St Thomas, Exeter’s district west of the Exe
St Thomas is an area of Exeter on the western side of the River Exe. Exe Bridge connects it to the city centre. It has several schools, a number of pubs and a large shopping precinct.
The main part of the old parish was the former village of Cowick. The built-up area grew here, although it was not first part of Exeter. St Thomas became an urban district in 1894.
It then joined the municipal borough of Exeter in 1900. Today the name survives for the central area of Exeter west of the river.
The area takes its name from the parish church of St Thomas the Apostle. The medieval church burned down in 1645 during the Civil War. It was rebuilt before 1657, and an arcade from the earlier church of 1412 still survives.
Transport and local landmarks
Exeter St Thomas railway station serves the area. In addition, the old parish held several historic estates. For example, Cowick Barton on Cowick Lane was once a Benedictine monastery.
Hayes Barton, at the junction of Flowerpot Lane and Okehampton Street, dates from the late 13th century. Meanwhile, Bowhay House stands on Dunsford Road. Floyer Hayes, on the east side of Alphington Street, was the seat of the Floyer family for several centuries. In 2023, St Thomas was named one of the best places to live in Devon.
What an installation here tends to involve
Flood-aware siting is the main point in St Thomas. The Environment Agency says the area is at very high risk of flash flooding from surface water. Its Exeter flood defence scheme reduces the risk from the River Exe to large parts of St Thomas. However, the surface water risk remains.
Because of this, it is worth checking your street on the government flood map before the site visit. Raising the outdoor unit on a wall bracket, rather than setting it at ground level, is worth discussing. Flood risk can also differ from one street to the next.
The rest of the survey follows the usual pattern. The installer checks the wall construction, since an older solid wall needs different fixings from a modern cavity wall. They also plan a short, tidy route for the pipe run, the drain line and the cable.
Refrigerant work must be done by an F-Gas certified engineer under UK law. As a result, it is worth asking to see that certificate at the site visit. For general guidance on what a survey covers, see our installation service page.
Costs vary with the property and the system chosen, so it helps to see a range before your survey. Our 2026 installation cost guide breaks down what fitting typically involves.
It is also worth reading about the difference between air conditioning and heat pumps before you settle on a system.
Coverage from Exeter
St Thomas is about 0.4 miles by road from Exeter city centre, around 5 minutes’ drive. It shares the coverage on our Exeter air conditioning installation page. In a straight line, the gap is about 0.3 miles.
Our Pinhoe installation page and home cooling installs around Exmouth cover their own areas too. Each is worth checking if your address sits closer to one of them.
Getting matched in St Thomas
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 page with a few details about your property. Since there is no obligation, you can ask questions first and decide afterwards.