St Nicholas Priory

St Nicholas Priory, now richly furnished as an Elizabethan town house, is the 900 year old guest wing of a former Benedictine Priory, and offers a great way for families to experience Tudor life in the heart of Exeter. The Priory is presented as the 1602 home of the wealthy Hurst family, with great displays of Elizabethan items from the city's collection. There are a number of different rooms to explore with the kids, including a Norman cellar with 2 massive supporting pillars, a Tudor parlour with stunning original decorated ceiling and recreated period oak panelling that has been carefully painted in a rare original pattern from that time.

Other rooms include an Elizabethan kitchen, and the Great Chamber. You can really get a feel for what Tudor life was like in this family friendly museum with replica furniture that can be used and touched! There are also games, stories, toys, costumes to try on, and other items to help the kids get the most of their visit.

Pre-school age kids (and adults) can also learn more from a mischievous character called Robert the Rat!