Pictures of Axminster

in the county of Devon

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About Axminster

Famous for its carpets often likened to Turkish, Axminster was one of the first West Saxon settlements formed along the River Axe in Devon.

The settlement flourished through the centuries and today it is one of Devon's prettiest small market towns with a lively, attractive town centre. It has a handsome church, with a Norman door and Jacobean pulpit, and excellent old inns, such as the George, a beautiful stone building topped with thick thatch which dates back over 700 years. The inn is full of interesting nooks and crannies, and as one would expect, has a resident ghost!

Axminster's carpet trade was founded by Thomas Whitty in 1755, he set up after making a careful study of Turkish methods. In 1835 the business was sold to a carpet weaver from Wilton, and it was not until 1937 that further carpets were made in the town. Caster Hill House, where the carpets were originally produced, can still be visited.

Market day here is Thursday, this takes the form of an open street market with plenty of stalls selling a diverse range of goods. It is a lively weekly event drawing crowds of locals as well as tourists to the area.

Make sure you visit Axminster Museum, this recalls the town's history and traditions, with excellent displays of farming implements and plenty to do with carpets.

Attractions close to Axminster include the NT properties Shute Bacton and Loughwood Meeting House. Axminster is ideally situated within easy reach of both The West Dorset and East Devon Heritage Coastlines, thus making the town an ideal base for anyone wishing to explore some of England's finest coastal scenery.

Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.

Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Axminster

Loughwood Meeting House	(2.8 miles, 4.5 km, direction W)	Pictures
Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium	(4.6 miles, 7.4 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Dinosaurland	(4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Motoring Memories	(4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Lyme Regis Museum	(4.9 miles, 7.8 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Forde Abbey	(5.5 miles, 8.9 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Farway Country Park	(7.5 miles, 12.1 km, direction W)	Pictures
Pecorama	(7.5 miles, 12.1 km, direction SW)	Pictures
The Wildlife Park at Cricket St. Thomas	(7.6 miles, 12.3 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Cricket St Thomas House	(7.7 miles, 12.3 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Golden Cap	(7.7 miles, 12.4 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Blackbury Castle	(8.0 miles, 12.9 km, direction SW)	Pictures
The Donkey Sanctuary	(10.4 miles, 16.7 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Dillington House	(11.3 miles, 18.3 km, direction N)	Pictures
The Blackdown Hills	(13.4 miles, 21.5 km, direction NW)	Pictures

All attractions in Axminster
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Recommended towns near Axminster

Dalwood, in the county of Devon (3.3 miles, 5.3 km, direction W)
Charming village in the Devonshire countryside with a wonderful old thatched pub serving excellent food and a fantastic church....
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Lyme Regis, in the county of Dorset (4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction SE)
Almost the first thing you notice about this pleasant seaside resort, is the spaciousness of the town. The second, and nothing can prepare you for this, is the sheer scale of Lyme Bay with its splendid views towards the rugged sandstone cliffs west of Eype Mouth.
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Charmouth, in the county of Dorset (5.1 miles, 8.2 km, direction SE)
This pretty resort grew up in a gap of cliffs overlooking picturesque Lyme Bay. In the days prior to the motor car it was a...
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Axmouth, in the county of Devon (5.2 miles, 8.4 km, direction SW)
This quiet resort of colourwashed cottages sitting at the edge of the River Axe was once an important south Devon port.
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Seaton, in the county of Devon (6.3 miles, 10.1 km, direction SW)
The town is mostly Victorian and Edwardian in character, you only have to cast your eyes above today's modern shop fronts to see handsome overhanging bay windows which belong firmly to another era.
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Pilsdon, in the county of Dorset (7.3 miles, 11.8 km, direction E)
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Seatown, in the county of Dorset (8.7 miles, 14.0 km, direction SE)
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Netherbury, in the county of Dorset (10.5 miles, 16.9 km, direction E)
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Ilminster, in the county of Somerset (10.7 miles, 17.2 km, direction N)
Charmingly set in the favoured Somerset countryside is the pleasant little town of Ilminster.
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Bridport, in the county of Dorset (10.9 miles, 17.6 km, direction E)
Bridport can be classed as having everything to please the holiday maker, it has a strong nautical atmosphere born of its long association with the sea, and its history as a flourishing rope making town during the great age of sailing ships.
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Beaminster, in the county of Dorset (11.1 miles, 17.8 km, direction E)
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West Bay, in the county of Dorset (11.5 miles, 18.5 km, direction SE)
West Bay nestles at the western end of spectacular Chesil Beach whose billions of pebbles have been a constant source of fascination for centuries.
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Broadhembury, in the county of Devon (12.8 miles, 20.6 km, direction W)
Broadhembury is an idyllic village which is an oasis of calm and beauty lying at the edge of the Blackdown Hills.
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Burton Bradstock, a Picturesque Village in the county of Dorset (13.1 miles, 21.1 km, direction SE)
This in one of the most enchanting villages to be found along the sweeping Dorset coast. It has gorgeous little lanes where...
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Powerstock, in the county of Dorset (13.5 miles, 21.7 km, direction E)
The village is completely pastoral and appears to be protected by a maze of deep lanes which once negotiated, reveal a gracious collection of orchards, gardens and enchanting cottages set at angles on a series of knolls.
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Nearby travel help

Axminster Station	(0.6 miles, 1.0 km)
Honiton Station	(8.4 miles, 13.4 km, direction W)
M5 Junction 26	(15.5 miles, 24.9 km, direction NW)
M5 Junction 25	(16.5 miles, 26.6 km, direction N)
Exeter Airport	(19.0 miles, 30.5 km, direction W)
Bristol International Airport	(43.3 miles, 69.6 km, direction N)
Axminster to London	(134.4 miles, 216.3 km, direction E)

Hotels & Accommodation in Axminster

Hotel Name	Approximate distance from Axminster center
Fairwater Head Hotel	(3.0 miles, 4.8 km, direction E)
The Lordleaze Hotel And Restaurant	(6.3 miles, 10.1 km, direction N)
Bellplot House Hotel	(6.3 miles, 10.2 km, direction N)
The Belfry Country Hotel	(6.9 miles, 11.1 km, direction NW)
The Haymaker Inn	(7.4 miles, 12.0 km, direction N)
The Heathfield Inn	(9.2 miles, 14.8 km, direction W)
Sid Valley Country House Hotel	(10.0 miles, 16.1 km, direction W)
Eype's Mouth Country Hotel	(10.3 miles, 16.5 km, direction SE)
Best Western The Shrubbery	(10.6 miles, 17.1 km, direction N)
Red Lion Inn	(10.8 miles, 17.4 km, direction SW)
All hotels in Axminster