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General Record Office Information
Visiting Us
Saturday opening in Exeter is under review and may be subject to change during the year.
Opening Hours
| Closed on Monday as from 1st April 2012 |
| Tuesday - Friday | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| The following Saturdays in 2012 | 09.30 am to 12:30 pm |
| 7 & 21 January; 4 February; 3 March; 21 April; 19 May; 16 June; 7 & 21 July; 4 & 18 August; 1 & 15 September; 6 & 20 October; 3 & 17 November; 1 & 15 December |
| 17 March - Open Day (in association with the Friends of Devon's Archives) |
| Documents required on a Saturday should be ordered by noon on the previous Friday. |
The office will be closed on the following days in 2012
| Stocktaking (two weeks) | 6 - 19 February inclusive |
| Good Friday | 6 April |
| Easter Monday | 9 April |
| Early May Bank Holiday | 7 May |
| Spring Bank Holiday | 4 June |
| Diamond Jubilee Holiday | 5 June |
| Summer Bank Holiday | 27 August |
| Christmas & New Year | 25 December 2012 - 1 January 2013 inclusive |
How to Get Here
Location Map 
(1.79MB - pdf help)
The Devon Record Office is located at Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, about three miles east of the centre of Exeter, and next to the Honiton Road Park and Ride Car Park. Access to the building is via the front entrance, which is at the end of the building which faces away from Honiton Road.
Travelling to Exeter
Exeter can be reached from other parts of the country by air, rail, coach and car. Exeter airport is accessible via the A30 and is only three miles east of Great Moor House. Major road connections are via the M5 from the north, the A30 from the east, the A38 from the south and the A30 from the west.
- For general information on travelling to Exeter by rail, coach and car.
Access to Great Moor House by public transport
Travelling to Devon Record Office by bus and coach
National Express coaches from places to the north and east of Exeter stop at the Park and Ride bus stop on Honiton Road, to the rear of Great Moor House. Coaches and buses travelling from the west of Exeter stop at the bus station in the centre of the city. Passengers travelling on to Great Moor House from the bus station must change to the PR Red (Honiton Road), which departs from Paris Street (outside the entrance to the Underground Passages), or the 56, which runs from the bus station. Further information about these services can be found below.
To reach the front entrance of Great Moor House from the Honiton Road bus stop, follow the pedestrian signs to the Devon Record Office by walking along the footpath to the right-hand front corner of the building, cross the road, and take the steps or the ramp up to the main entrance.
- More information on travelling to Exeter by long-distance coach
- More information on travelling to Exeter from outlying towns and villages
Travelling to Exeter by train
All trains arriving in Exeter stop at St David's station, which is situated to the west of the city centre. South West Trains and First Great Western trains also stop at Exeter Central station, which is in Queen Street, near the city centre.
- More information on travelling to Exeter by train
Travelling from the railway stations to Great Moor House, Sowton
You can catch the 56 bus service from Exeter St David’s station, and get out at the Met Office bus stop. Cross Honiton Road and walk down to the park and ride bus stop which is at the rear of Great Moor House. To reach the front entrance of Great Moor House from the Honiton Road bus stop, follow the pedestrian signs to the Devon Record Office by walking along the footpath to the right-hand front corner of the building, cross the road, and take the steps or the ramp up to the main entrance. If you arrive at Queen Street station you will need to walk from there to Paris Street, where you can catch the PR Red (Honiton Road) bus to Great Moor House. Turn left out of the station and walk along Queen Street until you come to the High Street. Turn left into the High Street and walk along it until you come to the junction with Paris Street on the right. Turn down Paris Street and you will see the bus stop immediately in front of you.
If you catch one of the other bus services from Exeter St.David's to the city centre, you will have to change to the PR Red (Honiton Road) bus service to continue your journey to Great Moor House.
Travelling to Exeter by air
Exeter’s international airport is situated six miles from the city centre and three miles from Great Moor House. There are regular scheduled flights to Exeter from the following airports in the United Kingdom: Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast City.
There is a local bus service from the airport to the city which travels via the Park and Ride bus stop in Honiton Road. Bus service 56 travels every hour from the airport to the Exeter central bus station and stops on request at Honiton Road Park and Ride bus stop, behind Great Moor House. Journey time from Exeter Airport to Great Moor House is about 7 minutes. This service is operated by Stagecoach Devon.
The airport's authorised taxi company, Corporate Cars, operates from the Arrivals Building. Booking is advised.
There is also an airport bus/taxi service from the airport to Exeter St. David’s Railway Station & Coach Station, which must be booked.
- For more information on air travel and transport to and from the airport, visit Exeter Airport's website – www.exeter-airport.co.uk.
Local bus services from Exeter city centre
The PR Red bus service travels between Paris Street, in central Exeter and the Honiton Road Park and Ride bus stop every 12 minutes, and the journey time is about 18 minutes.
The 56 bus service travels between Exeter St.David's station and Exeter Airport, and stops at the Honiton Road Park and Ride bus stop. Outside the morning and evening peak periods, the bus runs once an hour, Monday to Saturday.'
- Bus service PR Red leaflet (32KB - pdf help)
- Bus service 56 leaflet (294KB - pdf help)
Access to Great Moor House by car
Via the M5 from the north: travelling in a south-bound direction on the motorway, exit at Junction 29, and stay in the left-hand lane of the exit road. Turn right at the end of the exit road, following the signs for the Sowton Park and Ride, and the A3015 (Honiton Road) to Exeter. Drive under the motorway and through the first set of traffic lights, to the large Moor Lane roundabout.
To park in one of the 31 designated Devon Record Office parking spaces, you should turn sharp left at this roundabout into Moor Lane, which is sign-posted M5 southbound. You can see Great Moor House on your right behind the trees. Take the first right hand turn off Moor Lane into Kestrel Way, drive to the end of the road, and turn right into Bittern Road. Drive almost all the way to the end of Bittern Road, and turn right at the entrance sign-posted Great Moor House and the Loop Centre. As you drive through the large double metal gates, you will see the front of Great Moor House with parking area in front, ahead on your left. Take the second or third turning to the left to enter the Devon Record Office visitors’ parking area.
Via the M5 from the south: those driving to Exeter from the south and west via the A38 and the A30 will join the M5 to reach Great Moor House. Travelling in a north-bound direction on the M5, exit at Junction 30, staying in the middle lane of the exit road, and following the road markings and signs for Sowton Industrial Estate and Services. Continue through two sets of traffic lights to the roundabout, remaining in the lane marked Services. Take the second exit to the left, which is marked Sowton Industrial Estate, into Moor Lane,
There is no direct access from Moor Lane to the Great Moor House parking area. To park in one of the 31 designated Devon Record Office parking spaces, you must reach the parking lot via Kestrel Way and Bittern Road. There are two roads turning off Moor Lane to the left, each marked Kestrel Way. It is preferable to take the second turn off marked Kestrel Way – Jewsons warehouse is on the corner. Drive to the end of Kestrel Way and turn right into Bittern Road. Drive almost all the way to the end of Bittern Road, and turn right at the entrance sign-posted Great Moor House and the Loop Centre. As you drive through the large double metal gates, you will see the front of Great Moor House with parking area in front, ahead on your left.
From Exeter City centre: You should take the route via Heavitree Road, Fore Street, East Wonford Hill and Honiton Road (A3015). Shortly after passing the Met. Office entry on your left and the Rover garage on your right, you will come to the large Moor Lane roundabout.
To park in one of the 31 designated Devon Record Office parking spaces, take the third exit onto Moor Lane, which is sign-posted to the M5 south and Sowton Industrial Estate. For access to the parking area, refer to the directions listed above for those travelling via the M5 from the north.
New parking arrangements from 17 January 2011
Parking at Great Moor House is free. There are two areas of the car park in front of Great Moor House which are designated for use by visitors to the Devon Record Office. Enter the Great Moor House site from Bittern Road and drive into the car park, which is surrounded by a hedge. There is a row of parking spaces reserved for Devon Record Office visitors on the left hand side as you enter the car park. The designated parking spaces are labelled and also marked on the ground as being reserved for visitors to the record office.
Additional parking spaces for Devon Record Office visitors on the left hand side of the car park are accessed through a barrier gate at the end of this row of parking spaces. The entry barrier will open as you approach it. To leave this section of the car park via the exit barrier, you need to collect a token from the Devon Record Office reception desk as you leave. Insert the token in the exit barrier gate and it will open.
Disabled Parking and Access
There are some disabled parking spaces in the record office car park and the office is accessible via a ramp which leads to the main entrance of Great Moor House or a wheelchair lift which is situated at the corner of the building. All public areas in the record office are on the ground floor.
- For more detailed information on transport for the disabled in Exeter.
Searchroom Charges
There is no charge for using the Devon Record Office searchroom. Other searchroom charges are as follows:
Self Service copying from microfiche and microfilm
- 50p per sheet
Black & white photocopies of original documents and books by staff
- A4 = 50p per sheet
- A3 = 75p per sheet
Colour photocopies of original documents by staff
- A4 = £1.50 per sheet
- A3 = £2.00 per sheet
Public access computer print outs
- 10p per sheet
Photography Permits
- Per day = £3.00
- Per week = £12.00
- Per month = £20.00
- Per year = £60.00