Exeter's Historic Quayside is one of the most attractive place to visit in the city, with a thriving waterfront area and a number of unique businesses to explore.

Current Programmes

Exeter Canal and Quay Trust (ECQT) promotes and supports a number of programmes to further its charitable aims read more.

ECQT priorities are as follows:

  1. In collaboration with partners, to promote The Quay area and its businesses as a vibrant destination for residents and visitors.
  2. To develop the Custom House as ECQT’s flagship public building for the benefit of people in Exeter, Devon and beyond.
  3. To ensure that ECQT’s property portfolio remains in beneficial and sustainable occupancy.

ECQT’s current programmes include:

Exeter Custom House

In 2015 ECQT opened the Exeter Custom House as a free heritage attraction. This Grade I listed building, which is operated by Exeter City Council under an agreement with ECQT, is ECQT’s flagship property on Exeter Quay. It contains displays relating to the history of the building and Exeter’s maritime past. Exeter Custom House is also the venue for a range of public and cultural events, including Quay Words (see below).

Further details can be found at www.exetercustomhouse.co.uk

Cultural Partners Programme

In Summer 2022 we launched an open call for two Cultural Partners to join us for the period from April 2023 for 3 years. Our current partners are Literature Works and Art Work Exeter - more information can be found here.

Summer at the Quayside

We will again be providing free family creative activities in the Transit Shed every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday over the Summer holidays. Find out more

Heritage Harbour project

In 2020 Exeter was designated as a 'Heritage Harbour' under the national scheme jointly operated by National Historic Ships UK, Historic England and the Maritime Heritage Trust. This stimulated a number of local organisations to get together and form a 'Heritage Harbour Group.' They are:

  • Exeter City Council who own the waterways and retain responsibility for the Exe Estuary.
  • Exeter Canal & Quay Trust who care for many of the historic buildings around Exeter Quay including the seventeenth century Custom House.
  • The Friends of Exeter Ship Canal - a group of interested volunteers and who were largely responsible for achieving the Heritage Harbour designation.

The group recently commissioned Nicola Dyer of Greenwood Projects to undertake two linked consultancies concerning the future of the harbour. One was to examine the possibility of returning traditional vessels to the quay or basin whilst the second, more far reaching, was to develop a 'route map' which pointed to potential opportunities for development within the area that was both informed by the harbour's history but also looked to the possibility of increased use of the waterways.

Visit the Heritage Harbour website

Contact

General ECQT activities - Anna Gilroy, anna@exetercustomhouse.co.uk
Social media and digital - Matt Newbury, matt@exetercustomhouse.co.uk
Exeter Heritage Harbour - Hannah Hurford, hannah@exetercustomhouse.co.uk