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06 Dec 2025
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06 Dec 2025
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On this day in history - Church's Ironmongers (previously The Mermaid Inn). Picture © Philip Wilkinson. Used with permission.
On this day, January 10 1646, General Sir Thomas Fairfax, a key figure in the English Civil War, found refuge in Ashburton. Spending the night at the Mermaid Inn on North Street (now Church’s Ironmongers), General Fairfax and his officers found temporary shelter after a decisive victory over Royalist troops in nearby Bovey Tracey.
Ashburton, serving as a sanctuary, played a crucial role during the turbulent times of the Civil War. The Mermaid Inn and the adjacent Royal Oak hosted Fairfax’s forces as they regrouped.
Today, as No 4, North Street stands as Church’s Ironmongers, it echoes a chapter in history when Ashburton provided a haven for those caught in the crossfire of a nation at war.
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