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Seems to me,
Exeter:
Biger place bit more going on, more expensive,closer to coast.
Taunton:
Bit more small townish, slightly better connection bit cheaper.
Both seem nice. Any big pro or con of either?
I've visited friends in both. Both seemed nice. IIRC Exeter has a very good cycling infrastructure if you're in touch with your roadie side.
I would say Exeter because I live here. As Cougar says good cycling infrastructure and an active campaign to make it better. If you're a roadie too then you're not far to ride to Dartmoor but it's also close for driving to MTB. Good access to the M5 (about 30 mins to Taunton), good access to Cornwall and the coast, Flybe flys all sorts of places for travel.
In terms of a place to live, there are some great coffee shops and good beer too.
I was born near Taunton and spent 3 years working there recently. I'd chose Exeter by a million miles...
Exeter has arguably the best winter whitewater kayaking in England pretty much on its doorstep. Taunton is close to the Lyn, but not much else.
Bouldering on Dartmoor
DWS at Torbay.
Airport at Exeter. (Although to be fair Taunton is nearer Brizzle)
Not sure if MTB on Dartmoor is better than Exmoor. I'm sure someone will be along to comment.
But the main thing is just the general vibe. Taunton is just a little provincial town without much to be said for it. Exeter seems a lot more thriving/buzzing. Weird thing to say given that I'm a complete country bumpkin, bit I'd prefer Exeter.
In all fairness though:
It aint that far on the M5 from Taunton to Exeter, so the kayaking/MTB/climbing comments only really apply to summer evenings.
I hated working away from home in Taunton, so I'm not objective
Of the two I'd go Exeter, but better yet a few minutes further on and into Dartmoor - I'd take the extra driving / inconvenience.
having lived in taunton for 8 yrs, I'd chose exeter.
loved the area, never really got on with the town.
could be on the quantocks 15 mins after work was a massive plus.
Hello? The Quantocks? TAUNTON!
although if you are working in one and commuting to the other, that will get old pretty quick.
taunton handy for the quantocks, and an hour away from dartmoor, but that works both ways.
otherwise david covers most of it. exeter does have the uni, which gives any town a good vibe IMO, and is generally more prosperous, obviously, which to my mind makes it well placed to weather the financial storm that is brewing.
exeter has some great pubs and riding on the doorstep.
you can live outside of exeter and still ride in if you chose carefully.
Exeter has some great places to eat and drink including a 1920s speakeasy bar (which looks like a bookshop) and a steampunk cocktail bar which is amazing. It also has Exeter Pirate Day which is basically a pub crawl collecting money for the RNLI and singing sea shanties - this is great fun!
Dartmoor side of Exeter is too inconvenient. Although lovely the extra 30min or so just puts too many places out of the commutable for a long day occasionally and into the have to stay away over night.
Best solution to that is not to go north of Exeter.
Spent 3 years living in Exeter. I miss it every day, it was a brilliant place to live
Can't remember any specifics mind you.
I live the Dartmoor side of Exeter. I've not noticed any issues commuting anywhere. Wherever you live there will always be somewhere another 30 minutes away?
The A30 can get you straight down to Cornwall and arguably the best beaches in the UK or onto the M5 and points north.
Exeter's handy for Woodbury and Haldon Forest
Exeter has timepiece!
Yeovil................. or Exeter
Exeter, all the way. Taunton is a dump.
Exeter, for sure. If only for the Fire House!
Taunton seems to be chain shops and old people.
Exeter seems to be middle class students and proximity to lovely moorland and lovely coastline.
I live in Taunton but work in Exeter.
Like all things it depends what you want, where you work etc.
Taunton - good schools, good transport links, smaller, excellent for road riding, quantocks and exmoor very close
Exeter - better city, more shops, more character, closer to Cornwall etc
Exeter is a city and altogether a nice place. If I had a choice and no kids I'd live in the black down hills
Exeter, all the way. Taunton is a dump.
I live in Taunton and would probably have to agree with that 😆 Maybe dump is a bit strong but as a town it hasn't really got a lot going for it.
I've been working in Exeter for over 15 years though and it's a far nicer place. The only good thing about living in Taunton is that I'm right on the outskirts and the Quantocks are 10 mins from home which being a dad now and having a lack of spare time is a good thing. Used to ride Haldon a lot too as it's only 10-15 mins from work, need to start taking the bike to work again and getting up there more.
The other good thing about Taunton is you can be over the bridge into south Wales or Forest of Dean in just over an hour.
4I live the Dartmoor side of Exeter. I've not noticed any issues commuting anywhere. Wherever you live there will always be somewhere another 30 minutes away?
Of course but being Dartmoor side of Exeter puts places I need to go out of a long regular but not everyday commute. One of these places being Bristol. A extra 30 mind makes a big difference.
Coming from tiverton originally,I find it comical taunton being called a dump! Far worse towns in that neck of the woods.
I'd go Exeter to answer the op proving traveling for work isn't a regular thing as Exeter is that bit further
It does boil down to town vs city living.
Exeter seems to be a lovely place, I don't know it that well, but have always enjoyed my visits. However, I've never seen a house I'd consider buying, or even an area where I'd start my search. Being a bigger place it's hard to be close to everything.
Due to work I've ended up living in Taunton. It's definitely not the centre of the universe, but it has most things I need. I'm 5min drive from the motorway, 5min walk from the station (which has 1.5hr services to London), 10min amble from town. There are green spaces close to the town centre, and the quantocks are a 15min drive. Sidmouth 45min drive, watchet 30min drive, berrow sands 25min drive etc.
The nightlife, or even drinking and eating out options are pretty poor. I prefer Exeter and Bristol, however at least being in Taunton gives me the choice of going to the other two.
Exeter has timepiece!
My younger daughter is there this evening 😯
Of course but being Dartmoor side of Exeter puts places I need to go out of a long regular but not everyday commute. One of these places being Bristol. A extra 30 mind makes a big difference.
Fair enough, but I can be in Bristol as quickly from west of Exeter (near Whiddon Down) as from central Exeter. But I hear what you're saying.
Coming from tiverton originally,I find it comical taunton being called a dump! Far worse towns in that neck of the woods.
I spent an epic and formative year living in Tiverton '84 to '85. Fond memories although all I was told about the town beforehand was that it was the most violent place in the SW outside Plymouth, and had the highest rate of incest in the country. I had no confirmation of either. 🙂
Hamishthecat - have you not been to bridgewater?!
My parents live between Exeter and Okehampton. It takes bloody ages to get there.
Especially so when you start from my house in Twickenham.
Exeter seems to be middle class students and proximity to lovely moorland and lovely coastline.
This pretty much sums it up for me. I grew up in a village just South of Exeter. It's a great city with a nice atmosphere, good food and drink. Proximity to Haldon, Woodbury and Dartmoor is a big bonus.
Exeter every time-
But again I am biased as I grew up nearby.
Have successfully persuaded my girlfriend to leave Taunton for Exeter. 8 months on she wouldn't go back(she was in Bridgewater before that, so life is slowlyimproving).
Living 8 Miles nw of Exeter, don't notice any problems getting anywhere quickly, a30 is a good road (Hamishthecat we must be almost neighbours) Don't see any point trying to live in central Exeter though-house/rent higher, and you can't park cos all the posh students have cars!
Am over on the Dartmoor side, pretty much at the start of the dartmoor classic route. It's an awesome place to live. Haldon and Lustleigh 15mins away. Some of the UK's best road, cyclocross/xc riding from my door. 20mins to central Exeter.
Woodbury, Quantocks, Exemoor all close enough to pop over to for a ride. Wales just a bit further.
We're Dartmoor direction too. Being only 5 mins or so off the A38 I wouldn't say getting north takes us much longer generally than it did when we lived in town. Maybe a little but not so much as it makes a significant difference to me. I head up the M5 for work once a week.
I'm also a short ride from Haldon, but then Haldon is an ok ride from town anyway.
I'd say Exeter is a good little city to live either in or near to.
The A30 can get you straight down to Cornwall and arguably the best beaches in the UK or onto the M5 and points north.
Especially once they've finished the road dualling across Bodmin, I'm in and out of Cornwall on a regular basis, Penzance, Helston, Redruth, Plymouth, etc, and that stretch north of Bodmin with the 40mph limit is getting pretty tedious, after months of driving along it!
All I know of Taunton is the services on the M5, which come as a handy break, but I'd go with Exeter, that much closer to so much beautiful coastline in South Devon, all around the South Hams, the Kingsbridge, Salcombe area which has some great walking all around Start Point, then there's Dartmoor close by, Exmoor not too far away...
Perfectly placed for the whole of the SW Peninsula.
Tiverton! Sounds like it hasn't changed! I was shot at by two yobs with air rifles just outside the town many years ago. I didn't enjoy the experience, but it made me realise, that maybe, going in the army wasn't such a brilliant idea, so possibly it did me a favour.
I'd vote for Exeter.
Although I'm just in the throws of buying a house in Minehead.
Does the Timepiece still do a heavy metal night on a wednesday?
It did in 1983,
I spent 4 happy years in Exeter as a not very posh student in 79-83. Must go back for a visit some time
Grew up in minehead and spent time in both. Although Taunton is nice, Exeter has much more going on and would definitely live there.
jerrys - Member
Does the Timepiece still do a heavy metal night on a wednesday?
The usual metal night now is Thursday. Pre drinks at Exeter Arcade, altern 8 (Metal DJs) at walkabout and then Metal after party at Tinepiece afterwards.