Ilchester

Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, five miles (eight kilometres) north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. Originally a Roman town, and later a market town, Ilchester has a rich medieval history and was a notable settlement in the county; around the 12th and 13th centuries it was effectively the county town. It had, however, declined in size and importance by the beginning of the 18th century, and the last markets were held in 1833. In 1889 the historic corporation that had governed the town (the Bailiff and Burgesses) was dissolved. Ilchester is alternatively called Ivelchester (after the River Ivel) and previously an electoral ward of South Somerset District Council was named Ivelchester.