The Ilsington Walk offers views of Haytor Rocks. If you are considering Ilsington as an overnight destination, you can take the local walks and the village’s specific architectural history into account when planning your trip, alongside the scenery.
St Michael’s Church and its architectural features
The Church of St Michael is listed as a Grade I building. The lychgate at the west entrance to the churchyard was built by Thomas Henry Lyon in 1908. Beneath the lychgate are two stone plaques commemorating the wars of 1914–1918 and 1939–1945. The original building above the lychgate housed a school for 30 boys in 1639. To the right of the west façade is a niche containing a stone statue of St Michael.
Manor house, manor and industrial history
Ilsington was mentioned as a manor in the Domesday Book of 1086. The grounds of St Michael’s Church contain the ruins of a 16th-century manor house. The surviving architectural remains of Ilsington Manor consist of a section of wall in the churchyard of St Michael’s Church. The village’s history therefore includes both an early mention as a manor and later-dated architectural traces.
Another subject is its industrial heritage. The bottle kiln at Applewoods Factory was rebuilt at this site in 1932 or 1934 for Devonmoor Art Pottery. It is thought to be a Revalation Kiln brought here from Candys Pottery in Heathfield, Bovey Tracey. Silverbrook Mine, which produced silver, lead and zinc ores, was near Ilsington. Pottery making and mining thus add further aspects of the village’s history to its ecclesiastical and manorial traces.
Walks with different focuses
The Around Ilsington walk passes through a woodland carpeted with bluebells. The Ilsington Walk has a different focus, offering views of Haytor Rocks. The Ashburton–Bovey Tracey section of the Dartmoor Way leads into the village of Ilsington. The three descriptions differ in their emphasis on woodland, views and route. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider which of these aspects interests you most.
Practical information
Parking for the Ilsington Walk is available at Ilsington Parish Hall, provided the hall is not in use. As parking arrangements may change, it is best to check the current situation before setting off.
Ilsington’s village shop and post office offer gift hampers containing local produce to order. If you are planning to buy one, check with the shop or post office in advance to find out whether orders are currently being accepted. This can help you combine your visit to the village with a specific local offering.
Discover more destinations: Westleigh, Wick, Ware, North Huish, Harberton, Whimple, Braunton, Kings Nympton.
For the broader travel overview: Devon.
