Shoppers and tourists wander round the city of Exeter many admire the cathedral, the historic Roman wall and the Quayside whilst also making the most of the shops and restaurants. What many of them don’t realise though is what is under their feet. The city has a secret that lies beneath the streets in the form of Exeter’s Underground Passages.
When do the underground passages date from?
The oldest of Exeter’s Underground Passages are believed to date from the 14th and 15th centuries. In addition to the stone Medieval passages are some dating from the Georgian period, which are instead made of brick. It is thought that tours of the passages have been taking place since the 1930s.
Why were the underground passaged built?
The medieval passages were built as part of the work to bring a clean drinking water supply to the city of Exeter. Pipes brought water from nearby springs into the city, but as they realised that pipes often sprang leaks and would need repairing this could be problematic if they had to keep digging up the streets, or properties. Therefore it was decided that the pipes would run in a series of underground passages beneath the city. If a repair was needed plumb res, or their apprentice boys, would descend into the passages and fix it, without any need to disturb what was going on in the city’s streets.
There still remains a network of these underground passages beneath the city, although in some places they are blocked up to allow for more modern buildings and things like a bank’s underground safe!
How can you visit Exeter’s Underground Passages?
Exeter City Council own and run the tunnels and the associated visitor centre. They run tours that run Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Booking is advised (on the day we went they were all fully booked in advance) and can be done online here. The whole experience lasts about an hour, with some time in the exhibition first, then a video telling you about the tunnels before you go on a guided tour which lasts about 25 minutes.
What should you know before you go?
Firstly, under 5s are not permitted on tours. Having been down with a five year old I totally understand and agree with this decision. You are walking through cramped, narrow, damp tunnels, with limited head room. You can’t strap a baby to your front or back safely down there and definitely wouldn’t take a pushchair with you!
As I’ve already said, the tunnels are narrow and cramped. Being underground and designed to carry water pipes they are damp in places and there can be puddles underfoot. Wrap up warm, wear sturdy footwear and don’t wear clothes that you’d be upset if they got dirty. When you go in there are free lockers to leave all bags in and you will be given hard hats. There are hard hats for children too. The tunnels are low in places and I was very grateful for the hat as it’s hard not to bump your head a bit as an adult down there.
If you get claustrophobic then this is not the tourist attraction for you.
How much does it cost to visit Exeter’s Underground Passages?
At the time of writing (June 2024) ticket prices were as follows:
- Adult – £7.50
- Child – £5.00
- Concession – £6.00
- Family (up to 2 adults and 3 children) – £22.00
What did we think about Exeter’s underground passages?
My five year old and I really enjoyed our trip under Exeter. I found the history of the tunnels fascinating, and they weren’t at all what I expected them to be like, so I enjoyed seeing the reality of what lies beneath Exeter’s streets.
My daughter enjoyed the tour, but obviously at that age, didn’t take in all the history. She understood that they were for water pipes and the tour guide explained to her and other children on the tour about how children their age would be paid to go down into the tunnels with a cloth soaked in animal fat to fix pipes. This helped her understand exactly what it was that we were seeing and she obviously was quite excited to put on a hard hat and venture somewhere new and different.
For much of the tour you are walking in single file down the tunnels and so you can’t always see the tour guide with you. Ours made a great effort to make sure all of us could hear what she was telling us though, but it helps that the groups are relatively small. The tunnels are well lit with an LED light string leading all the way round, but it is tricky to try and take an photos down there as you don’t stay still for long, and when you do it is more to listen than to see anything.
The Underground passages are certainly a unique experience that is well worth booking on to if you’re in Exeter.