West Ilsley


West Ilsley is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. The population of the village at the 2011 Census was 332.

Location and amenities

It is situated in the West Berkshire district north of the town of Newbury on the Berkshire Downs. There is also an East Ilsley approximately a mile southeast of the village.
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's victory against the Danes. The original Morland Brewery was first set up in West Ilsley in 1711.

Church

All Saints Church, the parish church, dates back to the 12th century. It is now one of nine village churches in the East Downland Benefice, part of the Newbury Deanery and 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 Charles I at West Ilsley Rectory 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

From 18 February 2013, West Ilsley is served by Newbury and District bus services 6 and 6A from Newbury.

Notable residents