Ashton is a small town in the Western Cape in South Africa. The town is at the foot of the Langeberg mountain range, 10 km southwest of Montagu and 19 km east-southeast of Robertson. It is situated in a valley known for production of wines and fruit.[citation needed]

Ashton
Clockwise from top: Sunset over Ashton, Ashton Railway sign, Ashton Train Station.
Ashton is located in Western Cape
Ashton
Ashton
Ashton is located in South Africa
Ashton
Ashton
Coordinates: 33°50′5″S 20°3′17″E / 33.83472°S 20.05472°E / -33.83472; 20.05472
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictCape Winelands
MunicipalityLangeberg
Area
 • Total
23.5 km2 (9.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
13,325
 • Density570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African40.9%
 • Coloured53.4%
 • Indian/Asian0.2%
 • White5.0%
 • Other0.4%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans58.6%
 • Xhosa35.7%
 • English1.4%
 • Sotho1.3%
 • Other2.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
6715
PO box
6715
Area code023

Ashton is known for its canning factory, which has faced economic challenges in recent years.[2] Ashton is also home to various tourist attractions, including vineyards and steam locomotives.[3]

History

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It was established in 1897 on the Roodewal farm and attained municipal status in January 1956. The town was named after the first station-master.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Sum of the Main Places Zolani and Ashton from Census 2011.
  2. ^ Villette, Francesca (25 January 2024). "Seasonal contracts are cold comfort for retrenched workers at canned fruit factory". IOL. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  3. ^ Ash, Paul. "The loneliness of the last steam train spotters". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 63.