Ilchester is a village on the River Yeo in Somerset. It can be found five miles outside of Yeovil. At the last census, the population of Ilchester was recorded at 2,153.
Ilchester has been populated since at least the Roman period, when it went by the name of Lindinis. There was a Roman Fort located on the area. Christian worship has taken place here since at least the 4th Century.
The village was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name of Givelcestre. The area used to house a mint for the Saxons, although it was moved to South Cadbury after the Danes attacked Ilchester.
The governance of Ilchester is a little bit different to some of the other parishes in Somerset. While the Parish Council deals with the bulk of the local issues, there is a separate Town Trust which has been created to deal with repairs to the Town Hall and carry out charitable work. They also have a small amount of control over the Roman cemetery in the area.
Despite its small size, Ilchester has been home to several churches over the centuries. In fact, at least eight churches, two of which are still standing.
The Church of St. Mary Major is the oldest of the two churches in Ilchester. It has been standing since the 13th Century, when it was under the control of Muchelney Abbey. The church is slightly smaller than it would have been back then, though. It went through a huge downsizing in the 15th Century. Parts of the old building were uncovered during a 19th Century restoration. You can see parts of this in the current churchyard.
The Church of St. Andrew is the second church. It was built in the 14th and 15th Centuries. The church was built on the site of an old Roman building, although we are currently unsure as to what that building was.
There is a large school in Ilchester which covers both key stage 1 and key stage 2. There are currently 295 pupils enrolled in the school (as of May 2018 from published data). Secondary school pupils in Ilchester attend school in Yeovil.
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