Devon by bus

Devon is blessed with an excellent network of local bus routes. The Cartogold website has a bang-up-to-date network map, where you can use a simple menu (in the left sidebar) to reveal route details and call up the latest timetable for any bus service in the county (and for services from Devon into the three neighboring counties of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall).

Two of our favorite year-round Devon bus routes are:

1. The 93 from Plymouth via Kingsbridge to Dartmouth, a 2hr 15min journey that takes in some of south Devon’s finest scenery.

2. The 319 from Barnstaple via Clovelly to Hartland, a 80-minute roller coaster of a ride that runs out to the bleak and beautiful coast of northwest Devon.

Bus maps and timetables

Check timetables carefully, as some routes run only in the summer season or on certain days of the week. Among the seasonal routes that are really worth making time for are the 82 Transmoor Link service from Exeter to the granite wilds of Dartmoor and Service 300 which plies the coastal route from Ilfracombe to Lynton and beyond — taking in some fine Exmoor landscapes along the way.

If you are planning to spend a few days exploring Devon by bus, it is worth getting hold of the excellent printed timetables prepared by Devon County Council’s public transport team. The timetables and the accompanying map are free.

Boats, too

Devon’s wonderfully indented south coast, where great inlets cut well into the heart of the county, is tailor-made for exploring by boat. The little ferry that shuttles across the mouth of the Exe (from Starcross to Exmouth — connecting conveniently with rail services at both ends) is a delightful ride.

But make time too for the network of routes from Dittisham, Totnes and Dartmouth operated by Greenway Ferry. Last month we used the company’s service from Totnes to Dartmouth. It’s a relaxing 95-minute trip down the River Dart (and half an hour longer if you opt to travel upstream from Dartmouth to Totnes), and the one-way fare of just £3.75 will appeal to budget-minded travelers. The same company also operates services from Torquay to Brixham.

Slow Devon

Many of Devon’s coastal communities have been shaped by their maritime links — and that’s especially true of both Dartmouth and Brixham. The best way to arrive in either town is by boat. Devon is, in short, perfect for devotees of slow travel. Public transport links of the kind mentioned here give an insight into local communities. Take time for Devon. And take Hilary Bradt’s excellent Slow Devon book with you on your travels.

Travel writers Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner have penned warm words about Devon twice this month here on EuroCheapo. See their comments on Devon’s serenity (13 November) and their article on Exeter cathedral (20 November).

The post Explore Devon by bus, boat and train to get closer (and save) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Sandstone country

The Exe Valley in east Devon comes with its own colour theme: red. Even the sheep that graze on riverside meadows north of Exeter take on the rust shades of the underlying soils in their fleeces. The White Park cattle at Bickleigh are that little bit less white than other White Parks.

So Exeter Cathedral should surely be red, just like the old Georgian terraces, the city walls and the fractured remains of the old castle (often called Rougemont in deference to the local geology). But the cathedral is not red. It is elephant-grey.

Exeter Cathedral’s intricately carved astronomical clock. Photo © hidden europe

These are just two of the surprises packed by Exeter Cathedral. Another is its remarkable aesthetic unity. Many English cathedrals reveal a patchwork quilt of architectural styles. Exeter was built within a relatively brief period, and while the discerning eye will pick out incorporated elements from earlier churches on the same site, notably the two great Norman towers, this is a cathedral that mainstreams on decorated Gothic. It is often compared with Salisbury, but where the latter is frugal, even austere, Exeter is opulent.

In short, Exeter Cathedral is more than merely worth a detour. The only ancient cathedral in south-west England is a star of Western ecclesiastical architecture. The Cathedral Green in Exeter is a sublimely beautiful urban space and a lovely spot to relax on a warm summer day. The Green is very much part of the city. That lovely patch of open space and the cathedral are the very heart of Exeter.

The carved screen on the West Front of the cathedral, best viewed in soft early evening sunshine, is an exquisitely intricate tutorial in biblical history. And that’s the place to start any exploration of the cathedral.

Visiting the cathedral

Admission to the cathedral is free for those attending services of course, but at other times there is an admission charge of £6 (reduced to £4 for students and seniors).

But why not take in a service? Cathedrals are not galleries or museums. And the only real way to take the pulse of a cathedral is by joining the local community at a service. You can check service times on the Exeter Cathedral website. Choral evensong or evening prayer is usually at 17.30 (or at 16.00 on Saturdays and Sundays).

Serlo’s for Devon cream tea

Though the focus of cathedral life is on providing nourishment for the soul, the adjoining café is not to be missed. It is called Serlo’s, taking its name from the very first Dean of Exeter Cathedral.

At some English cathedrals, the eateries are grotesquely overpriced. (Traditional afternoon tea for two at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London will set you back £31.90). Exeter approaches these things much more sensibly, and the full works (finger sandwiches, cake, scones with jam and clotted cream and your choice of tea) costs just £12.50 for two. Café manager Julie Hernandez does a fine job managing a venue that melds real style and a sense of history with great value.

Good value lunches

Serlo’s is also a good place for lunch. Main courses never top the £7 mark and a hearty helping of home-made soup won’t cost more than £4. On selected dates in Advent, in the run-up to Christmas, Serlo’s offers traditional turkey lunches with all the trimmings for just £6.95.

That’s the thing about Exeter Cathedral. Those two solid Norman towers keep it tied to the ground, more linked into reality than many other English cathedrals. No flights of fancy here. And that feeds right through to the cathedral café. This is a place strongly rooted in its local community.

Travel facts

Exeter is just two hours from London by fast train from Paddington. Services are operated by First Great Western. There is a slower option, often much cheaper, with South West Trains from London Waterloo. But Exeter (and indeed the entire county of Devon) deserve far more than a day.

Find out more about Devon’s wider appeal in our blog post last week here on EuroCheapo.

The authors willingly admit that cream tea at Serlo’s was hosted by Exeter Cathedral. But Susanne’s and Nicky’s fearless commitment to objective reporting is never subverted by a mountain of scones and lavish helpings of delicious clotted cream.

The post Devon’s Heart and Soul: Exeter Cathedral appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.