Axminster promoted as 'home of community spirit' on BBC series

Axminster's reputation as 'the home of community spirit' was promoted to a national audience, when the town featured on BBC series Escape to the Country. 

A recent episode of the property series saw couple Rob and Maureen from land-locked Leicestershire looking around potential news houses in the Devon and Somerset area. 

They emphasised that while they were looking to enjoy the coast and countryside, they did not want move anywhere too remote and were keen to get involved with an active local community. 

Presenter Alistair Appleton showed them around properties in Curry River, Ashbrittle and Tiverton, and took the couple to Axminster to learn more about volunteering opportunities and community involvement. 

While they did not tour a property in Axminster, the couple did look around Axminster Heritage Centre and the town was shown off to its best with shots of the Minster Green and Trinity Square in the sunshine. 

Axminster was lauded for its proximity to both coast and countryside and opportunities for outdoor pursuits. 

The Mayor of Axminster, Cllr Jill Farrow, gave an interview, commenting: "If you're a dog walker you couldn't live in a better place and you're only six miles from the coast, so you've got the beaches at Charmouth and Seaton, which are absolutely lovely places to visit."

Having only move to the town herself in recent years, Cllr Farrow added: "It's a great place because it's the home of community spirit. We were a little bit worried about moving to a small town and wondering whether or not we'd fit in, but we've been able to get involved in endless community activities and it's been a really happy time."

House hunters Rob and Maureen then visited Axminster's popular Community Waffle House, where co-founder and recently elected district councillor Simon Smith spoke about the venue's work to tackle loneliness and social isolation. 

You can still watch the episode of Escape to the Country on BBC iPlayer at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001mwtw/escape-to-the-country-series-23-54-somerset-and-devon