| Ashburton | |
West Street in Ashburton |
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Ashburton
Ashburton shown within Devon |
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| Population | 3,909 (2001 UK Census)[1] |
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| OS grid reference | SX756698 |
| Parish | Ashburton |
| District | Teignbridge |
| Shire county | Devon |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWTON ABBOT |
| Postcode district | TQ13 |
| Dialling code | 01364 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Totnes |
| List of places: UK • England • Devon | |
Ashburton is a small town on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, 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. Ashburton has six pubs within the centre of town, and two restaurants.
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The name is recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) as Essebretone. 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.
Asburton used to be famous for a beverage known as Ashburton Pop, possibly a type of champagne, the recipe of which was lost with the brewer in 1765.[2][3]
Ashburton Carnival is one of the oldest, possibly the oldest, surviving in Devon. Written records date it back to 1891, but it is believed to have been started in the mid 1880s to raise funds for a new hospital.
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 unopposed 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 Laugharne, Beccles, Callington (where the name is given to the council chairman), Cheevel, and Yeovil.
The parish church of St Andrew is a fine building of the 15th century with a tall tower and two aisle. The fifteenth century church tower features sculptures by Herbert Read, who also carved the oak reredos. One window has stained glass by C. E. Kempe. The porch is partly Norman.[4] Saint Gulval's Well is probably named after St Wolvela, also honoured at Gulval in Cornwall.
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