Pictures of England

Search:

Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Pictures of Axminster

a Historic Market Town in the county of Devon

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.

Recommended towns & villages near Axminster

Near Town Mill

Lyme Regis (276 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Dorset

(4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction SE of Axminster)

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...

Jurassic coast  Charmouth

Charmouth (102 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Dorset

(5.1 miles, 8.2 km, direction SE of Axminster)

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 fashionable coaching stop. One illustrious visitor of.....

Fishing in the river Axe at Axmouth, Devon

Axmouth (16 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Devon

(5.2 miles, 8.4 km, direction SW of Axminster)

This quiet resort of colourwashed cottages sitting at the edge of the River Axe was once an important south Devon port...

Church

Seaton (312 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Devon

(6.3 miles, 10.1 km, direction SW of Axminster)

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...

On the Coast Path Heading for West Bay, Dorset.

West Bay (147 Pictures) a Seaside Town in the county of Dorset

(11.5 miles, 18.5 km, direction SE of Axminster)

West Bay nestles at the western end of spectacular Chesil Beach whose billions of pebbles have been a constant source of fascination for centuries...

All towns & villages in Devon
Complete A to Z of towns & villages in England

Nearby attractions..

Loughwood Meeting House, Dalwood, Near Axminster, Devon. Owned by the National Trust

Loughwood Meeting House (13 Pictures)

(2.8 miles, 4.5 km, direction W)

17th-century thatched Baptist meeting house, constructed approx 1653...

A view of the Marine Aquarium on the old Cobb with Lyme regis, Dorset, in the background.

Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium (1 Pictures)

(4.6 miles, 7.4 km, direction SE)

Where better to see and learn about the creatures of the deep than in an aquarium suite set tantalizingly beside the sea. Well,.....

Forde Abbey, nr Chard, Somerset. A former Cistercian foundation. Photo taken September 1991.

Forde Abbey (12 Pictures)

(5.5 miles, 8.9 km, direction NE)

..

Pecorama gardens

Pecorama (20 Pictures)

(7.5 miles, 12.1 km, direction SW)

Pecorama offers a real treat for everyone visiting Beer, a pretty coastal resort which was once the haunt of Smugglers. This.....

Blackberry Camp. - Iron age settlement near - Beer. Devon

Blackbury Camp (18 Pictures)

(8.0 miles, 12.9 km, direction SW)

Blackbury Camp is an Iron Age hill fort situated in Southleigh, Devon, England. The hillfort was built during the 4th century and.....

Snowdrops at Otterhead. The Blackdown hills in the county of Somerset, England

The Blackdown Hills (21 Pictures)

(13.4 miles, 21.5 km, direction NW)

Fascinating scenic area where you can enjoy an extraordinary variety of scenery ranging from tiny coppices to vast woodlands, all.....

Barrington Court, Somerset

Barrington Court (49 Pictures)

(13.7 miles, 22.0 km, direction NE)

Barrington Court is an attractive 16th-century house built in the engaging "E" shaped style of the period in mellow Ham Hill.....


All attractions in Axminster
All attractions in Devon
Complete A to Z of attractions in England