Ilsington: Walking and History

Two themes offer a starting point for planning a stay in Ilsington: walking and history. The routes described highlight different aspects of the landscape, while buildings and historical traces provide specific points of interest for culturally minded travellers. You can tailor your trip to the route features and historical details mentioned here.

Walking Routes and Landscape

The Ilsington Walk offers views of Haytor Rocks. The Around Ilsington walk passes through a woodland carpeted with bluebells. The Dartmoor Way follows a different route: the section between Ashburton and Bovey Tracey leads into the village of Ilsington.

The features described can help you compare the routes: one focuses on views, another on bluebell woodland, while the Dartmoor Way provides a route into the village. This lets you make your choice based on specific landscape and walking themes.

Parking for the Ilsington Walk is available at Ilsington Parish Hall when the hall is not in use. As parking arrangements may change, check whether this option is available before your visit.

St Michael’s Church and Its History

St Michael’s Church is a Grade I listed building. The lychgate at the western entrance to the churchyard was built in 1908 by Thomas Henry Lyon. Beneath the lychgate are two stone plaques commemorating the wars of 1914–1918 and 1939–1945.

To the right of the west façade of St Michael’s Church is a niche containing a stone statue of St Michael. The original building above the lychgate housed a school for 30 boys in 1639. Alongside its architecture, these details give the churchyard a history of both education and remembrance.

The ruins of a 16th-century manor house stand on the grounds of St Michael’s Church. The cemetery also contains a section of wall that forms part of the surviving structural remains of Ilsington Manor. Ilsington is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a manor. The dates mark different historical points: its mention in the 11th century, the 16th-century manor house and the lychgate built in 1908.

Other Historical Traces

The Bottle Kiln at Applewoods Factory was rebuilt at this site in 1932 or 1934 for Devonmoor Art Pottery. It is believed to be a Revalation Kiln brought here from Candys Pottery in Heathfield, Bovey Tracey. Silverbrook Mine is near Ilsington and produced silver, lead and zinc ores. Together, the two examples illustrate different aspects of industrial history: a rebuilt kiln and a mine that produced several types of ore.

Local Shopping

Ilsington village shop and post office offer gift hampers featuring locally sourced produce to order. If this is of interest when planning your trip, ask about the current selection in advance; the services available there may change.

Discover more destinations: Yelverton, Ipplepen, South Pool, Stoke Rivers, Modbury, Sparkwell, Buckland Monachorum, Crediton

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