Short answer: Book ahead — tours take fifteen people and they sell out. They are closed Monday to Wednesday, which catches out short-break visitors. There is one optional crawling section, so it suits confident children of about seven and up rather than toddlers, and it is not accessible.
A network of medieval passages under the streets of Exeter, built to carry fresh water into the walled city. They are the only passages of their kind in England open to the public, which is why this is the Exeter attraction people remember rather than the one they expected.
There is one section where the passage narrows and you can go through on hands and knees. It is optional — there is a way round it — but it is the bit children talk about afterwards. If anyone in the group is uneasy about confined spaces, this is the detail to weigh before booking rather than at the entrance.
Confident children from around seven upwards get the most out of it. It is dark, enclosed and involves standing in a queue underground, which is a lot to ask of a toddler. It is also not accessible — the passages are narrow and uneven, with no step-free route.
Allow an hour with the introduction and the tour itself. It sits in the centre of the city, so it combines easily with the cathedral and the shops, and leaves the afternoon free for the Quay.
The Red Coat guided tours are free, run several themed routes and you just turn up — a reasonable substitute for the history if not for the underground part. The Custom House Visitor Centre at the Quay is free and has a film on the city's history.
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