Ashburton is an ancient
market town situated on the southern edge of Dartmoor whose name has derived from
the River Ashburn - "the town by the Ashburn stream". Its parish
holds a wealth of historical interest and connections with farming and traditions
dating back to Saxon times.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Essebreton,
an alternative for how the parish derived its name comes from perhaps a
"farmstead or village by the stream where there were ash trees".
Settlement in the area probably dates back to prehistoric times because of the
evidence of ancient settlements all across Dartmoor.
It's prosperity derived from being one of Devon's former Stannary
towns, as early as 1285 although the mining of tin in the area is believed to date
back to Roman times. Ashburton also prospered from its connection with the
woollen industry, peaking in the early C19th, but its collaspe saw the population
of Ashburton decline between 1851 and 1901 where its population reduced by almost
a third.
Ashburton was once part of the main stage coach route between
Plymouth and Exeter, having at least 30 coaching inns at its peak, although the
introduction of the Railways saw their decline and only 6 of them survive today.
Information from the
Ashburton
Gazetteer (Source: Devon Local Studies Library) shows that both a
market and fair were held in the town from the C14th to 1935. A Turnpike
gate was established in 1755.
