Axminster, Devon
Axminster is a little market town on the River Axe in East Devon, most famous for the very fine carpets that were first made here in 1755 and are still produced in a factory on the outskirts of town; over the last 250 years they have graced the likes of Chatsworth House and Brighton Pavilion.
Axminster isn't a busy town by any means, although on Thursday when it's market day the square is bustling with shoppers filling their baskets high with fruit and veg, bread, cheese and the like. Even when it’s quiet, it's relaxing to stroll around and browse the shops, almost all of them independently run; there’s a butcher, a baker, a very good bookshop, a few small cafes, and two supermarkets, so you can certainly get any essentials you need and a few things you hadn't planned on buying besides. If you want to stop for food there's The George Hotel in the middle of town and the ever popular Community Waffle House.
The church that stands on Minster Green dates back to Saxon times, at the old Brush Works down over Castle Hill, there’s a feather factory where the most exquisite plumes are made for the military and top fashion designers, and just a few miles from town is Hugh Fearney-Whittingstall's River Cottage.
All information correct at the time of writing