ASHBURTON

Ashburton dates from Saxon times and is a small  town nestling in the valley of the river Ashburn on the southerly slopes of Dartmoor.




There is no record of Ashburton's origins, but as far back as the Roman occupation of Britain, tin ore was extensively mined in the area. The woollen industry also contributed to the town's importance. 

In 1285 Ashburton became one of the four stannary towns in Devon by a charter of Edward 1.  The town still retains the offices of Portreeve and Bailiff and the Court Leet and Baron Jury. 

TOTNES

      Totnes - Meg Parris 1999 (Click on image for large picture)

Totnes was established by the Saxon kingdom of Wessex as a fortified town to defend the Dart Valley from the Vikings. From the beginning it was a market and trading centre and, as a Royal Borough, minted its own coins.

After the Norman conquest. Totnes was given to a knight called Judhel, who built the Castle and founded a priory where the Guildhall now stands.

In 1206 the people of Totnes acquired their charter of independence from King John and sent their first MP to Parliament in 1295.

In the 16th century, because of the boom in Dartmoor tin and the expansion of the wool trade, Totnes became one of the twenty richest towns in the country.

During the civil war, both sides used the town as a base with Prince Charles, later Charles the second, Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax all visiting the town.

MALBOROUGH

Malborough is a small village situated between Kingsbridge and Salcombe in South Devon. Close to sandy beaches with spectacular views.

DAWLISH

Dawlish is a picturesque Victorian town situated on the Devon coast in the South West of England. One of the main features of Dawlish is it's Black Swans and it is the only place in Britain where they have successfully bred outside of nature reserves. They were a gift to the town in the 1900's by a family from Australia (the native home of the species) who regularly spent their summer in Dawlish.

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Copyright Trevor Paul 2005 ©
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flaxey green was first published in January 2000