Pictures of Ashprington

About Ashprington

Ashprington is a village of great beauty and this is largely due to its fine position high above the rich fertile meadows that slope gently down to the River Dart. The village is encased among the hills of glorious Devonshire countryside. It is a place for tourists to wander and admire the pretty cottages and the church. It is an old village, mentioned in the Domesday Book and although it has existed through many centuries, the village looks today, as though time as somehow passed it by.

The parish church dedicated to St.David occupies a lofty hillside position from which fine views extend all around. It is a splendid church with a graceful 14th-century tower and the beautiful interior has many treasurers among which is a modern pulpit showing inticate carving and magnificent figures. The equally magnificent font is urn shaped and of local stone, it dates from Norman times. This is a fascinating church that is a constant source of amazement, it is a joy to visit and not to be missed.

Most of the cottages are from the 19th-century and are mostly of stone with small porches and lush creeper reaching over walls and doorways. They are fronted by small gardens hemmed in by old stone walls that are a riot of colourful clematis, honeysuckle and wallflowers. It is a mellow and tranquil scene of quiet contentment. On an historic note the Watermans Arms, a welcoming inn, was once an old Smithy and above the village a curving lane leads to a Palladian Mansion built in 1770 by a Captain Pownoll, to a design by Sir Robert Taylor. The house is noted for it's dramatic Elliplical Cantilivered Staircase as well as for the fine grounds, landscaped in the 18th-century by Capability Brown and cover some 550 acres. The Sharpham Trust was set up in 1984 for the protection of the estate. In a magical setting is Sharpham's Vineyard, it's rows of vines sweep down to the edge of the River Dart. Amongst other things, the vineyard also produces fine chees

In the 19th-century paper was milled in a creek just along the Dart. Here a factory was set up in 1806 by a Mr.Tucker who included in his complex a gashouse. Mr.Tucker must have been a man of vision, for his works were a year ahead of the first gashouse to be opened in London.

A visit to this lovely area is a refreshing experience, life is un-hurried and peaceful. The enchanting river has an endless procession of colourful craft floating by and the old cottages blend happily with new build and old buildings restored to become holiday hide-aways.

Nearby places of interest include; Dartmouth with it's wonderful seafaring history, the delightful town of Totness and Brixham, known for smuggling and fishing.