Ashburton dates back about 5,000 years. It is the largest town on Dartmoor, with an illustrious history as a stannery town (where tin was weighed, tested and coined) and as a centre for woollen trade. The chapel of St Lawrence is one of Ashburton's oldest buildings. Originally a private chapel for the Bishop of Exeter, he gave it to the town in 1314. The town has maintained many traditional events. On the first Saturday in July there is a Carnival Procession, the oldest in Devon and celebrated for over a hundred years, and on the third Saturday in July there is an ale tasting and bread weighing which has been carried out since the 13th Century. The Court and Law day is an even more ancient ceremony dating back to 820AD.
Ashburton has a thriving selection of shops with many art, craft and antique galleries. A pannier market is held every Tuesday in the Town Hall and there is a monthy cattle market. The town has a particulary interesting museum, a Tourist Information Centre and even a heated outdoor swimming pool.
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