The 'drive-through' Devon town where people miss hidden gems

At first glance, Crediton is an unassuming small town, popular for being within an easily commutable distance to Exeter. But locals say there's so much more to it that sometimes goes under the radar.

The town is landlocked by picturesque countryside but is just 10 minutes from Exeter by train. Once I reached the town centre, the place seemed to have a quiet buzz about it, perhaps helped by some glorious sunshine.

Locals and business owners, who have been in Crediton for varying amounts of time, were keen to tell me how fond they were of their community. Among them was Christoph Reis, the owner of Meeples' Corner, a small board game shop.

He moved from Germany 10 years ago as his partner works at the University of Exeter. He says the original plan had been to move to Exeter but they found everything they needed in Crediton.

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"It has basically everything we need in one small town," he said. "It's a really nice, friendly community. I know a few of the shop owners and we can talk to each other.

"People come from all over the place because the board game stuff is a bit special, especially during the summer months. They're always quite surprised by what else there is in Crediton. There's so many nice places down the Market Square and we have lots of small, quirky shops. For a small place, there is a lot on offer."

Other business owners echoed this view. Many feel as though the town has plenty on offer that goes unappreciated as people pass through Crediton, in favour of Exeter.

"I wouldn't say that many people travel and stop in Crediton, they tend to travel through," said Rachel Morgan, manager of Unique Sweets and Treats. "During the summer you do get a few people travelling, which is great. Between January and February, it is quiet, it's almost not worth opening so you have to take heed of your busy month.

"It is a nice, quaint town and it's got some really nice gift shops. There are quite a few charity shops but we all like a bargain.

"It would be nice for the town to work more together. We have the town square and you get a lot of footfall down there and there's a lot of events that happen down there but they don't try to push people up here so it kind of feels like an 'us and them' situation. It's really frustrating when you're doing what you can on the High Street."

But Rachel says change could be on the horizon. After leaving a brief comment on social media just a few days ago, she says she has already been approached by the town council about the idea of starting a new market. She said: "I think we are going to see some change which is brilliant."

A noticeable aspect of the High Street is the level of through traffic. With just one pedestrian crossing, many people could be seen waiting quite a while to cross at other points. One business owner says that addressing this could be the key to putting Crediton on the map.

Eve Drover, who owns @100 café, has previously lived in a suburb of Australia where the main road was closed during the summer. She says a similar initiative could bring a more sociable atmosphere to Crediton.

She said: "When I was in Australia, there was this really cool suburb called Yarraville, which is a very similar town to what Crediton is like. In the summer, they would close one of their main roads and AstroTurf it and put out benches and beanbags and made it a really social area.

"We've got the square in Crediton but it would be nice if the High Street wasn't so car-oriented. You do hear the lorries bombing down the High Street all night long."

Nestled inside The Creedy Centre is Paint Pots of Devon, run by Gemma Jackson, who has always lived in Crediton. She says she chose to raise her children there over her husband's home-county of Essex due to the community spirit that is often apparent in small towns.

While she praised the town's warmth, she said it was in need of an overhaul. Like others, she felt that the focus on the town square was at the expense of other areas.

Gemma said: "The town needs regeneration. The town council tends to focus on the town square, rather than the businesses in the High Street. Since Covid, lots of businesses have gone but, equally, we've had loads of new businesses open up so people can get to know what's here and what's about.

"It needs promoting. There's loads to do but I think people just drive through and don't see what's here. I think cleaning it up a bit would help, it needs brightening up a bit to be more welcoming. Only 45 minutes' parking on the High Street doesn't really encourage people to stop and actually look."

With everyone having mentioned the town square, I thought it was only right that I paid a visit. With the warm weather, the place had come alive as many sat at tables, chatting and enjoying a drink or bite to eat. It was clear that this is one of the town's biggest selling points.

Eran Hovav runs Baobab Cafe, which overlooks the square. He says the place becomes a "celebration of life" when the weather is nice. He even compared Crediton to Totnes, a town in the South Hams, known for its unique, free-thinking identity.

Eran said: "Crediton just looked like the next Totnes. There's a lot of independent shops and a really amazing art centre.

"The square just speaks for itself. Once the sun is out, it is a celebration of life in the square. It is a marvel and I think it is quite unique because the energy you get in Crediton is wonderful. It's a wonderful community. They support us and we support them back."

He praised Crediton's "respect for life" and the fact that he continues to feel welcomed by locals, rather than tension which he says he has experienced elsewhere. He said: "Around the respect for life is really profound and really nice. I'm from Israel and, with the situation that is happening there, I feel that the majority of people respect the fact that I am not an arm of the Israeli government."

In spite of his praise of the town, he agreed with others that more could be done to support local businesses. He said: "I would change the way that the council disregards that independent businesses are essential for the community by letting McDonald's come in and parking restrictions that they've now retracted. In order to attract people to the region, you need things that are a bit unique to interest people."