The next Summer time Carnival week
starts on the last Saturday in June and concludes with the
carnival procession on the first Saturday in July Highlights
include, The Ram Roast at the recreation ground, the fun run
and many other events such as, the duck race, Skittles, darts
and children's fancy dress.
The next Winter Carnival will be held during November.
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The next Ale Tasting & Bread Weighing
Ceremony will be held at St Lawrence Chapel, during July,
commencing at 4.00pm and ending with a medieval fair.
For full details of this event, please see our events
calendar.
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The Carnival is one of the oldest, possibly the oldest, surviving in Devon. Written records date it back to 1891, but it is believed to have been started in the mid 1880s to raise funds for a new hospital.
The original date for the Carnival was in November, after the harvest. 1999 saw its revival, as a supplement to the now established Summer Carnival (see the left hand column for details of dates/events).
At the Summer event ten days of activities culminate in the grand procession of floats on the Saturday and a National Tug-of-War event on the Sunday. |
click to view slide show.  |
| The main function of Carnival is to raise money for local charities, town groups and clubs. This ensures widespread local support. |
| Visit our new Ashburton Carnival Website to see more great pictures! |
| Bread Weighing & Ale Tasting Ceremony |
click to view slide show. |
Another of the town's traditions kept alive and connected with the Office of Portreeve is the Annual Ale Tasting and Bread Weighing Ceremony held near the end of July each year. (see the left hand column for details of the next event)
Until the time of the Magna Carta, there was no check on the price or quality of bread and ale. Ashburton's records of its Ale Tasters fining brewers for selling bad ale date back to the 13th century, soon after the first Ale Conners were appointed in London in 1276. |
| Today's ceremony keeps alive this ancient tradition with a colourful procession through the town, in medieval dress, of members of the Court Leet and Baron Jury, Town Council and other local people, culminating in a Medieval Fair. |
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