Ilmington
Encyclopedia
Ilmington is a village and civil parish about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-west of Shipston-on-Stour
and 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Stratford-on-Avon in the Cotswolds
(Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
) in Warwickshire, England. Ilmington is the highest village in Warwickshire and is at the foot of the Ilmington Downs
, which is the highest point in Warwickshire
. Residents are called "Ilmingtonians".
was Ylmandunes in Old English. This evolved into Elmington because it had many elm
trees. When Dutch Elm Disease
came to England it killed the trees and now none remain in the village.
The Elizabethan poet Sir Thomas Overbury
was born at Compton Scorpion Manor, just south of the village.
In 1934 the Royal Christmas Message
broadcast by King George V of England was relayed worldwide from Ilmington Manor, home of the Flower family, and introduced by 65 year old Walton Handy, a local shepherd, with carols from the church choir and bell ringing from the church.
of St Mary the Virgin
is Norman
and dates from about the middle of the 12th century. Its bell tower
has five bells cast by Henry Bagley of Chacombe in 1641, plus three later bells added to make the present ring
of eight. The Church of England
parish is now part of a single benefice
with the parishes of Preston-on-Stour
, Stretton-on-Fosse
and Whitchurch
. It cannot be directly accessed by road but instead by a pathway.
of Kilburn
carved the pulpit and pews for the church. He also carved his signature mice in eleven places throughout the church.
varieties grown in the village. Many people come to the Apple Days which celebrate the history of the small orchard
s in the village. The children at the local school devised the apple walk.
primary school. It has a village hall
, village shop and Post Office
sharing the same building. Ilmington Revolution Football Club plays on Ilmington playing field. Ilmington has a Cotswold Morris dancing side.
Ilmington has two public house
s, The Howard Arms (a gastropub
) and The Red Lion (Hook Norton Brewery
)
Shipston-on-Stour
Shipston-on-Stour is a town and civil parish on the River Stour about south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. It is in the northern part of the Cotswolds, close to the boundaries with Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire....
and 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Stratford-on-Avon in the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
(Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
) in Warwickshire, England. Ilmington is the highest village in Warwickshire and is at the foot of the Ilmington Downs
Ilmington Downs
The Ilmington Downs are a large open area situated in Warwickshire, just above the small village of Ilmington.The fact that makes the downs special is that it is the highest point in Warwickshire at 858 feet. As it is higher than the rest of the land around it, it has good views and it allows...
, which is the highest point in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. Residents are called "Ilmingtonians".
History
In the 10th century the village's toponymToponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
was Ylmandunes in Old English. This evolved into Elmington because it had many elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
trees. When Dutch Elm Disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
came to England it killed the trees and now none remain in the village.
The Elizabethan poet Sir Thomas Overbury
Thomas Overbury
Sir Thomas Overbury was an English poet and essayist, and the victim of one of the most sensational crimes in English history...
was born at Compton Scorpion Manor, just south of the village.
In 1934 the Royal Christmas Message
Royal Christmas Message
The Queen's Christmas Message is a broadcast made by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms to the Commonwealth of Nations each Christmas. The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by George V on the British Broadcasting Corporation Empire Service...
broadcast by King George V of England was relayed worldwide from Ilmington Manor, home of the Flower family, and introduced by 65 year old Walton Handy, a local shepherd, with carols from the church choir and bell ringing from the church.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St Mary the Virgin
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
is Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
and dates from about the middle of the 12th century. Its bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
has five bells cast by Henry Bagley of Chacombe in 1641, plus three later bells added to make the present ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of eight. The Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish is now part of a single benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
with the parishes of Preston-on-Stour
Preston-on-Stour
Preston-on-Stour is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England found some four kilometres south of Stratford-on-Avon. As the village name suggests the River Stour flows along its eastern fringe and the A3400 runs about 1 kilometre east. The village was historically part of Gloucestershire...
, Stretton-on-Fosse
Stretton-on-Fosse
Stretton-on-Fosse is a small village and civil parish with fewer than 200 houses, most built of Cotswold stone or locally-made red brick, situated on the Warwickshire-Gloucestershire border on the fringe of the Cotswold Hills.-History:...
and Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Warwickshire
Whitchurch is a small hamlet south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. it used to be a detached part of Worcestershire until 1931.It consists of 5 properties. There are 19 people living in Whitchurch....
. It cannot be directly accessed by road but instead by a pathway.
Robert Thompson
Robert (Mousey) ThompsonRobert (Mousey) Thompson
Robert Thompson was a British furniture maker. He lived in Kilburn, North Yorkshire, where he set up a business manufacturing oak furniture, which featured a carved mouse on almost every piece...
of Kilburn
Kilburn, North Yorkshire
Kilburn is a small village in North Yorkshire, England that is known for two reasons: the White Horse, and the Mouseman.The White Horse is a figure cut into the hillside to the north of the village, and visible for many miles around on a clear day....
carved the pulpit and pews for the church. He also carved his signature mice in eleven places throughout the church.
The Apple Map and June Hobson
June Hobson was a gardener and artist who lived in the village. She inspired villagers to embroider the map which is a copy of old maps which showed where all of the orchards in the village were. It shows that there were an unusually large amount of small orchards in the village. The Apple Map is displayed in the village church. Ilmington Apple Day starts with guided viewing of the Apple Map in the church before a search for some of the 38 different appleApple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
varieties grown in the village. Many people come to the Apple Days which celebrate the history of the small orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s in the village. The children at the local school devised the apple walk.
Amenities
Ilmington has a Church of EnglandVoluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
primary school. It has a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, village shop and Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
sharing the same building. Ilmington Revolution Football Club plays on Ilmington playing field. Ilmington has a Cotswold Morris dancing side.
Ilmington has two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, The Howard Arms (a gastropub
Gastropub
Gastropub or Gastrolounge refers to a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food.The term gastropub, a portmanteau of gastronomy and pub, originated in England in the late 20th century. English pubs were drinking establishments and little emphasis was placed on the serving of food. If...
) and The Red Lion (Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton Brewery is a regional brewery in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England, founded in 1849. The brewing plant is a traditional Victorian "tower" brewery in which all the stages of the brewing process flow logically from floor to floor; mashing at the top, boiling in the middle, fermentation...
)