Exeter & East Devon

Towns & Villages

AXMINSTER

A lovely old market town surrounded by stunning scenery in the valley of the River Axe, Axminster’s name is now a byword for high quality carpets.


The weaver Thomas Whitty made hand-knotted carpets for wealthy clients, initially employing his own daughters to do the work, created the industry in the mid-18th century.


The industry was successfully revived, in a less exclusive form, in the 1930s.

Axminster - Photo: William Bartlett CCL

Axminster Church - Photo: Malcolm Etherington CCL

The oldest building here is the 13th century Church of St Mary the Virgin.


It boasts gargoyles, a Tudor porch, an effigy dated to the 12th century and, of course, a magnificent Axminster carpet.


Equally, the local museum has a section devoted to local carpet making as well as the town’s Saxon origins.

Nearby Forde Abbey dates to the early 12th century and was an important Cistercian monastery.

Forde Abbey - Photo: Chris Downer CCL