Okehampton and its setting
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in the West Devon district. It sits at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and the River Okement runs through it.
The name means a settlement on the River Okement. The Saxons founded the town, and the earliest written record dates from 980 AD. Like many West Country towns, it later grew on the medieval wool trade.
Baldwin FitzGilbert, the Norman Sheriff of Devon, established Okehampton Castle. English Heritage now owns the ruin, and it opens to the public in summer. The town also has a 15th-century chapel of St James and a 17th-century town hall.
The parish church of All Saints stands on a slight hill west of the centre. A fire almost destroyed it in 1842; however, its granite tower survived and became part of the new church. Today the church is Grade II* listed, and any nearby owner should check what listed building consent means for air conditioning first.
Other churches show the town’s later growth. For example, the Baptist chapel on Fore Street dates from 1889. Fairplace Church on St James Street, meanwhile, went up in 1904 for the Wesleyan Methodists.
A route centre on the edge of the moor
Because it sits at the edge of the moor, Okehampton has always been a route centre. The A30 moved to a new bypass around the town in 1988. Before that, holiday traffic backed up through the centre on summer weekends.
Rail links have also returned. Okehampton station reopened to regular trains to Exeter St Davids in 2021, and the service became hourly in spring 2022. A second station, Okehampton Interchange, opened on the eastern side of town in July 2026.
The Army runs the Ten Tors event each May from Okehampton Camp on Dartmoor. Meanwhile, 21st-century housing has spread onto the eastern edge of town, in the neighbouring parish of Okehampton Hamlets. As a result, the wider built-up area had 9,110 residents at the 2021 census.
What an installation here tends to involve
Okehampton’s buildings span several centuries, so first work out what kind of home you have. If your home is old or carries listed status, check with West Devon Borough Council. Do that before you fix an outdoor unit to a wall that faces the street.
Older walls are often solid rather than cavity-built. As a result, the installer plans the pipe route and bracket fixings with extra care. A home on high, open ground may also need a sheltered spot for the outdoor unit.
A modern cavity-wall home usually gives more choice over where the unit goes. Therefore the job there tends to be closer to a standard fit. Our installation page covers the general process in full, and our 2026 installation cost guide covers what installation typically costs.
Coverage from Exeter
Okehampton is about 23 miles by road from Exeter, around 30 minutes’ drive. In a straight line, it lies about 21 miles west of the city. Exeter is our hub for this part of Devon, and the Exeter installation page covers the city itself.
Tavistock, another West Devon town, stands on the River Tavy; see fitting air conditioning in Tavistock. Our Crediton installation page covers a Mid Devon town about 7 miles north-west of Exeter. Launceston sits just west of the River Tamar, across the border in Cornwall; see Launceston air conditioning installation.
Getting matched in Okehampton
Send one enquiry and we match your address with one pre-qualified installer who works here. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Get in touch through our contact form. You can also see how a split system gets fitted before you enquire.