Dictionary - Definition of AXMINSTER

Axminster

Axminster

Axminster shown within Devon
Population	6,000
OS grid reference	SY295985
Shire county	Devon
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	AXMINSTER
Postcode district	EX13
Dialling code	01297
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	East Devon
List of places: UK • England • Devon

Coordinates: 50°46′52″N 3°00′00″W / 50.7812, -3.0001

Axminster is a small market town on the eastern border of Devon, England. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Axmouth and is in the East Devon local government district. The market is still held every Thursday.

Axminster gave its name to a type of carpet. An Axminster-type power loom is capable of weaving high quality carpets with many varying colours and patterns. While Axminster carpet is made in the town of Axminster this type of carpet is now manufactured all over the world.

History

The town dates back to the Celtic times of around 300 BC. It lies on two major Roman roads, the Fosse Way from Lincoln to Seaton, and the Dorchester-Exeter road. There was a Roman fort on the crossroads at Woodbury Farm, just south of the present town.

Axminster was recorded in the late 9th century as Ascanmynster and in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Aixeministra. The name means "monastery or large church by the River Axe" and is a mixture of languages; the river name Axe has Celtic origins and mynster is an Old English word.

The history of the town is very much linked to the carpet industry, started by Thomas Whitty at Court House near the church in 1755. The completion of the early hand tufted carpets was marked by a peal of bells from the parish church as it took a great amount of time and labour to complete them.

Axminster Parish Church

Axminster Railway Station was opened on 19 July 1860, with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) offering direct services between Queen Street Station in Exeter and Yeovil. The station building was designed by the LSWR's architect Sir William Tite in mock gothic style. In 1903, the branch line from Axminster to Lyme Regis was opened. This branch line was closed with the Beeching cuts, in the 1960s. The engine has been preserved on the Bluebell Line, in Sussex, while the station was dismantled and reconstructed at New Alresford, on the Watercress Line, in Hampshire.

Axminster is the southern starting point of the Taunton Stop Line, a World War II defensive line consisting of pillboxes and anti-tank obstacles, which runs north to the Somerset coast near Highbridge.

Nearby Kilmington was used as a location for the 1998 LWT adaptation of Tess of the d'Urbervilles. The celebrity chef and TV presenter Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has his River Cottage H.Q. at a 60 acre farm in the Axe valley. He has since purchased an old inn of the town to convert to an organic produce shop/market and canteen.

Leisure facilities and shops

The town has Cloakham Lawns, the Axe Valley Sports Centre and Flamingo Swimming Pool, a library, several churches and a museum of local history. Shops include two supermarkets, a small department store and several independent retailers including the world famous Axminster Power Tool Centre.

Education

Axe Valley Community College
Axminster Community Primary School
St. Mary's Primary School
All Saints Community Primary School

Local attractions

Axminster Museum
Backdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
East Devon Way
Forde Abbey
Jurassic Coast
Lambert's Castle
Loughwood Meeting House
Musbury Castle
Shute Barton

Transport

Axminster station

Road

Axminster is at the crossroads of the A358 which links with the A303 at Ilminster and the A35 from Southampton to Honiton, which has been diverted by a bypass to the south of the town.

Rail

Axminster railway station is on the West of England Main Line that runs from Exeter via Salisbury to London Waterloo.

Geography

Axminster is located at 50°47′00″N, 03°00′00″W (50.7833, -3.0000)¹.

The parish church is located at Ordnance Survey mapping six-figure grid reference SY 296985

Devon villages within 5 miles (8.0 km) of Axminster include; Chardstock, Colyford, Colyton, Combpyne, Dalwood, Hawkchurch, Kilmington, Membury, Musbury, Raymond's Hill, Rousdon, Shute, Smallridge, Tytherleigh, Uplyme and Whitford.

Twin towns

Douvres-la-Délivrande, France

Famous residents

Steve Benbow – Folk musician
William Buckland – Geologist and palaeontologist
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Celebrity chef

External links

References

Mee, A. The King's England:Devon (Hodder and Stoughton, 1965); p. 25-26.
Mills, A. D. Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280074-4.

Ceremonial county of Devon

Unitary authorities	Plymouth • Torbay

Boroughs or districts	Exeter • East Devon • Mid Devon • North Devon • Torridge • West Devon • South Hams • Teignbridge

Cities and towns	Appledore • Ashburton • Axminster • Barnstaple • Beer • Bideford • Bradninch • Brixham • Buckfastleigh • Budleigh Salterton • Chagford • Chudleigh • Colyford • Colyton • Cranbrook • Crediton • Cullompton • Dartmouth • Dawlish • Exeter • Exmouth • Great Torrington • Hartland • Hatherleigh • Holsworthy • Honiton • Ilfracombe • Ivybridge • Kingsbridge • Moretonhampstead • Newton Abbot • North Tawton • Northam • Okehampton • Ottery St Mary • Paignton • Plymouth • Princetown • Salcombe • Sampford Courtenay • Seaton • Sherford • Sidmouth • South Molton • Tavistock • Teignmouth • Tiverton • Topsham • Torquay • Totnes • Westward Ho! See also: List of civil parishes in Devon

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Axminster". Image Credit.
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Part of Speech	Definition
Noun	1. An Axminster carpet, an imitation Turkey carpet, noted for its thick and soft pile; -- so called from Axminster, Eng.[Websters].
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)		Top

Domain	Definition
Industry	Carpets made by automatic looms. Source: European Union. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.		Top

Expressions	Definition
Axminster railway station	Axminster railway station serves the town of Axminster in East Devon. It formally was the junction for Lyme Regis. Also the closed Seaton Junction station lies to the west near the village of Shute. The station has 2 platforms, but only one is in use on the single line. There have been proposals to construct a 3 mile passing loop through the station (reports in the [http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=137021&command=displayContent&sourceNode=137015&contentPK=11952574&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch Express and Echo]) along with another at Whimple to enable a more frequent service to Exeter. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.		Top

Expressions	Domain	Definition
Rug setter, Axminster	Occupations	Operates machine to wind yarn from short spools onto longer spools in specified color arrangement to prepare yarn for weaving into rugs: Positions spools of yarn on creel as specified by pattern chart. Threads ends of yarn through reeds, tension devices, and guides, as specified by pattern chart. Adjusts tension on thread. Clamps ends to takeup (long) spool. Starts machine and observes winding for yarn tangles and breaks. $T3Pieces up$T1 broken ends. Stops machine when specified amount of yarn has been wound, cuts yarn with cutting blade, places clamp onto spool to hold yarn in place, and replaces spool with empty one. May be designated according to machine for which yarn is prepared as Rug Setter, Six-Quarter Machine (carpet & rug); Rug Setter, Three-Quarter Machine (carpet & rug). May operate machine to wind yarn onto $T3loom beams$T1 and be designated Rug Setter, Velvet (carpet & rug). (references)
Weaver, Axminster	Occupations	Tends automatic looms simultaneously that weave pile yarn, filling yarn, and warp yarn material to produce carpets and rugs with various colored designs: Starts previously set up loom and observes weaving to detect breaks in yarn and weaving defects. Stops loom, $T3pieces up$T1 broken ends, and removes filling yarn back to point where defect begins to correct imperfections. Pulls lever to actuate endless chain that moves spools of pile yarn into position for weaving. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.			Top

Topics by Level of Interest: AXMINSTER
Topics sorted by level of Interest	Level (1=low, 600=high)	Topics sorted Alphabetically	Level (1=low, 600=high)
Axminster	22	Axminster	22
Axminster railway station	14	Axminster Museum	4
Axminster Town A.F.C.	5	Axminster railway station	14
Axminster Museum	4	Axminster Town A.F.C.	5
Source: the editor, created by/for EVE to gauge likely levels of human interest in linguistically triggered topics (compiled across various sources, such as Wikipedia and specialty expression glosses).

Definition: AXMINSTER

Specialty Definition: AXMINSTER

Common Expressions: AXMINSTER

Specialty Expressions: AXMINSTER

Extended Definition: AXMINSTER