A short city walk with waterside surprises and a pub.

Walk distance: 3 kilometres

Walk time: 1 hour

Terrain: Flat and smooth, pushchair friendly. Exeter St Thomas is up a tall set of steps and there is no lift

Toilets: Exeter St Davids, The Mill on the Exe, Burger King near Exeter St Thomas

Refreshments: The Mill on the Exe, multiple outlets near Exeter St Thomas

Additional info: Also a circular walk if you have time to spare at Exeter St Davids

Open this route in the OS Maps app to follow, adapt or download the gpx file.

In my opinion, OS Maps is the best route planning app available because it combines detailed topographical maps with a user-friendly interface.

From Exeter St David’s station

Leave the station and walk left towards the overflow car park. Just before the car park, follow a short alley to the road (signposted ‘Exe Cycle Route City Centre’. Turn left again to follow around to a wide level crossing. Cross carefully but don’t panic if you hear the alarm. There’s plenty of time and a pedestrian route around the barrier on the opposite side.

Between two sections of the River Exe

Cross the first bridge but not the second. Head down between the two onto the walkway between the River Exe and the Exwich Spillway. If you’re interested, turn right to walk to the top of the spillway and view the enormous radial gates, which automatically close during floods, diverting water into the spillway and away from nearby properties. From the top of the spillway, follow the water downstream between the main river and the spillway, along the wide concrete path or the higher grass path .

A waterside pub lunch

You can’t miss the Miller’s Crossing Bridge. It crosses the Exe directly above impressive Flowerpots Weir and is spanned on one side by cables anchored to a huge concrete replica mill stone. The mill stone was chosen to give nod to the many wheat mills once situated along this section of the Exe. If you’re riding the Riviera Line form Torbay, you can see Miller’s Crossing Bridge as you near Exeter St David’s station. Turn your stroll into a pub walk with a difference by crossing the bridge and choosing your weir-view seat. If you’re lucky, you’ll be entertained by kayakers ‘playing’ on the weir.

Time for a bit of ‘underbridging’

After lunch, head back over both bridges at Miller’s Crossing to continue walking along the concrete walkway. You’ll soon reach Exe Bridges, the main traffic route into Exeter City. You’ll know when you’re there because both bridges usually have traffic queues. Pass underneath both bridges with a smile on your face. No traffic jams for train adventurers.

Exeter St Thomas station

After the second bridge, take the concrete slope up away from the river. Follow the path behind the houses at Shooting Marsh Stile then take the underpass to cross the road towards Burger King. You’ll end up in a small retail park. Cross the car park diagonally to emerge onto the road then turn left to walk towards a large brick archway. You’ve reached Exeter St Thomas station. Platforms 1 and 2 are accessed from different sets of steps at street level. Instructions are available but no lift or toilets.

I’ve often driven over Exe Bridges into Exeter and wondered what it would be like to stroll along the riverside walkway below. That I finally got to do so was more the result of a cancelled train to Okehampton than any firm plans but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

If you find yourself with time to spare at Exeter St Davids and can persuade the ticket officers to let you out and back in again, I would recommend turning this into a circular walk. Far more fun than being stuck on the platform on a sunny spring day.

For me, this was a solo walk and short enough to involve a strolling pace and multiple sit-and-stare opportunities. On top of that, it was the first real day of spring sunshine, which meant that everybody I met was smiling.

I especially enjoyed watching kayakers playing kayak volleyball and laughing at the spaniel who insisted on swimming the whole length of the spillway (in both directions). It also felt rather good to raise a glass to myself as I sat by the river.

This short River Exe experience has also given me a great idea for a station-to-station kayaking route. Now that is going to be fun!!

By continuing along the river past the tempting eateries at Exeter Quays and along the Exeter Canal, you can make this a longer station to station route to relatively new Marsh Barton station.

If you’re feeling energetic or perhaps if you’re running or cycling, you can also join this route up with my Marsh Barton to Starcross station to station walk. This one has even more pubs and stunning views all the way.

After that, there are great footpaths and stations all along the Riviera Line to Torbay. Or, in the summer, you could cross the Exe Estuary by the quirky Topsham Ferry and enjoy the stations along my Topsham to Exmouth station to station walk.

The train adventure possibilities in South Devon are almost limitless.