Ashburton

Ashburton was the largest of Dartmoor's stannary towns, and for centuries the tin dug from the southern moor was brought here to be weighed, stamped and taxed. Tin made the town, and wool kept it prosperous long after the tin ran out, leaving a centre full of good buildings from several different centuries, some of them hung with the slate that is characteristic of this part of Devon. The town lies on the south eastern edge of the moor where the River Ashburn comes down off the high ground, close enough to the A38 to be easily reached and far enough to have kept its own character.

Ashburton today is known for its independent shops, antiques dealers, galleries and places to eat, and has a reputation as one of the most interesting small towns in Devon to wander around. Its ancient offices of Portreeve and Bailiff of the Hundred are still filled each year, a survival of the town's stannary past. From here the moor rises immediately to the west, with Buckland in the Moor, Holne and the Dart valley all close by, and the wooded walks along the Ashburn and the Dart offering gentler alternatives to the open tops.