Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Ashbourne
St. Oswald's Church, Ashbourne
Ashbourne  Ashbourne shown within Derbyshire
Population	10,302 (Parish)
OS grid reference	SK1846
Civil parish	Ashbourne
District	Derbyshire Dales
Shire county	Derbyshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ASHBOURNE
Postcode district	DE6
Dialling code	01335
Police	Derbyshire
Fire	Derbyshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
EU Parliament	East Midlands
UK Parliament	West Derbyshire
List of places: UK • England • Derbyshire

Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.

The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.

Local customs

Main article: Royal Shrovetide Football

Ashbourne is known for its annual two-day Royal Shrovetide Football Match, in which one half of the town plays the other at football, using the town as the pitch and with the goals three miles apart. As many as several thousand players compete for two days with a hand-painted, cork-filled ball. The game is played by two teams, the Up'ards and the Down'ards, over two eight-hour periods, subject to only a few rules. Shrovetide football has been played for centuries and possibly for over 1,000 years. It is a moving brawl which continues through the roads of the town, across fields, and even along the bed of the local river. There have been intermittent attempts to ban the game but none have been successful.

Economy

Former Nestle creamery circa 2006, before demolition

From 1910, Nestle had a creamery in the town, which for a period was contracted to produce Carnation condensed milk. The factory had its own private sidings connected to the railway station goods yard, which allowed milk trains to access the facility, and distribute product as far south as London. After milk trains ceased in 1965, the railway track was lifted and the station fully closed. The factory closed in 2003, and since demolition in 2006 is being redeveloped as housing and a light industrial estate.

Tourism

The Tissington Trail, a popular recreational walk and cycle path, starts at Mappleton Lane on the northern outskirts of town and follows the course of the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway, running from what was Ashbourne railway station through the village of Tissington and joining the High Peak Trail (the old Cromford and High Peak Railway) at Parsley Hay. The line, which had been built in 1894, closed to regular passenger traffic in 1954, and all services on the Ashbourne-Parsley Hay section, including excursion traffic, ceased in 1964.

The line continued down the Dove to Rocester near Uttoxeter where it joined the main North Staffordshire Railway. This southern link had opened in 1899. It also closed to passengers in 1954, finishing completely in the early 1960s.

A branch of the Limestone Way also starts in the town.

Ashbourne Churches Together (ACT) has a link with the Diocese of Patna in the ecumenical Church of North India. Regular visits take place in both directions and members of ACT are currently sponsoring the education of children in a school in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India.

Ashbourne became the 97th Fairtrade Town in March 2005 after many businesses, cafes, shops and community organisations started supporting Fairtrade.

Ashbourne is also a market town, and as granted its Market Charter in 1257. The cobbled market place hosts the traditional outdoor market every Thursday and Saturday throughout the year. Complementing the wide range of individual shops in the town. Although it's market heritage is prominently important, it has recently come under threat from the council to be closed.

The town of Ashbourne has an online petition to refuse the move from the council http://old.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/about_the_council/democratic_processes_and_events/publicparticipation/petitions/ePetitions/details/default.asp?PetitionID=194 and would much appreciate any signatures possible to keep the historic market open

Notable people

Catherine Booth's birthplace. 13 Sturston Road, Ashbourne.

• Catherine Booth, 'Mother of the Salvation Army', was born here in 1829
• Sir Brooke Boothby, 6th Baronet, poet, was born here in 1704
• Thomas Brown, Garter King of Arms was born here in 1708
• Henry Cantrell, clergyman and religious controversialist, was born here in 1684
• George Hayne (died 1723), merchant and entrepreneur
• Francis Charles Robert Jourdain (1865–1940), ornithologist
• Catherine Pegge Mistress to Charles II, mother to Charles FitzCharles, 1st Earl of Plymouth resident of Yeldersley.
• David Redfern (born 1935), photographer
• Dave Tyack (1978-c. 2002), guitarist and singer
• Sir Aston Cockayne 1st Baronet Cockayne of Ashbourne
• William Corden the Elder (1795-1867), portrait painter

• 

  Catherine Booth

The German football squad trained on one of Ashbourne's many pitches (situated near the park) during the famous 1966 World Cup.

Geography

• Ashbourne is located at 53°01′00″N 01°43′00″W (53.0167, -1.7167)¹. Ashbourne Green and Sturston are hamlets close by.

External links

• Ashbourne Town Official Website
• Visit Ashbourne site
• Ashbourne Fairtrade Town Initiative
• Ashbourne Rugby Union Football Club
• Ashbourne Sub-Aqua Club
• Ashbourne Shrovetide Football
• Thisisderbyshire.co.uk/ashbourne
• Ashbourne Churches Together
• Article: 5 Things To Do In Ashbourne

http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/about_the_council/democratic_processes_and_events/publicparticipation/petitions/ePetitions/details/default.asp?PetitionID=194