Ashburton is a stannary town. The word comes from the Latin 'stannum', meaning tin. Prosperity came to the town from the miners who worked on Dartmoor under harsh and unpleasant conditions to extract the ore, which yielded tin and copper. Before it could be sold, the tin had to be taken to one of the four stannary towns to be officially weighed and stamped. This brought in a steady flow of tinners, as the miners were called, who would have spent much of their hard earned cash in the taverns.
Today there are eight public houses in the town.
But in those far-off days it is likely that most of the older buildings were used as taverns at some time or other, dispensing strong ales and spirits, victuals and other services at which we might only ponder. The area also grew rich from the wool trade. Sheep flourished on the surrounding hillsides and wool was sold in the town, where it was then combed, spun and woven. The River Ashburn which runs through the centre was used to wash the wool as well as provide power for numerous mills. The mills have all but disappeared now, but many of the large and distinctive houses that you will see in the town were built by, and for, the rich woollen merchants.