ST. THOMAS
ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION




The STAA was formed in 1920 to help allotment gardeners in the Exeter area, and their communities. Today, we work with the Council and allotment gardeners at 9 sites, all west of the River Exe. These allotments are located at Alphington, Exwick, Cowick, Marsh Barton & St Thomas; and, together, they comprise of over 800 plots held by 700+ plot-holders, and cover almost 35 acres.
The association is focussed on the historic parishes of St Thomas and Alphington, Exeter - where we operate trading sheds, community polytunnel gardens, and a small meeting/refreshment cabin. A series of events are held throughout the year to help encourage allotment gardening and related interests, and to provide community benefits across the city and its region.​

The association exists to promote allotment-growing for the benefit of plot-holders on our nine sites, and the for the wider benefit of the local community. We develop and run projects, events, competitions and shows, and apply for grants to help fund these. Our agreement with the Exeter City Council enables us to help manage plot letting and maintenance of allotment grounds.
We offer discounted gardening materials, seeds and produce - and offer tips on cultivation and good practice. Our Community Polytunnel offers all-year-round growing spaces; ideal for small-scale gardening. We provide membership benefits such as newsletters, volunteering opportunities, email updates and we hold an AGM each year for members to elect a managing committee.
STAA NEWS
NEWS UPDATE: 18/08/2025​
BIODIVERSITY AUDIT AND BIO-BLITZ EVENT
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We are lucky enough to have the distinguished naturalist, John Walters with us at the Cowick Lane site. John has been a consultant on TV programmes such as the BBC series David Attenborough’s Wild Isles. He’s also brilliant at communicating his knowledge and expertise.
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John will lead us in an audit of the wildlife that we have on our plots using kit on loan from Devon Wildlife Trust. We will have had moth-traps out overnight and hope to have a moth expert also with us. We hope that plot-holders from all sites will come to learn how to carry
out a biodiversity audit, taking their knowledge back to their own sites.
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NEWS UPDATE: 08/08/2025
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2026 POTATO ORDER FORMS
Use the links below to download your 2026 POTATO order forms. Please print, complete and return to your local Trading Shed by no later than 26th October.
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