I have been to Bolt Head albeit a few years ago now; its a lovelly spot and no real issues. As always you need the owners permission.
Exeter always gives a warm welcome. I dont recall the landing fees being too wallet draining and I seem to think if you tell the flying club it is a training flight there is a reasonable discount. Everthing is now run by the club in the port-a-cabin to the right of the main terminal. Naturally there is no problem getting a taxi and I guess the journey is around an hour. Unfortunately that will prove the expensive part. Perhaps if you have time to spare a train or bus is possible but I have no idea.
Peterh337 - yes, that was the subtle point I was making. Sad to say I dont think any airport with reasonable infrastructure can survive on GA alone unless perhaps they have a superb catchment area - and maybe these days not even then. Sad to say at so many places it would seem almost no capital investment takes place. Manston is a good example. It seems to me just enough patch up work has been done over the years to maintain the runway and taxiway. The day will come when this is no longer adequate. Without sunstantial investment I guess that is the end of the road. How many other airports are marking time in the same way? A regular commercial service can just tip the balance but they are few and far between and then everyone complains when they come to town anyway.
I do take your point about approach services and I agree these would be welcome without the current regulatory burden. That said it seems to me a few locals make up their own approaches any way at many of the smaller airports without a service. As we all know there are lots of places it is just as easy to make a cloud break at 700 feet with a visual circuit to land. when conditions demand an even lower cloud break I am guesing the demand falls away dramatically. I am not suggesting it is ideal just reflecting on what probably happens much of the time as matters stand. It is interesting at places like Lydd and Shoreham when the base goes below these sort of levels the traffic all but disappears so in fact there isnt a great deal of demand even where the facility exists. Doesnt help the minority I fully appreciate but unfortunately economics are rarely if ever designed to cater for the minority.