Exeter Stag Do

An Exeter stag do is for the group that wants a good night out without a big-city price on its sanity. It’s a compact, historic city with a cathedral at its heart, a riverside Quay and enough bars and clubs to fill a weekend, plus some of the best countryside in England within easy reach.

I’d pick it for a stag who likes a walk, a pint and a proper meal, in roughly that order. If he wants foam parties till dawn, look elsewhere. If he wants to climb a hill, regret it, and then get a pint as a reward, he’s found his place.

The Quay is the best place to start. It’s the old riverside port, with pubs and bars along the water, and it’s lovely on a summer evening. It also has one of the city’s late clubs if the group wants to keep going.

In the centre, Gandy Street is a narrow lane of independent shops and bars, home to an underground club that has been a fixture of Exeter nights for years. The Queen Street area has plenty of restaurants for a group meal before the main event.

Exeter is a university city, so term time keeps the bars busy, and the city centre is small enough to do as a self-guided pub crawl with very little navigation required.

Exeter’s real strength is daytime. You can hire bikes or canoes at the Quay and follow the River Exe down towards the estuary, with pubs along the way at places like Topsham. Pedalling gets harder after each one. Funny, that.

Dartmoor is a short drive away, with tors, rivers and wide open moorland. A guided hiking day gets the group talking, and the moor has climbing and other outdoor activities if the lads want something tougher.

For something quirkier, Exeter’s medieval Underground Passages run guided tours through narrow tunnels that once carried the city’s water. Skip it if anyone’s claustrophobic.

Sport fans have options too. Exeter Chiefs play rugby at Sandy Park, and Exeter Racecourse runs jump racing up on Haldon, mostly in the cooler months. A day at the races is a smart way to start a long Saturday.

Exeter is well connected. Trains run from London Paddington and London Waterloo, as well as from Bristol and the Midlands, and the M5 ends right by the city. There’s an airport just outside town too.

An Exeter stag weekend also makes a great base for the wider South West. Torquay and Plymouth are both close, so you could make it a Devon road trip. Take a look at our Torquay stag do and Plymouth stag do pages for ideas.

• Drink indoors. Like most UK cities, Exeter has rules on drinking in public spaces in the centre. Keep it inside the pubs.
• Weather for Dartmoor. The moor can change fast. Pack proper boots and waterproofs, and listen to your guide.
• Best months. Late spring to early autumn suits the cycling, paddling and the Quay. Winter is better for rugby and racing.
• Book tables. Exeter’s busy at weekends and restaurants won’t seat a big group on the spot.

Exeter is compact, so I’d keep the group in the city centre or down by the Quay. A central base puts you a short stroll from Gandy Street’s bars and its underground club, and from the restaurants around Queen Street for the big group meal. The centre is small enough to do as a self-guided pub crawl, so you won’t be paying for taxis between rounds.

The Quay is the other good shout. It’s the old riverside port, with pubs and bars along the water and one of the city’s late clubs, so the walk home is short. It’s also where you hire the bikes and canoes for the River Exe, which means less faffing on Saturday morning.

My practical tip: Exeter is busy at weekends, and term time keeps the bars full, so sort your beds and book your restaurant tables well ahead. Restaurants won’t seat a big group on the spot, and the good beds go early.

Friday Get the train from London Paddington or Waterloo, or drive down the M5, which ends right by the city. I’d book a table in the Queen Street area for a group meal, then wander over to Gandy Street for the bars. If the lads still have legs, the underground club there has been part of Exeter nights for years.

Saturday Hire bikes or canoes at the Quay and follow the River Exe down towards the estuary, stopping at the pubs along the way at places like Topsham. Pedalling gets harder after each one. If the group would rather do something with more aggression, book paintballing or go karting instead. Back in town, spend the evening at the Quay, where the pubs and bars line the water, then finish in the late club if anyone’s still standing. Keep the drinking inside the pubs, as there are rules on drinking in public spaces in the centre.

Sunday Blow the cobwebs off on Dartmoor, a short drive away. A guided hike over the tors and moorland is my kind of hangover cure: climb a hill, regret it, then reward yourself with a pint. Pack proper boots and waterproofs, because the moor can change fast. If anyone can’t face it, the Underground Passages tour is a quieter option, as long as nobody is claustrophobic. In the cooler months, Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park or jump racing on Haldon are good alternatives.