Ashton, Devon
| Higher Ashton | |
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 Cottages viewed from the backyard of the St John the Baptists Church |
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 Higher Ashton
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| Higher Ashton shown within Devon | |
| Population | 203 (2011 Census) |
| Civil parish |
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| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Ashton |
| Postcode district | EX6 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
Ashton is a civil parish in the Teignbridge district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 174, and it had a population of 203 according to the 2011 census. The parish consists of two villages, Higher Ashton and Lower Ashton, and is on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. The France Brook flows through most of Ashton just south of its main road, and along Ashton's eastern boundary flows the River Teign. The parish is located approximately 13 km north of Newton Abbot, and roughly 10 km to the south west of its nearest city, Exeter. Historically, Ashton has primarily been based inside the agricultural sector, but one of its most notifiable landmarks is the St John the Baptists church located in the Higher Ashton district.
In the 1880s, the descriptive gazetteer for Ashton was:
"Ashton, par. with ry. sta., E. Devon, 4 miles N. of Chudleigh, 1709 ac., pop. 195."
The manor was long the seat of the Chudleigh family, from about 1320 to 1745, which originated at the manor of Chudleigh, 3 miles south of Ashton, and for which was created the Chudleigh baronetcy in 1622. Whilst Ashton became the birthplace of a long line of Chudleigh family members, it was Sir George Chudleigh who was the 1st Baronet during the civil war and sided with both the parliament firstly and then the Royalists later on.
The unitary authority over Ashton is the Devon County Council, but due to its location it can also be managed on a more local scale by the Exeter City Council.
In relation to London, Ashton is approximately 176 miles to the south west. Typically, Ashton's height above sea level is around 100m, but this varies as along the main road the elevation is lower in general. The majority of urban land in Ashton lies near to the France Brook river through the middle of Ashton, but directly north and south of the main road that follows the river are two small hills of elevated land. The majority of the geology of the land is built up from permian breccias, sandstones and volcanics, but small amounts of greensand and gault can also be found nearby. Most of Ashton's residential land is located in the Lower Ashton area, near or behind the Manor Inn, but the church, great barn and a few cottages are located in Higher Ashton.
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Wikipedia