News in Axminster

Just as the country went into lockdown a new and extensive history of Axminster was about to be published.

Written by David Knapman and published by Axminster Heritage Centre, 'Unsteady Progress, a History of Axminster from 1701 to 2000' traces the town's story over three centuries, starting at the point when accessible records become both regular and reasonably frequent.

A group of ladies which made up the Axminster Scrub Hub have put away their sewing machines after an 'amazing effort' in helping to supply NHS frontline workers with personal protection equipment.

The Axminster Hub was one of hundreds set up all over the country to help protect doctors, nurses and care workers looking after coronavirus patients.

A NEW interactive map has confirmed there have been ten COVID-19 related deaths in the Axminster area.

The map has been launched by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and allows the public to search for COVID-19 related deaths by electoral area using their postcode.

Axminster bid a fond but tearful farewell to three-times mayor Douglas Hull this afternoon.

Dozens of people, including civic and community leaders, friends and neighbours, gathered in Trinity Square and on The MInster Green to pay their last respects tothe councillor who served the town for more than 50 years.

In an effort to help our readers who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have compiled a list of jobs currently hiring in and around Axminster to give you a helping hand in your job hunt!

Therapeutic Childcare Practitioner

Police are appealing for information after a pair of cannons – said to have been used in blockbuster film Pirates of the Caribbean - were stolen from a village near Axminster.

The one-and-a-half-tonne, cast-iron items were taken from a farm in Dalwood between Thursday, May 28 and Monday, June 1.

The A35 near Axminster was closed this morning following a serious accident.

The road was closed by police between Old Taunton Road at Shute and Studhayes Road, Kilmington.

A new Government Discretionary Grant aimed at supporting small businesses and charities in East Devon was launched yesterday.

Online applications will remain open for two weeks until June 24 on the East Devon website.

The new chairman of East Devon District Council is set to launch legal action against the government over the death of her father in a care home, thought to be caused by COVID-19.

Dr Cathy Gardner's dad Michael Gibson was 88 when he passed away at Cherwood House in Oxfordshire after falling seriously ill.

PLANS have been submitted to reconfigure the car park at Axminster Hospital, which will see an increase of 14 spaces.

A proposal to reconfigure the car park, together with the creation of an internal access serving the hospital's Scott Rowe Building, has been submitted to East Devon District Council.