ASHPRINGTON, or Ashpreignton, is a small neat village, picturesquely seated on a gentle slope, near the confluence of the river Harbourn with the estaury of the Dart, 2½ miles S.E. of Totnes. Its parish contains 588 souls, and 2644 acres of fertile land, including the hamlets of Washbourn and Yeatson and part of Tuckenhay, where there is a large paper mill, a corn mill, and quarries of hard stone, of which great quantities are exported in vessels of 160 tons, to London, &c., for Macadamizing roads. Richard Durant, Esq., owns a great part of the parish, and is lord of the manor of Sharpham, where he has a large and handsome freestone mansion with extensive and well-wooded grounds, descending to the western bank of the river Dart, amidst some of the most beautiful scenery of the valley. He has lately much improved the village by erecting a new inn, and rebuilding many of the cottages. This manor has been held successively by the Winard, French, Prideaux, Drewe, Giles, Yarde, Cockey, Pownall, and Bastard families. Painsford, an ancient mansion, on the banks of the river Harbourn, is the seat and property of Mr. Philip Mitchelmore, and has been successively held by the Piperell, Halwill, Somaster, Kellond, Courtenay, and other families. It was formerly much larger than at present and its dilapidated chapel, though disused since the middle of last century, still retains its pulpit, pews, and altar-piece, and has a suit of armour hanging over the communion rails. The left wing of the house has a fine row of arches. The Rev. G. T. Carwithen, Mr.W. D. Adams, C. Pearce, Esq., Mr. T. Mudge, J. Browne, Esq., and several other freeholders have estates in the parish. The Church (St. David,) is a handsome structure, in the perpendicular style, with a tower and five bells. It has lately been renovated, and new mullions and tracery of Bath stone, have been inserted, chiefly at the expense of Richard Durant, Esq. The clustered columns of the nave have foliated capitals, and in the chancel is a fine recedos, in seven compartments, of Caen stone. On the walls are several handsome marble tablets, in memory of members of the Somaster, Kellond, Bastard, and other families. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £29. 1s. 8d., and in 1831 at £560, is in the patronage of the Rev. T. G. Carwithen, and has been held by the Rev. Jacob Ley, M.A., since 1795. The Rectory House is a neat mansion, and the glebe is 28A. 3R. 17P. The tithes were commuted in 1844, for £537 per annum. The Parish School is a neat building, in the Elizabethan style, erected in 1847, by Richard Durant, Esq., at the cost of £600, and chiefly supported by him. The Church House is occupied by poor families, and here is an Almshouse for six poor persons, given by Sir Edward Giles, Kt., in 1628, but now much dilapidated, and only partially occupied.
