Written by Paul Worrall
Exeter is one of those cathedral cities that manages to feel genuinly liveable rather than just picturesque — the university brings a young creative population, the independent retail culture on Gandy Street and Fore Street is genuinly stronger than most comparable cities, and the surrounding Devon landscape means there’s no shortage of subject matter for anyone who paints or draws from life. I’ve never actually made it to Devon myself, which feels like a genuine gap at this point — but I have friends down there who are pretty insistant that it’s one of the most beautiful parts of the country, and from everything I’ve seen in photographs and heard from people who’ve spent time there, I don’t doubt it for a second. One day. Researching this guide turned up a couple of genuinly distinctive independent entries that made me want to go even sooner.
I’m Paul Worrall. I spent nearly a decade running digital marketing for ARTdiscount, one of the UK’s largest online art retailers, and I now run Discount Art Supplies — a price comparison platform used by over 36,000 UK artists every week. Here’s the honest picture of what Exeter offers. If you’re planning visits to nearby cities, also check out our guides to the best art supply shops in Bristol and the best art supply shops in Plymouth.
1. Exeter Craft Hub — Sidwell Street
Exeter Craft Hub at 31C Sidwell Street is the kind of genuinly welcoming independent that makes you want to stay longer than you intended. A wide variety of crafting supplies — yarns, art materials, painting supplies, gifts and handmade goods from local artisans — presented in bright, colourful, well-organised displays that are described consistantly in reviews as a feast for the eyes. The staff are knowledgeable and genuinly helpful, the atmosphere is warm, and the shop has a resident therapy dog called Orsa who provides a level of comfort and welcome I’ve not come across in any other art or craft shop in any of these guides so far. I’m not sure exactly what Orsa adds to the purchasing decision on a tube of cadmium yellow, but reviewers seem to find her presence makes the whole experience considerably more enjoyable.
Beyond the dog, the practical case for Exeter Craft Hub is solid — good stock, good service, a loyalty programme for regular customers, and the kind of atmosphere that makes it a destination rather than a transaction. Worth knowing about before the national chains get your money by default.
Visit Exeter Craft Hub online →
2. Maker Mart — Gandy Street
Maker Mart on Gandy Street is a slightly different entry to the others on this list — less of a traditional art supplies shop and more of a showcase for independent designer makers from across the South West — but worth including for what it represents about Exeter’s creative community specifically. Set up by Exeter Phoenix, a multi-platform arts venue and registered charity, Maker Mart operates as a genuine connecting point between local artists, crafters and the city’s public. Gifts, cards, prints, jewellery, craft kits and books from a rotating cast of South West makers, all of it genuinely handmade and locally sourced rather than manufactured imports dressed up as craft.
For artists who want to see what the region’s maker community is actually producing, or who want gifts and materials that support local creative practice rather than a national chain, Maker Mart is exactly the kind of shop that makes Exeter feel like a city that genuinly invests in its arts community rather than just tolerating it.
3. Hobbycraft Exeter
The honest version of Hobbycraft, consistent with every city guide I write: not specialist, not deep in professional-grade range, but genuinly useful for what it is. Hobbycraft Exeter covers everyday art and craft consumables, canvases, basic paint sets, sketchbooks, seasonal kits and kids’ craft supplies at reliable prices. For parents, teachers and hobbyists who need reliable stock at fair prices without ceremony, it does the job.
Check our Hobbycraft discount code guide before visiting — the student discount and Blue Light Card discount are both worth knowing about.
4. The Works — Exeter
The honest version of The Works, as I’ve said in every city guide: not specialist, not deep in range, but genuinly useful for what it is. Canvases, sketchpads, pencils, starter acrylic sets, colouring books at prices that make experimenting affordable. Worth knowing that The Works stopped selling online nationally back in March, so the Exeter store — like every other Works — is now in-person purchase only. For parents, teachers and genuine beginners who want to try a new medium without significant financial commitment, it earns its place.
A Note on Art Supplies in Exeter
Exeter’s art supplies offering is modest for a city with a university, a cathedral and a genuinly strong independent retail culture — the specialist fine art materials scene feels thinner than you’d expect given the creative community that clearly exists here. Exeter Craft Hub and Maker Mart are both genuinly worth your time as community-minded independents, even if neither positions itself as a dedicated fine art materials specialist in the way a working painter might ideally want. For professional-grade materials and the best current UK prices across all major art retailers, Discount Art Supplies compares prices in real time so you always find the best deal before buying anywhere.
More City Guides
- Discover Bristol’s 7 Best Art Supply Shops
- The Best Art Supply Shops in Plymouth
- Brighton’s 8 Best Art Shops
- The 5 Best Art Supply Shops in Southampton
- The 5 Best Art Supply Shops in Bath
- The 5 Best Art Supply Shops in Norwich
- The Best Art Supply Shops in Belfast
- The Best Art Supply Shops in Aberdeen
