Ashburton, Devon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map sources for Ashburton, Devon at grid reference SX756698

Ashburton is a small market town on the fringes of Dartmoor in Devon, lying adjacent to the A38 Devon Expressway.

It was formerly important as a stannary town (a centre for the administration of tin-mining), and remains the largest town within the National Park, with a population of around 3,500.

[edit] History

During the English Civil War, Ashburton was a temporary refuge for Royalist troops fleeing after their defeat by General Fairfax at nearby Bovey Tracey.

The town was the terminus of the Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway that opened on 1 May 1872. Ashburton railway station closed to passengers in November 1958 although goods traffic on the line continued until 7 September 1962.

[edit] Politics

Ashburton was the first place to elect a candidate of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party to public office. The candidate was Alan Hope, a local publican, who was elected to Ashburton Town Council in 1989. He subsequently became Deputy Mayor and later Mayor of Ashburton.

The town is one of a few to still nominally appoint a Portreeve or 'port warden'. Others are Beccles, Callington (where the name is given to the council chairman), Cheevel, and Yeovil.