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Axminster’s story - told through our street banners
Axminster’s story - told through our street banners
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Scratch the surface of Axminster and you find a town with a fascinating story to tell, relating to both its past and its present. Banners are a great way in which to bring those various stories to the fore while also brightening the streets through the summer-time.


an Axminster Chamber of Commerce project

Two banners mounted above Lou La Belle in Axminster

The story so far

The Axminster banners adventure began in 2021 when a small group of three enthusiasts got together to make a plan to brighten the town centre. We recognised that banners were a great way in which to inject colour, but also an opportunity to celebrate what matters about the town. We then set about getting permissions and fund raising before delivering an initial 16 banners. In 2023, we raised more money and expanded to 26 banners. Our ambition in 2024 is to grow to a final trail of 36 banners and to cover a substantial area of the town centre.


Banners painting team

Such a great crew

Our success is down to one powerful asset - willing volunteers. Without people giving their time, skills and enthusiasm the project could never have succeeded. From the ladies who cut and stitch the fabric, through the designers who come up with ideas, the painters who spend hour after hour bringing them to life and the display team who take them onto the streets - we thank them all. Likewise all the people who have contributed financially. Axminster is definitely better for its banners!

How we do it

Our banners are hand-made from start to finish. Let us take you through the different stages in the preparation of an Axminster banner. This little video is also an opportunity for us to say a huge thank you to the dedicated team of volunteers who make the project possible. From those who sew the fabric to our designers, painters and the display crew. We couldn’t do it without you!

The banners and their stories

1 - 2: The Crest That Tells a Story


Have you ever taken a close look at the Axminster coat of arms? The key elements are a golden globe surmounted by a cross, battle axes, the Minster church and a carpet weaving shuttle.


Location: The Guildhall, West Street

Sponsor: Axminster Town Council

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3: Tribute to a Great Monarch


Our special 2022 banner celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of incredible service.


Location: Melanie Brown Hair & Beauty, George Street

Sponsor: Acorn Gift Shop

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4: Welcoming Our New King 


The official Coronation emblem pays tribute to the King's love of the natural world and is based on the flora of the four nations.


Location: Former River Cottage, Trinity Square


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5: A Town With a Heart


Axminster’s road network neatly creates a heart around a town that is known for its big heart.


Location: Former River Cottage, Trinity Square

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6: Outstandingly Beautiful Countryside


Whichever direction you go from Axminster you are quickly into some of Britain’s most stunning landscape


Location: Axminster Inn, Silver Street

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7: Putting the Axe Into Axminster


The glorious River Axe rises as a small stream near Crewkerne in Dorset and runs a total of 22 miles before emptying into the sea at Axmouth


Location: Belluno Church Street

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8: Countryside shaped by farming


Farming has done much to shape the East Devon countryside as a rolling green landscape


Location: The Bakehouse, West Street


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9: Built On Independent Traders


The Axminster economy has grown up around small local businesses that are embedded in the community and serve it through thick and thin.


Location: Lou La Belle, Trinity Square

Sponsor: Lou La Belle

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10: Wild and Wonderful


Wildlife around Axminster is as varied as the countryside, with huge habitat diversity


Location: Bennett & Rogers, West Street


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11: Great British Brushes


Axminster was once an important British centre for the manufacture of tooth, nail and hairbrushes, employing hundreds of local people


Location: Castle Inn, Castle Hill

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12: Sport For Everyone


It doesn’t matter whether you are eight or eighty, there is plenty of sport to be enjoyed in and around Axminster.


Location: The George Hotel, George Street


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13: The Power of Community


Axminster is particularly strong when it comes to community, with a pervading sense of caring and belonging


Location: Reflection Hair & Beauty, Chard Street

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14: A Great Tradition Revived


The Cherry Fayre is a popular feature of Axminster’s annual calendar and a tradition that dates back over 800 years


Location: Masonic Hall, South Street

Sponsor: Monday Afternoon Crafts Group at the Guildhall (Hazel Hunt, Christine Newton, Jayne Brown, Jenny Frend, Cheryl Gardner, Caroline Smith)


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15: Rail Link to So Much More


To many it’s a route to work, but Axminster Railway Station is also a tourist gateway for those who love the beautiful Jurassic Coast.


Location: For the Love of a Railway, Chard Street

Sponsor: Matthew Gunstone

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16: The Home of Carpet Making


Axminster’s tradition of carpet making has taken the name of the town across the world and contributed greatly to local prosperity


Location: Belluno, Church Street

Sponsor: Axminster Carpets

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17: Shed Drives Projects


The Axminster Community Shed has been in existence only since early 2022 but is already making a significant contribution to local life.


Location: Axminster Post Office, West Street


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18: Lest We Forget


We all owe a huge debt to the men and women who have up their lives to ensure the freedoms that we all enjoy today.


Location: Axminster Banking Hub, Trinity Square


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19: A Ruin With a Big History


Today, there are no above ground signs of it but for many years Newenham Abbey was the single most important building in the original parish of Axminster.


Location: Swish & Flick, Victoria Place

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20: Famous For Feathers


Did you know that Axminster is famous for feathers? They appear in films and on tv, military finery, fashion accessories and quill pens.


Location: Tudor Cottage Care Home, South Street

Sponsor: Jaffe et Fils


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21: Where Justice Was Done


This used to be the home of law and order in Axminster - it’s police station and also the courthouse where misdeeds were dealt with. The large room on the upper floor was the Court. The police station and cells were at the rear.


Location: The Old Courthouse, West Street


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22: The Magic of Market Day


The hustle and bustle of the street market brings extra vibrance to Trinity Square each Thursday. It is today’s face of a tradition that stretches right back to the 13th century.


Location: The Vape Shop, Chard Street


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23: A Community That Loves to Perform


Axminster is a vibrant community in so many ways, none more so than in its capacity to perform via live events. This banner celebrates a whole host of performances.


Location: Morgan & York, Victoria Place


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24: Key Role In D-Day Planning


Axminster was the site of an American hospital built as provision for the soldiers from D-Day. The empty buildings were occupied by locals before the site became the Millwey estate.


Location: Sweet Shop, Trinity Square




19: A Ruin With a Big History


Today, there are no above ground signs of it but for many years Newenham Abbey was the single most important building in the original parish of Axminster.


Location: The Bakehouse, West Street

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25: Showcasing a Community


The Axe Vale Show showcases the very best that Axminster and the surrounding area has to offer, with the emphasis very much on participation and community involvement.


Location: Axminster Jewellers

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26: Proud To Be a Twin


This banner celebrates Axminster’s close relationship with its French twin town of Douvres la Délivrande, a small community in Normandy near the D-Day beaches and close to the city of Caen.


Location: Scott Rowe, Chard Street

Sponsor: Morton’s Pharmacy


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27: Passionate About Learning


We set years 5 and 6 pupils at Axminster Community Primary Academy the challenge of designing their own banner, and this beauty is what they came up with.


Location: The Tiffin Box, Trinity Square

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28: The Minster Church


The Minister Church of St Mary is very much at the heart of Axminster, both in terms of its role in the community and its physical location at the very centre of the town.


Location: The Fabric Shop, West Street


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29: Skatepark is on a Roll


The Axminster Skatepark has evolved over the past 20 years and is a state-of-the-art facility where riders of all ages and abilities support one another in progressing their skills.


Location: Currently not in use


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30: Working for Businesses


This banners campaign is an initiative from Axminster Chamber of Commerce. We also brought you the Axminster Scarecrow Trail and have been a prime mover in the ‘For the Love of a Railway’ project .


Location: Westcotts, South Street

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31: Wild About Wildlife


Axe Valley Wildlife Park is a fabulous family friendly attraction and is home to species ranging from rare breed goats to zebras, flamingoes and mongooses.


Location: Rabbithole Barbershop, South Street

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33: When Stage Coaches Called


In the second half of the 1700s Axminster became an important stage coach stop on what became known as the Trafalgar Way between Exeter and London.


Location: Ganesha, South Street

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32: It’s Carnival Time!


Everyone knows that in September the towns across East Devon gear themselves up for Carnival Season - and Axminster’s is one of the highlights as the town comes alive.


Location: Whitty’s Bar, Silver Street

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Your Chamber Supporting Your Community

The banners project is brought to you by Axminster Chamber of Commerce and our Totally Locally Axminster retail campaign offshoot. We initiated the banners as part of our drive to play our part in the revival of Axminster and to help make it a place where people want to shop and enjoy their leisure hours. Please visit our website to learn more about our work. If you own a business please join.