Water Lane Exeter
8 addresses across 4 postcodes (EX2,EX3), about 5.8 km (3.6 miles) long, classed as a local road. USRN 14202772.
- Flood: 23 addresses on its postcodes are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water.
- Council tax: Most homes around it are in council tax band C; Band D in Exeter costs £2,495 a year in 2026-27.
- Broadband: Gigabit broadband is available to 80% to 100% of premises.
- Transport: The nearest railway station is Marsh Barton, about 1.2 km (0.8 miles) away in a straight line.
- Green space: The nearest park or garden, Riverside Valley Park, is about 620 m (0.4 miles) away.
- Air: Background air pollution in 2024 was 6.3 µg/m³ of nitrogen dioxide and 5.4 of PM2.5, within UK legal limits.
- Height: Its addresses are 2 to 8 m above sea level.
- Noise: 1 of its 8 addresses is modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic.
- Doctors: The nearest GP surgery is Ide Lane Surgery, about 1.9 km (1.2 miles) away.
- People: About 970 people lived in the census areas around it in 2021; 69% of households owned their home and 33% of adults held a degree or other higher qualification.
Sales on this street
No sales recorded on this street since January 1995 under this street name.
Energy performance certificates
No certificates found for addresses on this street.
Council tax
What each band costs in Exeter in 2026-27: Band D £2,495 a year on average, including the police, fire and any county and parish charges.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £1,664 | £1,941 | £2,218 | £2,495 | £3,050 | £3,604 | £4,159 | £4,991 |
Homes by band in the neighbourhoods around this street: most are in band C (36% of about 2,760 homes).
Planning and heritage
- Conservation area: yes, Topsham (council page). Extensions, demolition, some windows and doors, and work on trees need consent.
- Listed buildings on or by this street: 51.
- Article 4 direction (removing permitted development rights): none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Tree preservation orders: none recorded, though not every council has published theirs.
- Green belt: no.
Listed buildings
- DEVON COUNTY HALL, grade II*
- FORMER EXE VALE HOSPITAL, grade II*
- Wear House (Exeter Country Club), grade II*
- 197, TOPSHAM ROAD, grade II
- 199, TOPSHAM ROAD, grade II
- 203 AND 205, TOPSHAM ROAD, grade II
- 30 AND 32, COUNTESS WEAR ROAD, grade II
- BRICK BUILT WATER TOWER IN THE GROUNDS OF DIGBY HOSPITAL, grade II
- CHAPEL AT DIGBY HOSPITAL, grade II
- CHAPEL OF EXE VALE HOSPITAL, grade II
- CLIFTON COTTAGE HILLSIDE LIME KILN COTTAGE, grade II
- COTFIELD AND MATFIELD, grade II
- COUNTESS WEAR BRIDGE, grade II
- COUNTESS WEAR HOUSE, grade II
- COUNTESS WEAR PAPER MILL, grade II
- DIGBY HOSPITAL, grade II
- DIGBY HOUSE, grade II
- DOUBLE LOCKS INN, grade II
- ENTRANCE GATES AND SCREEN WALLS AT WYVERN BARRACKS, grade II
- FORMER NORTH WEST GUNNERS BARRACKS (BUILDING 11) WYVERN BARRACKS, grade II
- FORMER SOUTH EAST GUNNERS BARRACKS (BUILDING 1), WYVERN BARRACKS, grade II
- GARDEN WALL OF NO 59, grade II
- GATES AND GATEPIERS TO DIGBY HOSPITAL, grade II
- GUARD HOUSE AND ATTACHED WALL, WYVERN BARRACKS, grade II
- GULLPIT COTTAGES, grade II
- INSTITUTE IN CENTRE OF NORTH EAST RANGE AT WYVERN BARRACKS, grade II
- JOHN PITTS AND SONS LIMITED PAPER FACTORY, grade II
- LODGE DETACHED FROM DIGBY HOSPITAL, grade II
- LODGES, GATE-PIERS AND GATES TO THE EXE VALE HOSPITAL, grade II
- MATFORD BARTON, grade II
And 21 more.
Brownfield land registered for housing within 1 km (0.6 miles)
- Matford Home Farm, Exminster EX2 8XT: up to 76 homes, permissioned (830 m (0.5 miles))
- Garages at Lower Wear Road, Exeter: up to 12 homes (910 m (0.6 miles))
Roadworks
No street works under way, planned or finished in the last three months on this street, in permits up to 31 October 2026.
Flood risk
Rivers, the sea or surface water: in this street's postcodes, 1 address is in areas at high risk, 22 at medium risk and 60 at low risk. Each address counts once, at the higher of its rivers-and-sea and surface-water risk.
Rivers and the sea alone: of the 21 homes the Environment Agency counts, 0 are in areas at high risk, 18 medium, 3 low and 0 very low.
High: 3.3% (1 in 30) or more chance of flooding a year. Medium: 1% to 3.3%. Low: 0.1% to 1%. Very low: under 0.1%. The rivers and sea figures allow for flood defences. Counts cover whole postcodes, which can include other streets.
Flood zone for planning: at least one postcode centre is in flood zone 3. Zone 3 is a 1% (1 in 100) or greater annual chance of flooding from rivers, or 0.5% from the sea, ignoring defences.
| Postcode | Planning zone | Addresses at high / medium / low risk | Groundwater |
|---|---|---|---|
| EX2 7RZ | zone 3 | 1 / 0 / 0 | unlikely |
| EX2 8QW | zone 3 | 0 / 3 / 38 | unlikely |
| EX2 8NY | zone 3 | 0 / 2 / 22 | unlikely |
| EX3 0JU | zone 3 | 0 / 17 / 0 | unlikely |
Height above sea level
The street's 8 addresses are between 2 m and 8 m above sea level (3 m on average); the ground rises about 6 m from the lowest to the highest.
Broadband
| Postcode | Superfast (30 Mbit/s+) | Ultrafast (300 Mbit/s+) | Gigabit | Below 10 Mbit/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX2 7RZ | 100% | 100% | 100% | 0% |
| EX2 8NY | 100% | 91% | 91% | 0% |
| EX2 8QW | 80% | 80% | 80% | 19% |
| EX3 0JU | 94% | 94% | 94% | 0% |
Getting around
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Railway stations | Marsh Barton 109,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) |
| Newcourt 155,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 2.6 km (1.6 miles) | |
| Digby and Sowton 968,000 journeys in 2024–25 | 3.1 km (1.9 miles) | |
| Bus stops | 0 stops within 400 m (0.2 miles), 6 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Sigford Road Marsh Barton | 630 m (0.4 miles) |
| Bus or coach station | Railway Station Topsham | 3.3 km (2.1 miles) |
| Ferry terminal | Topsham Lock Ferry Landing Exminster | 3.2 km (2 miles) |
| Car parks | Matford Park and Ride | 870 m (0.5 miles) |
| EV charging points | 3 within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Be.EV Charging Station | 420 m (0.3 miles) |
| Airport with scheduled flights | Exeter International Airport EXT | 7.8 km (4.9 miles) |
| Nearest large airport | Cardiff International Airport CWL | 78.7 km (49 miles) |
Local services
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| GP surgeries | Ide Lane Surgery | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) |
| Pharmacies | 1 pharmacies within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Day Lewis Pharmacy | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) |
| NHS dentists | 4 practices within 1.6 km (1 mile); nearest Matford Dental Clinic | 480 m (0.3 miles) |
| Hospital | Exeter Nuffield Hospital | 2.2 km (1.3 miles) |
| Police station | Exeter Volunteer Police Cadets | 3 km (1.9 miles) |
| Cash machines | Tesco Bank ATM | 2.2 km (1.4 miles) |
Parks and green space
| Nearest | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| Park or garden | 1 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Riverside Valley Park 7.8 ha | 620 m (0.4 miles) |
| Play area | 1 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest Unnamed 5,660 m² | 590 m (0.4 miles) |
| Playing field | 1 within 800 m (0.5 miles); nearest King George V Playing Fields 16 ha | 580 m (0.4 miles) |
| Allotments | Unnamed 2,880 m² | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) |
Within 800 m (0.5 miles): 1 park or garden, 7.8 hectares in all.
Landmarks
The nearest historic landmark is Earthwork enclosure 220yds (200m) NE of Church Path Hill Plantation, a scheduled monument, 1 km (0.6 miles) south-west. 14 listed buildings are within 1 km (0.6 miles).
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Earthwork enclosure 220yds (200m) NE of Church Path Hill Plantation | Scheduled monument | 1 km (0.6 miles) south-west |
| Linear round barrow cemetery at Castle Park, Alphington | Scheduled monument | 1.5 km (1 mile) west |
| Enclosures NE of Peamore Cottage | Scheduled monument | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) south-west |
| Larkbeare House | Registered park or garden, Grade II | 2.5 km (1.6 miles) north-west |
| Peamore Park (that part to the west of the A379) | Registered park or garden, Grade II | 2.6 km (1.6 miles) south-west |
| Name | What it is | From the middle of the street |
|---|---|---|
| Knowle Hill | Hill | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) west |
| Duck's Marsh | Wetland | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) north-west |
| Church Path Hill Plantation | Wood | 1.2 km (0.8 miles) south |
| Salmon Pool | Lake or reservoir | 1.4 km (0.8 miles) north-west |
| Kiln Close Plantation | Wood | 1.5 km (1 mile) south-west |
| Pearce's Hill | Hill | 1.7 km (1 mile) south |
Air quality
| Pollutant | Here | UK limit | WHO guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 6.3 | 40 | 10 |
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 5.4 | 20 | 5 |
| Particles (PM10) | 10.0 | 40 | 15 |
All three are within the UK legal limits; PM2.5 is above the WHO guideline, as in most towns and cities.
Road and rail noise
| Level | Road traffic | Railways |
|---|---|---|
| 60 to 64 | 0 | 2 |
| 55 to 59 | 1 | 1 |
| Under 55 | 7 | 5 |
1 of the street's 8 addresses is modelled at 55 dB or more from road traffic, and 3 from railways, above the WHO guidelines.
Climate, daylight and earthquakes
Monthly temperatures and rainfall, sunrise and sunset through the year, and earthquakes recorded nearby since 1970 are much the same across the area, so they are worked out once for Exeter: see them on the Exeter page.
Nearest schools
| School | Phase | Ages | Distance | Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countess Wear Primary School | Primary | 2–11 | 1.1 km (0.7 miles) | Requires improvement (Oct 2022, overall grade under the previous framework) |
| Isca Academy | Secondary | 11–16 | 1.2 km (0.7 miles) | Report card (Jul 2026): Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard; Achievement: Expected standard; Attendance and behaviour: Needs attention; Personal development and wellbeing: Expected standard; Inclusion: Expected standard; Leadership and governance: Expected standard; Safeguarding standards: Met |
| Matford Brook Academy | All-through | 2–16 | 1.6 km (1 mile) | Report card (Jun 2026): Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard; Achievement: Expected standard; Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard; Personal development and wellbeing: Expected standard; Inclusion: Expected standard; Leadership and governance: Expected standard; Early years: Expected standard; Safeguarding standards: Met |
| Wynstream Primary School Academy | Primary | 3–11 | 1.7 km (1.1 miles) | Report card (Mar 2026): Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard; Achievement: Expected standard; Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard; Personal development and wellbeing: Strong standard; Inclusion: Expected standard; Leadership and governance: Expected standard; Early years: Expected standard; Safeguarding standards: Met |
| Chestnut Nursery School - Exeter Nursery Schools Federation | Nursery | 2–5 | 1.9 km (1.2 miles) | No published inspection |
Food hygiene ratings nearby
| Business | Type | Distance | Rating | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline's Takeaway EX2 8AL | Mobile caterer | 430 m (0.3 miles) | 3 Generally satisfactory | 25 Sep 2026 |
| Double Locks Hotel EX2 6LT | Pub/bar/nightclub | 460 m (0.3 miles) | 4 Good | 10 Sep 2026 |
Crime within 250 m
No crimes recorded at anonymised points within 250 m in this period (devon-and-cornwall).
People and work
Who lives here
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46 | 40 |
| Children under 15 | 16% | 17% |
| Aged 65 and over | 28% | 18% |
Homes
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Owned (outright or with a mortgage) | 69% | 61% |
| Owned outright | 41% | 33% |
| Shared ownership | under 1% | 1% |
| Social rented | 14% | 17% |
| Private rented | 16% | 21% |
Work and commuting
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults (16 and over) in work | 55% | 57% |
| Unemployment (of those working or looking for work) | 3% | 6% |
| Retired (of adults) | 33% | 22% |
| Long-term sick or disabled (of adults) | 2% | 4% |
| Work mainly from home (of those in work) | 27% | 32% |
| Travel to work by car or van | 50% | 48% |
| By train, Underground, metro or tram | under 1% | 4% |
| By any public transport, including bus | 6% | 8% |
| On foot or by bicycle | 15% | 10% |
| Work within 10 km (6 miles) of home (of those who travel to work) | 81% | 65% |
| Work 30 km (19 miles) or more away | 6% | 8% |
Education and languages
| Around this street | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or other higher qualification, Level 4+ (of adults) | 33% | 34% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship as highest qualification | 6% | 5% |
| Main language English (aged 3 and over) | 96% | 91% |
| Cannot speak English well or at all | under 1% | 2% |
Deprivation
The 4 neighbourhoods around this street are in deciles 3 to 8 of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 1 is the most deprived tenth of England's 33,755 neighbourhoods and 10 the least.
What has changed
Nothing new since the change feed started on 30 October 2026. New sales and energy certificates, and hygiene ratings, school inspections and flood figures nearby, will be listed here as the sources update.
Postcodes on this street
- EX2 7RZ: 4 addresses of 26 in the postcode
- EX2 8QW: 2 addresses of 67 in the postcode
- EX2 8NY: 1 address of 54 in the postcode
- EX3 0JU: 1 address of 28 in the postcode
Nearby streets
What this page cannot tell you
- Whether a particular house is at risk of flooding, subsiding or anything else: the flood map is a model of areas and there is no property-level data here.
- What a home is worth now: sales are historic prices for the homes that happened to sell.
- How safe the street is: crime points are moved to anonymised locations and many crimes are never reported.
- Whether you would get a place at a school: distances are straight lines, not catchments.
- Who lives on the street now: census figures describe the small areas around it in March 2021, during a lockdown.
- How long a journey takes or how often anything runs: transport distances are straight lines to the nearest stops.
- Whether a GP practice is taking new patients, or a dentist new NHS patients.
- How loud a home is inside, or noise from industry, neighbours or smaller airfields: noise figures are models of road, rail and air traffic outside.
How each figure on this page is matched to the street and worked out: methodology.