Hi, glad to hear you'll be coming along to Exeter in September - v exciting! I'm a current Exeter student, and although I didn't stay in Mardon Hall or Rowe House (I was in East Park), I had friends who did, so I can try and offer some insight!
Mardon is a very pretty, old accommodation and is also one of the smallest accommodations on our campus, offering only 77 rooms, whereas larger accommodations, such as East Park, can have over 1000 rooms. Mardon is also in a very good location! It is only a 5-10 minute walk from the centre of campus, and also has some of the most stunning views on campus, looking over the river Exe. According to my friend who stayed in Mardon in her first year, it is a really tight-knit community due to the small number of rooms, and you come to know (or at least recognise) most of the people living there. Because it is an old, pretty building, she said it almost feels like a boarding school.
Rowe House is similar to Mardon Hall in the respect that my friends who lived there said everybody knew everybody - with 139 rooms, it is also a relatively small accommodation. Again, my friends who lived there said they really loved this about Rowe. It is located on the other side of campus to Mardon but is in an equally central location, and is very close to Cornwall House, which is great as a lot of society activities are held there!
Let me know if you have any more questions - best of luck coming along in September!
Nina
University of Exeter Student Ambassador