Hidden Gems Near Exeter
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The hidden gems near Exeter are Fluxton Weir, Fingle Bridge, Salmon Leaps, Castle Drogo's Secret Gorge Walk, The Byes, Sidmouth, Bowerman's Nose, Haytor Quarry and Hound Tor.
Exeter sits neatly between the wild heights of Dartmoor and the gentle river valleys running down to the east Devon coast, so these hidden gems pull you in two directions. Head west onto the moor and you can cross the packhorse arch of Fingle Bridge, swim below the Salmon Leaps, and follow the hidden gorge walk beneath Castle Drogo.
Higher up the moor stand the teetering granite of Bowerman's Nose, the flooded pit of Haytor Quarry and the rugged stacks of Hound Tor, with its deserted medieval village. Turn east instead and the rivers take over: there is a rope swing and a deep pool at Fluxton Weir near Ottery St Mary, and the riverside meadows of the Byes threading through Sidmouth to the sea.
Whether you fancy a bracing tor, a cooling swim or an easy stroll along the water, the countryside around the city has plenty in store. Here are eight hidden gems to seek out near Exeter.
Fluxton Weir
Photo: David Smith via Geograph.org.uk
Swim at Fluxton Weir A wild-swimming spot on the River Otter near the hamlet of Fluxton, just downstream of Ottery St Mary in Devon. A calmer, deeper stretch of river sits above the weir, with churning water below and a rope swing over the pool.
A riverside field gives access and is used for picnics in summer. It is an informal spot with no facilities, so come prepared and take your litter home.
A pleasant, low-key escape east of Exeter on a warm day.
Fingle Bridge
Photo: David Gearing via Geograph.org.uk
Fingle Bridge Packhorses have crossed this narrow granite arch since the seventeenth century, when it was laid over the River Teign at the foot of the Teign Gorge near Drewsteignton, on the edge of Dartmoor. It sits deep in a wooded gorge with the Fingle Bridge Inn waiting on the bank beside it, which is part of why so many walks begin here.
Riverside and gorge paths set off in every direction, climbing to the hillforts on the heights above or looping round toward Castle Drogo. Come for a full day's walking or simply a riverside pint by the old stone.
Salmon Leaps
Photo: Lewis Clarke via Geograph.org.uk
Take a dip at the Salmon Leaps A weir with a stepped fish pass on the River Teign, in the wooded gorge below Castle Drogo, between Chagford and Fingle Bridge on the edge of Dartmoor. Reached on foot along the riverside path through National Trust woodland, it is a well-liked wild swimming spot, with a long river pool above the weir and old stone plunge pools built beside the cascade.
The steps of the fish pass help salmon and sea trout climb the river to spawn. The gorge around it is steep, wooded and quiet.
Castle Drogo's Secret Gorge Walk
Photo: Oscar Taylor via Geograph.org.uk
Follow Castle Drogo's Secret Gorge Walk This walk follows the Teign Gorge below Castle Drogo, near Drewsteignton on Dartmoor, where the river runs through a steep, wooded valley. The usual circuit joins the high Hunter's Path, with open views to Sharp Tor, and the low riverside Fisherman's Path, looping round by way of Fingle Bridge.
The enclosed riverside route is an informal, little-known walk rather than a waymarked trail in its own right. Castle Drogo, a National Trust house built in the early 20th century by Edwin Lutyens, stands above, and the walk starts from its car park.
The Byes, Sidmouth
Photo: Lewis Clarke via Geograph.org.uk
Stroll the Byes to the sea A strip of riverside parkland following the River Sid through Sidmouth in Devon, running between the seafront and the village of Sidford. Meadows, an orchard, wooded banks and specimen trees line the route, crossed by small bridges and followed by surfaced, mostly level paths shared by walkers and cyclists.
It is the main off-road link between Sidmouth and Sidford, and kingfishers, dippers and trout live along the Sid. Looked after by the district council and the Sid Vale Association, it makes a gentle, pretty walk down to the coast.
Bowerman's Nose
Photo: Alex McGregor via Geograph.org.uk
Walk out to Bowerman's Nose A strange, teetering column of granite on the open slopes of Hayne Down, at the edge of Dartmoor near Manaton. Around six and a half metres tall, it is a stack of weathered granite blocks piled one on another, the hard core of a tor left standing after the softer rock around it wore away, its shape from below looking oddly like a great stone head.
It rises straight from the heather and bracken, reached by a walk up the open hillside. An old legend says it was a hunter named Bowerman, turned to stone by witches he had offended, his hounds scattered as the rocks of nearby Hound Tor.
Haytor Quarry
Photo: Gareth James via Geograph.org.uk
Haytor Quarry has filled its main pit with water, a still pool set below the granite faces the quarrymen once worked. Around it lie the bones of an old crane, its stone bases and iron parts left exactly where they stood, and the water now brings in dragonflies and other wildlife.
Granite was cut here until the mid-1800s and hauled off on a tramway whose rails, remarkably, were shaped from granite too. The whole scene sits in open moorland below Haytor, a quiet and slightly haunting corner of Dartmoor with the tor rising above.
Hound Tor
Photo: David Smith via Geograph.org.uk
Scramble up Hound Tor A weathered granite tor on the eastern edge of Dartmoor, near Manaton, its stacks of rock rising in dramatic piles above the moor. A short walk from a nearby car park leads up to it, and it is popular with walkers and climbers.
Just below lie the low stone foundations of a deserted medieval village, its ruined longhouses left behind when the settlement was abandoned in the 1300s. The open moor all around gives wide views across Devon, making it a rewarding outing west of Exeter.
FAQs
Where can I swim wild near Exeter?
The River Teign's Salmon Leaps below Castle Drogo and Fluxton Weir on the River Otter near Ottery St Mary are both well-liked wild swimming spots within about twenty kilometres of Exeter, though neither has facilities.
Which Dartmoor gems are best for a short walk?
Hound Tor and Bowerman's Nose, both near Manaton on Dartmoor, are reached by short walks up open hillside, while Haytor Quarry sits just a stroll from the road. All lie roughly 22 kilometres west of Exeter.
Is Sidmouth easy to reach from Exeter?
Yes. Sidmouth lies about 21 kilometres southeast of Exeter on the east Devon coast, and the Byes gives a level, mostly surfaced riverside walk from the seafront up to Sidford.
Conclusion
With Dartmoor to the west and the Otter and Sid valleys to the east, the country around Exeter serves up a real mix of days out. Point yourself onto the moor for the packhorse arch at Fingle Bridge, a swim below the Salmon Leaps, the quiet gorge walk under Castle Drogo, and the weathered granite of Bowerman's Nose, Haytor Quarry and Hound Tor.
Turn the other way and gentler pleasures wait: a rope swing over the pool at Fluxton Weir, and a level riverside amble through the Byes to the sea at Sidmouth. Whether you are chasing a tor-top view, a cold-water plunge or a quiet stroll by the river, these are the hidden gems to seek out near Exeter.
