ASHBURTON

town (parish), Teignbridge district, administrative and historic county of Devon, England, lying on the southeastern margin of Dartmoor. It was designated a stannary (tin-mining) town in 1285. The priest of the Chantry Chapel of St. Lawrence kept a free scole, which survived as a grammar school from the late 16th century until 1938. The Church of St. Andrew in the town was built of granite in the 15th century. The neighbouring village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor is known for an annual fair. The monks of nearby Buckfast Abbey (rebuilt 180638) made Ashburton serge famous in the 16th century. The abbey now houses a Benedictine community. Pop. (1991) 3,660.