Devon has more than 500 miles of coastline, making it a tourist paradise, but it’s also well worth spending some time inland. Sitting at Devon’s eastern extremity, Axminster is a fine example of a character-filled town with its own special charms and a tangible community warmth. In this blog post, our volunteer Barrie Hedges takes a look at what Axminster is really like and whether Axminster is worth visiting.
You are spoilt for choice if you choose to visit East Devon. More than 300 square miles of gloriously diverse land and seascape stretching all the way from the Dorset border to the outskirts of Exeter. You might, in this corner of the county, opt for the Regency seaside splendour of Sidmouth, ride the magical tramway from Seaton to Colyton or soak up the quaint fishing village atmosphere of Beer. You could even venture across the border to Lyme Regis and find yourself some Jurassic fossils.
But when planning your stay in East Devon you will be missing out if you don’t also head inland and spend some time in and around Axminster. You might arrive by direct train from Waterloo, but if you're arriving by road, it’s worth taking time off the A303 or A35 to make the acquaintance of the town that gave us Britain’s most celebrated carpets.
Rich in heritage
The good news is Axminster Carpets are still rolling off the looms of the carpet factory in Axminster, and you can track their fascinating history (and a great deal more) if you weave your way through the diverse displays at the Axminster Heritage Centre. While there, you can also discover how today’s town was shaped by some horrendous fires and how it also found fame making brushes, fine feathers and power tools.
Today, the town still flows around the magnificent Minster Church, which boasts a carved Norman doorway and a carving of the Space Shuttle – a span in history of 1,000 years. The substantial grounds around the church create a green heart for the town and offer community tables on which you are welcome to picnic or consume the fares of local businesses.
Independently minded
The town is particularly well served by its hospitality businesses, from truly local pubs to cafes with delicious individual specialities and a full range of restaurant and take-away options - all the way from Indian and Chinese through to Italian, Portuguese tapas to stylish burgers and good old British fish and chips. You can even enjoy a coffee in the town’s former police cells!
Axminster is very much an individual sort of town and that is very evident from its line up of independent traders. While the selection is modest, you will find some stand-out gems like its substantial bookshop, gift shop and a Harry Potter specialist that draws trade from a very wide area. You can check out many of Axminster’s businesses or in more detail at the Axminster Business Directory.
A caring community
But it’s when you scratch the surface of this old town that you find its true heart in a community with an established reputation for caring. The heart that has recently become a key element of its ‘welcome’ road signs is well founded and is particularly evident at the Community Waffle House, a not-for-profit business with a cafe at its front end and an official underlying social role in building community and tackling loneliness.
Dates for your diary
Any time is a good time to visit Axminster but there are summer events that are particularly well worth experiencing in streets lined by colourful street banners, each telling a story about Axminster’s past or present. At the very heart of the town you will find a superb model of the famous old Axminster to Lyme Regis Railway filling the windows of a former restaurant.
Axminster always has a wealth of events throughout the year, boasting a full events calander for people of all ages, with several regular events returning each year.
June is the month when you can enjoy two key events. The ancient Cherry Fayre, opening with the ceremonial ‘raising of the glove’ and closing with the Big Dinner. Meanwhile, the Axe Vale Show showcases the best the town has to offer with a full programme of displays, entertainment and shopping on the showground just off the A35.
In September, the spectacular Axminster Carnival fills the town centre streets with colour and fun. While, the Christmas season is launched with a ceremonial switching on of the Christmas lights.
The big outdoors around Axminster
There is no shortage of great walks around Axminster. For the more ambitious walker, Axminster is a great town from which to join the 630-mile South West Coast Path. One of the more challenging sections takes you from Seaton to Lyme Regis via the seven-mile Undercliffs National Nature Reserve, a unique, wild area of landslides, tumbled coastline and luxuriant vegetation.
Axminster is the perfect base from which to explore beautiful coast and countryside and has three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty on its doorstep. The East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a landscape characterised by intimate wooded combes, vast areas of heathland, fertile river valleys and breathtaking coastal and hilltop views. Just a few miles up the road on the Somerset border is the diverse Blackdown Hills AONB, which for many, epitomises all that is best in the English countryside with hedgerows and copses, small farms with intricate field patterns, deep valleys and narrow, winding lanes.
Head east from Axminster and you quickly arrive in the Dorset AONB which stretches from Lyme Regis to Poole Harbour and features exceptional undeveloped coastline, spectacular scenery, geological and ecological interest and unique coastal features.
The Trinity Hill Local Nature Reserve is just south of the A35 on the outskirts of Axminster and is a large area of lowland heathland with breathtaking views across the Axe Valley. A network of footpaths from the car park takes you on a quest for a variety of moths and common lizards, while birds include the linnet. You can even walk all the way from Axminster to Lyme Regis.
Sit back and enjoy
Arriving back in Axminster at the end of your day, the Axminster Guildhall may well have an inspiring entertainment option for you. Extensively refurbished (and close to the town’s hospitality venues) the Guildhall has also undergone some big changes in terms of 'what’s on'. The Guildhall has seen talks from John Lyndon (Johnny Rotten), comedian Omid Djalihi, Status Quo’s Francis Rossi, Gail Porter, Shaun Ruder and Aled Jones. You can also enjoy quality acts, live wrestling, drag shows and festivals.
So, is Axminster worth a visit?
Well, we know we are biased but when you consider Axminster's rich heritage, the packed events calendar, independent businesses and community spirit, you'll discover that Axminster is well worth your time.
While at first sight, the town may appear to be quiet (other than on Thursday market days), Axminster offers much to reward you when you take the trouble to zoom in.
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