Exeter is the county town of Devon, in the southwest of England, also known as the West Country. The local authority is Exeter City Council. The City of Exeter was established on the east side of the River Exe on a ridge of land backed by a steep hill. It is at this point that the Exe, having just been joined by the River Creedy opens onto a wide flood plain and estuary. Historically this was the lowest bridging point of the river Exe, and was tidal and navigable up to the city until the construction of weirs later in its history. This combined with the easily defensible higher ground of the ridge made the current location of the city a natural choice for settlement and trade. In George Oliver's The History of the City of Exeter, it is noted that the most likely reasons for the original settling of what would become modern Exeter was the "fertility of the surrounding countryside" and the area's "beautiful and commanding elevation [and] its rapid and navigable river".
Exeter sits predominantly on sandstone and conglomerate geology, although the structure of the surrounding areas is varied. The topography of the ridge which forms the backbone of the city includes a volcanic plug, on which the Rougemont Castle is situated. The Cathedral is placed on the edge of this ridge and is therefore visible for a considerable distance. More on Exeter

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