In the first century AD the Romans, as they explored Britain, came across a settlement on a bluff above the bend of a river. They found that it was at the lowest crossing-point of the largest river in the area, so its position was strategically important to them, enabling them to maintain control of the surrounding countryside.

For this reason, they built a permanent fortified camp there, calling it Isca Dumnoniorum, the River of the Dumnonii – the Celtic tribe that lived in what is now Devon and Cornwall. They built no permanent settlements further westwards, and relied on their garrison at Isca to keep the wild tribesmen of the peninsula at bay. This system worked well, and over the next 400 years Isca grew into a populous and thriving city.

It had the significant advantage of being the first Romano-British port of call for traders from the Mediterranean, and so its citizens had first choice of the exotic items – spices, silks, pottery – brought in by ship from overseas. The Fosse Way started at Exeter, and ran right through the centre of England to Lincoln, creating an efficient outlet for the imported goods – and fat profits for its merchants.

So lucky citizens of Isca were able to live comfortably and well. They would have been able to enjoy home comforts such as central heating and plumbing and, when they went out, tavernas, libraries, a wide variety of shops and, of course, the baths; the remains of a major bathhouse complex have been discovered in the city centre.

Although over the centuries the name Isca evolved to become Exeter, the importance of the city did not change significantly. It was prominent in the Middle Ages, its strong religious foundation extending its power over the whole of Devon and Cornwall, and this influence ensured that Exeter also became the centre of local government and civil administration. It was of strategic value during the Civil War, and grew in importance until in the early 1700s it ranked fourth of the cities of England.

But in the Industrial Revolution, because the countryside around Exeter lacked the coal required to fuel the steam engines needed to power mills and factories, the economic status of Exeter declined. As a result, the rapid 19th-century development that overwhelmed so many important English towns and cities did not affect Exeter, and it stayed comparatively untouched until the 20th century.

It was instead the post-war reconstruction of the 1950s onwards after the bombing of World War II that changed the face of the city so much that it’s now of comparatively little interest to tourists. However, this could be seen as a benefit to local residents, who can enjoy visiting its surviving places of interest and ancient buildings without being crowded out by seasonal visitors.