Fodor's Expert Review Cathedral of St. Peter

At the heart of Exeter, the great Gothic cathedral was begun in 1275 and completed almost a century later. Its twin towers are even older survivors of an earlier Norman cathedral. Rising from a forest of ribbed columns, the nave's 300-foot stretch of unbroken Gothic vaulting is the longest in the world. Myriad statues, tombs, and memorial plaques adorn the interior. In the minstrels' gallery, high up on the left of the nave, stands a group of carved figures singing and playing musical instruments, including bagpipes. Guided tours of the interior (up to four a day Monday through Saturday), roof, chapel, garden, and precinct are available, as are audio tours. Outside in Cathedral Close, don't miss Mol's Coffee House at No. 1 (now a gift shop), whose half-timber facade bearing the coat of arms of Elizabeth I is redolent of bygone times, and the 400-year-old door to No. 10, the bishop of Crediton's house, is ornately carved with angels' and lions' heads.