Ashburton
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Map of Devon
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Ashburton books (17 available)
Ashburton memories
Read and share memories of Ashburton and Devon inspired by Frith photos
Sparnham House, 36 West Street
I was living in Sparnham House in 1960, but don't recall the umber mine you mention, though my father (Brian Baker) did say there had been one, once. Outside Sparnham there used to be a tap which was supplied by a natural spring and during the long winter of 1963 it was, at times, the only piece of plumbing that wasn't frozen. There was a tunnel under the garden which I was never allowed to explore; I always assumed it was something to do with this spring, but perhaps it was the umber mine? My father died when I was nine, and we moved away from Ashburton shortly afterwards, so that tunnel has always been a tantalising mystery to me.
The ...read more here
Contributed by Lerida Arnold
Devon memories
Sparnham House, 36 West Street
I was living in Sparnham House in 1960, but don't recall the umber mine you mention, though my father (Brian Baker) did say there had been one, once. Outside Sparnham there used to be a tap which was supplied by a natural spring and during the long winter of 1963 it was, at times, the only piece of plumbing that wasn't frozen. There was a tunnel under the garden which I was never allowed to explore; I always assumed it was something to do with this spring, but perhaps it was the umber mine? My father died when I was nine, and we moved away from Ashburton shortly afterwards, so that tunnel has always been a tantalising mystery to me.
The ...read more here
A memory of Ashburton contributed by Lerida Arnold
Childhood in Broadhempston
I was born at St Joseph Cottages. I remember my first day at the village school, spam fritters, and Mr Matthews from the pub, with his dog called Measles, Marks from the shop, and butcher Lang in his van, who always gave the kids a slice of hogs pudding, happy days, poor but carefree.
A memory of Broadhempston contributed by First Name Last Name
May Fayre on Denbury Village Green 5th May 2008
Denbury May Fayre started with a procession in fancy dress from the local school children led by the May Queen and May King. All the entertainments took place on the village green and in front of the Union Inn. There were plant stalls, traditional village games, teas and a display of clog morris dancing by the Heather and Gorse Clog Morris from Combeinteignhead.
Elsewhere on the Village Green there was a collection of vintage cars to admire. This was a really enjoyable day out and although I was busy playing my accordian for the morris dancers, I still found time to look round the other entertainments. I thought the maypole dancing by the older village school children was ...read more here
A memory of Denbury contributed by John Howard Norfolk
Extracts From Ashburton & Devon books
Ashburton lies on the River Ashburn, and was
declared a Stannary Town in 1285 by Edward
I. This allowed the official testing and stamp-
ing of tin, which contributed greatly to the
town’s wealth and also to the exchequer through
Coinage Duty.
An extract from from"Nostalgic Britain Address Book".
Some of the kerbstones which
line Ashburton’s narrow streets
are made from fine pink marble,
quarried locally. At one point
they were nearly removed dur-
ing a road improvement scheme,
but prompt action by the locals
preserved them.
An extract from from"Nostalgic Britain Address Book".
There are records of bull bait-
ing in Ashburton as far back as
1174. It was made illegal in
1835, by which time locals could
seek their entertainment in one of
the town’s many pubs, such as the
Royal Oak, which is still open
for business today.
An extract from from"Nostalgic Britain Address Book".
This view was taken from the building at the very end of Morton Crescent. To the immediate left is the Imperial Hotel,
seen in its original architectural design, changed now after the fire in the 1970s.
An extract from from"Exmouth Photographic Memories".
By the middle of the 20th
century we see something
resembling the modern
scene. There is the more
familiar red telephone
box on the traffic island,
a modern post box, and
Belisha beacons to aid
pedestrians wishing to
cross the road. In the
centre of the photograph
is the white tower of the
Pavilion Theatre. Much of
the street furniture was
removed by the start of
the 21st century, leaving
a more traffic-dominated Esplanade.
An extract from from"Exmouth Photographic Memories".