Boxing Day in Exeter: The Quay and the Canal Towpath

Short answer: The canal towpath runs flat and traffic-free south out of the city, and the quay and Riverside Valley Park are free. Exeter is the easiest city in Devon to walk off a Christmas dinner in.

What is open regardless

The quay, the canal towpath and Riverside Valley Park — all free, all open, and all connected into one long flat walk. For a city, Exeter has an unusual amount of green space along the water.

The Boxing Day walk

The canal towpath

Flat, traffic-free, and running south out of the city. You can set your own distance and turn round whenever you like, and there is no mud to speak of.

The quay

Converted riverside warehouses on both banks. Short, pleasant, and the better end of Exeter to walk in.

Riverside Valley Park

Meadows and river paths running south from the quay — more open than the towpath if you want space.

Where to eat

• The Prospect Inn on the quay — a serious commitment to dogs, and the obvious stop after a towpath walk.
• The Fat Pig just off the high street — a Sunday roast people travel for, with a proper gluten-free version.
• Samuel Jones by the quay — a large converted warehouse, which helps with a big group.

Ring before you set off. Boxing Day hours are decided late, change year to year, and are the single thing most likely to be wrong online. A two-minute call beats a wasted drive.

What will be shut

The cathedral, the Underground Passages and the museums all close on Boxing Day. Exeter's great advantage is that it is weatherproof; this is the one day a year that advantage disappears, so plan for the outdoors.

Getting here

Exeter is the rail hub for the county, but Boxing Day services are heavily reduced or suspended nationally. Check before relying on the train.

If you want to eat out, book now rather than in December. The places that do serve on Boxing Day fill weeks ahead, and the ones that do not take bookings have queues instead.