Pictures of Ilmington

About Ilmington

At a point just beyond the edge of the Cotswolds the land rises to form Ilmington Down, 854ft high and the highest point in Warwickshire.

Ilmington is a sprawling village, and mostly has all the Cotswold hallmarks - large mellow stone-built houses with beautiful mullioned windows are interspersed with black and white cottages that have creeper clad walls and pretty gardens. The village has two village greens, known locally as Lower Green and Upper Green. An inn and some cottages overlook Lower Green and Upper Green looks over cottages, houses, an orchard and the parish church of St.Mary's. Two attractive properties are situate at the end of Upper Green - The Manor House dates from the 16th-century, and Crab Mill dates 1711.

The splendid 17th and 18th-century Compton Scorpion Manor, home of Sir Adrian Beecham, son of the famous orchestral conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, lies just south of the village. Foxcote, another property, is an impressive early-Georgian house with nine bays.

Tradition matters here and interestingly some rural customs are kept alive - sheep hurdles are still made by a centuries old method, and the Ilmington Morris Dancers perform for village fete's in the summer-time.

You can enjoy a hearty meal at either of the two village inns and at close-by Mickleton there is a pleasant Antique centre. Travel a little further and you will come to the old Long Marston Airfield, here a Sunday Antique Market is held with buyers and sellers from all over the county. Another, larger and more imposing Antique centre is sited at Long Marston.

Within this 'Honey Pot' of delightful Cotswold villages are two National Trust properties that are well worth a visit, the Tithe Barn at South Littleton and Hidcote Manor at nearby Hidcote Boyce. Not to be missed are the lovely gardens of Kiftsgate Court.