West Ilsley is a village and
civil parish in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
, England. The population of the village at the
2011 Census was 332.
Location and amenities
It is situated in
West Berkshire, north of
Newbury on the
Berkshire Downs. The companion village of
East Ilsley is approximately a mile to the southeast. West Ilsley has a public house, The Harrow, and a well supported cricket club.
The Ridgeway passes within a mile of the village.
History
The etymology of the word ''Ilsley'' is that it is derived from ''Hilde-Laege'' which means "Place of conflict", and either West or East Ilsley may be the site of the
Battle of Ashdown,
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...
's victory against the
Dane
Dane or Danes may refer to:
People Pertaining to Denmark
* Dane, somebody from Denmark
* Danes, an ethnic group native to Denmark
* Danes (Germanic tribe)
Other people
* Dane (name), a surname and a given name (and a list of people with the nam ...
s. The original
Morland Brewery was first set up in West Ilsley in 1711.
Church
The parish church of All Saints dates back to the 12th century. It is now one of nine village churches in the East Downland
benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
, which is part of the Newbury
Deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...
in the
Diocese of Oxford. In 1616, the Italian Archbishop,
Marco Antonio de Dominis was appointed Dean of
Windsor and Rector of West Ilsley by
King James I. His successor, Dr
Godfrey Goodman, sheltered
King Charles I at West Ilsley
Rectory
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage.
Function
A clergy house is typically ow ...
during the
English Civil War. In the churchyard are two trees planted by
Queen Victoria's daughter
Princess Helena and her husband Prince Christian, to commemorate the rebuilding of the church's chancel in 1878.
Transport
West Ilsley is served by Newbury and District bus services 6 and 6A from Newbury.
Info at newburyanddistrict.co.uk
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Notable residents
* Marco Antonio de Dominis for a time lived in West Ilsley.
* Edmund Kerchever Chambers, Medieval and Renaissance scholar
*Horse Trainer Mick Channon (the former Southampton footballer), who moved into the village after buying the stables of the former Queen's trainer, Dick Hern.
See also
* List of places in Berkshire
* List of civil parishes in Berkshire
References
External links
West Ilsley village site
Villages in Berkshire
West Berkshire District
Civil parishes in Berkshire
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