The parish church of Ashburton, dedicated to St Andrew, is situated off
West Street near the centre of the old stannary town. Delightfully situated
on the edge of Dartmoor, Ashburton was an important market centre for
the local tin trade in the medieval and renaissance era. The cloth industry
which grew up along the banks of the Ashburn prospered for much of the
same period. Until the early 17th century the town was part of a manor
owned by the bishops of Exeter.
Ashburton lay on a main road, approximately halfway between Exeter (19
miles) and Plymouth (24 miles). The road to Totnes (7 miles SE)
was via Buckfastleigh, a rolling, curvaceous route similar in terrain
to the route from Totnes to Dartmouth. The church is set back from the
high street in a large churchyard sheltered by trees.
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