ASHBURTON - STEEPED IN HISTORY LEGEND AND TRADITION
St Lawrence Chapel
St Lawrence Chapel, home to the Courts Leet and Baron, housed Ashburton Grammar School which educated a number of famous people including William John Wills who with Robert Burke mounted the first expedition to cross Australia in 1860.
Ashburton History Museum is full of exhibitions of Dartmoor artefacts, local history and geology, posters, and documents which help to bring alive the town’s history and the lives of the everyday townsfolk.
Both the museum and St. Lawrence Chapel are open May 1st-29th September and Easter Holidays, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 2:00-4:00pm, Saturdays 10:00am-12:00pm. Entry is free but donations are welcome!
Tinners were subject to Stannary Law and were exempt from any other jurisdiction until 1896. Stannary Law was administered by a Stannary Parliament which met at Crockern Tor until 1786, though some traditions were carried on into the 1980’s.
St Andrew's Church
St Andrew's Church was rebuilt in the 16th century, the church originated as a Norman chapel in the 12th century and some remains are incorporated in the building.
St Andrew's Church is open every day from 10:30am-4:00pm.
The Old Exeter Inn
The Old Exeter Inn is one of Britain’s oldest pubs and the oldest in Ashburton. It was built in 1130 to house workers building the church. Local legend has it that Sir Francis Drake was a regular patron at the inn as was Sir Walter Raleigh who was arrested at the Exeter Inn before being imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1603.