Ashburton

Ashburton is located on the southern edge of Dartmoor forming a gateway to the moor, and is an ideal location to explore the area from moor to sea. Its position on the Devon Expressway is equidistant between the cities of Plymouth and Exeter with its easy access to the motorway network.
The town dates back to Saxon times and has many interesting old buildings. It is positioned on the River Ashburn, in a valley on the southern slopes of Dartmoor, a short distance from the River Dart, making it a perfect location for walking, pony trekking, canoeing and fishing or just shopping.
Ashburton is one of only four stannary towns in Devon, the others being Tavistock, Plympton and Chagford. These were the only towns that could assay the locally mined tin, the word stannary deriving from the Latin name for tin, stannum.
The ancient Saxon office of Portreeve is kept alive in Ashburton. In Saxon times the Portreeve represented the king in all legal matters. Today the role of the Portreeve is more social, representing the town, in conjunction with the mayor. Once a year, on the third Saturday in July, the Portreeve, the Court Leet and Baron Jury process around the town’s hostelries and bakers in the Ale Tasting and Bread Weighing Ceremony, and attend the Medieval Fayre.
For more information about the town of Ashburton go to www.ashburton.org