TOPSHAM, EXETER

Once you are in the town, it's small enough to use your legs everywhere. As well as the usual array of small shops, many housed in lovely old buildings, there are ample pubs, restaurants, tea rooms and plenty of space just to sit and take in the fresh exe estuary air. Antique hunters will be well pleased with the assortment of dealers offering goods from the many shops in the town. Charity shops are also in abundance. Sports are catered for with a Rubgy Club, Bowling Club & Swimming pool, amongst others. Matthews Hall is used for all sorts of things, and dates back to the 1920's, when it was originally built as a cinema, called Tivoli.

Topsham Museum is located in some lovely old 17th century buildings looking out onto the photgenic Exe Estuary. The lovely furnished period rooms of the house, themselves can be explored, together with displays of the local history of the town. Crafts and memorabilia are also available here. The museum is open from April to October, 2pm-5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays - oh and it's free to go in too!. Don't forget to have a Devon Cream tea in the museum cafe!

ACCOMMODATION: If you want to stay in Topsham, there are several good B&B's and Inns to choose from. Perhaps one of the best known is the family run Broadway House Bed and Breakfast, located in a lovely old Georgian House, right in the centre of the town. They offer a comfortable and peaceful place to stay, and at reasonable rates too. Reka Dom on the Strand is located in a 17th century merchants house and has panoramic views of the estuary, log fire and cookery demonstrations. More details of Reka Dom can be found on their website. The Globe Hotel in Fore Street is a 17th century Coaching House, and is popular with all types of travellers. It has 17 en-suite rooms, restuarant, bar and function room.

DUTCH INFLUENCE: The architecture in the town is something that you simply can't fail to love. There are a large number of Dutch style houses, from the time when the town was an important cotton port. Many of Topshams houses are built using Dutch bricks, which were brought over as ballast from Holland - to where the South West wool and cotton had been exported.

BEER & ROYALTY: Topsham is famous locally for it's "Topsham 10" pubs, where many Exeter University students have crawled/staggered around. The pubs are : Denley's (High Street), Drakes Bar (Fore Street), The 16th century Bridge Inn (Bridge Hill), The Exeter (Fore Street), The Globe (Fore Street), The Lighter Inn (Fore Street), The Lord Nelson (High Street), The Passage House Inn (Ferry Road), The Salutation & The Steam Packet. Queen Elizabeth II once visited the Bridge Inn, although didn't drink anything....you can read about the visit here. If you'd like further information about the Topsham 10, click here.

BOATS & GOATS: Not strictly in Topsham, but just on the other side of the Exe, you'll find the well known Turf Locks. A ferry operates in high season to take you on this short journey. Alternatively, you can take a trip with the family run company, Stuart Line Cruises to the town of Exmouth. Wherever you go, there's a strong marine connection. The Trouts Boat Yard has been operating in Topsham for over a century, and offers everything under the sun for your boat needs. The Topsham Sailing Club, is a members only association, but nothing to stop you looking over the fence.

Goat Walk is a fairly narrow pathway which goes from the Strand to the marshes where you'll find a nature reserve. This is a beautiful walk at any time of the year, and a great place to spot wildlife, as well as boats of course. Ray Girvan has an amusing, even believable explanation of where the name "Goat Walk" originated!

THE CHURCH: St. Margarets Church is very charming, and it's location perched upon a high lookout over the boats of the estuary is stunning. It was destroyed by fire in the 19th century, but was rebuilt in great style. It features several different architectural styles. The main church was rebuilt in grey limestone. Strangely the top of the tower is older than the bottom. The story behind this comes from the English Civil War, where the base of the tower was completely destroyed by cannon fire. This left the belfry inaccessible until a new section was built up beneath it to meet it. The church has it's own website, located here. Topsham also has a methodist church, details are here.

EXPLORE & DISCOVER: There's lots of little streets tucked away, lined with colourful flowers in summer, all seemingly sleepy and quiet. Have a wander around, up a narrow lane called Chapel Place. Here you'll find a building which was formerly called the "Cosy" cinema, run by H C Gould. Here it used to show silent movies in the early 1920's. The same building became a glove making factory, and is now just somebody's house. This is typical of the town history, once a thriving cottage industry town, now a peaceful retreat, and a tourist attraction too.

Look out for the fish shop which sells crabs, lobster, shark, squid, scallops, monkfish and much more. There's plenty more to discover for yourself.