Redvers Buller

A bronze statue of Major-General Redvers Buller stands in the heart of Exeter, a reminder of the Victorian military hero who led campaigns in Sudan and South Africa. It's not the sort of monument that'll stop you in your tracks - more of a historical footnote than a dramatic focal point - but it tells you something about what mattered to Exeter folk in the late 19th century.

Buller was a polarising figure. He won battles but also suffered defeats, particularly during the Boer War when things went badly wrong at Colenso. The statue went up in 1905, long after his campaigns, which suggests the city wanted to remember him before people forgot entirely. These days it's the kind of thing you spot while wandering Exeter's city centre rather than make a special trip for.

Historians and anyone interested in Victorian military history will find it worth a five-minute stop. Everyone else? It's fine background detail while you're exploring the cathedral and high street. Kids won't be remotely interested unless they're already keen on soldiers and colonial history.

If you're based at Devon Heaven Hideaways near Exeter - those glamping spots with hot tubs are genuinely pleasant - the statue is an easy walk into the city proper. Pair it with proper attractions like the Cathedral or the Royal Albert Memorial Museum if you're doing a cultural morning. Don't make it your reason for coming to Devon.