Ilmington is an attractive village, situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, four miles north-west of Shipston on Stour. It has many mellow stone built cottages with mullioned windows. The land is very hilly, rising from 225 feet in the north of the parish, to 854 feet on Ilmington Down, in the south-west, the highest point in Warwickshire.
The village is long and rambling, with two greens, Lower and Upper Green. Lower Green is overlooked by cottages, the Howard Arms Inn and the village store. Upper Green contains a chalybeate (iron minerals) spring, which was in use until about 1781, when the common fields were enclosed. The site was given to the public in 1699.
Behind Upper Green, is a Catholic Church, St. Philips, which was a school from 1867 until 1931. The road here has a strange name, “Grump Street”. On this street, is Crab Mill, which dates from 1711. St. Mary’s Church is Norman and sits below Upper Green, approached only by a footpath passing south of it.
