Ilchester
The Town
If you’re a property buyer contemplating a property search around the Yeovil area, ask our independent buying agents about the pretty Somerset town of Ilchester, sometimes called Ivelchester. The town is around five miles north of Yeovil itself, and, as our Recoco buying agent will be happy to show you, pleasantly situated on the River Yeo. Our property search company can confirm the population is around 2,153. If you’d like to know about the local industry, check with our property buying agent - it mainly relates to cheese.
Transport
At one point, as our independent buying agents can tell you, the main east to west A303 road connecting London to the West Country passed through the village. Our real estate buyers agent can show you it’s now part of a dual carriageway bypass to the west. For a property buyer needing to consider rail links as part of their property search, our boutique buying agents can point you towards the closest railway stations. Yeovil Pen Mill is just under six miles away and our property search company can confirm Yeovil Junction is six and a half miles distant. Ask our Recoco property finder about road links: Ilchester lies on the A37 and B3151; our buyers agents will also happily confirm it’s still just a short distance from the A303.
History
If you’re a property buyer who enjoys a little history, you might like to know that Ilchester is first mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book. Our property buying agent can tell you it first appeared as ‘Givelcestre’.
Boutique buying agents will tell you that, as the name suggests, Ilchester was originally a Roman town although archaeological evidence is somewhat patchy. Our Recoco property finder can tell you that in the 12th to 13th centuries it was in effect the county town. The 13th century friary was dissolved as an institution in 1538 at the time of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, however the buildings were still used as a relief prison and silk mill until being demolished in the early 1800s.
Our boutique buying agents will be delighted to show you some of the historic locations that make up the town, including Ilchester Friary. Your real estate buyers agent can also offer you a slightly more detailed history of the town if it’s of interest. By the 16th century Ilchester had declined in importance, becoming a small market town, and by the 18th century, it was less important still. Ask your Recoco buying agent about the effect of the coming of the railways, in particular when Ilchester declined further. It then became somewhat isolated until buses began running in the 1920s and car ownership became more widespread.
If you’d like our property search company to introduce you to some of the most notable historic buildings in the town, ask our Recoco property finder to show you the church of St Mary Major and the Church of St Andrew, both Grade II* listed.
Education
Ilchester Community Primary School has both Infant and Junior schools, or ask our property buying agent about the town’s nursery and pre-schools. Our Recoco buying agent can also outline the local independents, which include Hazlegrove, Sunny Hill Prep from Bruton School for Girls, Millfield, and Wells Cathedral School.
Leisure and Events
There’s always plenty going on in and around the town, with the Fleet Air Arm Museum in particular hosting many events including Christmas concerts. The museum is well worth a visit in its own right too. If stately homes appeal, Lytes Cary manor is nearby, while motor vehicle enthusiasts might find the Haynes International Motor Museum of particular interest.
Celebrity Connections
Ask our buyers agents about local celebrities. Notable medieval scientist and man of letters Roger Bacon, “Doctor Mirabilis”, is said to have been born near or even in Ilchester; or ask your independent buying agents about William Arnold, one of the founding settlers of the Colony of Rhode Island, who was born here.
Foodies’ Corner
Ask our real estate buyers agent for recommendations of local eateries to take a little time out from your property search. If you’re in the mood for Italian, give Nuova Italia a try, or if for delicious breakfasts or lighter meals, Claire’s of Ilchester is sure to please. Several traditional pubs in the locality serve food, including the town’s own Ilchester Arms.
Fun Fact
The River Yeo has two names: it’s also known as the River Ivel.