The village was historically noted for its great Sheep Fairs, and more recently for its horse-racing connections. The village of East Ilsley, which can be traced back to the Domesday Book, is situated in the North Wessex Downs, in Berkshire, England in an area of outstanding natural beauty. 

New additions to the site –

• Surname lists to help you find documents of interest on our ‘Resources’ page – these lists are under ‘People/Village surnames’
• New feature articles on our ‘Resources’ page 

This site, which is devoted to the history of the village of East Ilsley, its environs and its inhabitants, is maintained by the East Ilsley Local History Society.

The Society is dedicated to preserving East Ilsley’s heritage (village records, documents, photographs, maps, etc.), researching aspects of village life and history, then making results and archive material available for the benefit of anyone with an interest in the village.

We hope that you find the site interesting.  If you have any questions or comments, please send us a message. If you have an interest in any particular aspect of the village, its history and its people, please get in touch. Anyone is welcome to contribute a story or an article.

If you would like to help support the work of the Society, you can make a donation via this link. Donations, however small, are gratefully received. This helps to cover the expenses of this website and occasional exhibitions. Donors can be added to our mailing list for Newsletters (usually 2 per year).