The village of Islip was first inhabited shortly after the Roman occupation of Britain, as evidenced by the various artifacts which have been found in and around the village, dating back to this period in history, although most artifacts found have been Saxon in origin, rather than Roman.

The village was originally named 'Giht-sleb' in medieval times, meaning 'slippery slope'; eventually, this name evolved to become 'Islip' meaning 'slippery place by the river'.

It is widely thought by historians that King Edward the Confessor was born in the village in 1004 or 1005 AD, and historical documents claim that he 'vowed to build the Abbey of St Peter at Westminster, and endow it with the lands and buildings of the village of Islip, where he was born'. This endowment also included nearby Noke, as well as other villages in the locality.

The oldest part of the present-day church in Islip dates back to the 12th century, although some of it was rebuilt in the 14th century, and the tower was added in the 15th century. The church sustained some damage during the year of 1645, due to the Battle of Islip Bridge (check out my previous posts for more information on this!).

The village primary school, Dr South's, was founded and financed by Dr Robert South in 1710. Other celebrated people with links to this village include Simon Islip, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1349 - 1366, and John Islip, who was Abbot of Westminster in 1500.

The village pub, The Swan Inn, was built sometime shortly before the aforementioned English Civil War; at the time of the War, it also housed a boat-building yard that was ran by a Mr Beckley. Mr Beckley used his boats to ferry the Parliamentary army to Oxford, when the city was captured by Royalist forces.

As a reward, the Beckley family of Islip were awarded exclusive fishing rights on the Islip section of the river, which they held until the early 20th century. It is believed that Mr Beckley was a descendent of Sir Thomas de Beckleye of the nearby village of Noke, who in June 1481 held lands in Islip.

Other landowners in Islip during this time period were named as Roger Powr, John Gay, Richard Wilyamscote, Margaret Newer, John Overidge, Richard Clark and William Follare.

Prattle Wood, which is situated on the edge of Noke, once stretched out to a point far closer to Islip than it does today; this small area of woodland is now all that remains of the huge forest which covered the southern half of the parish during the Middle Ages.

Islip was considered to be a very important and strategic location in days gone by, due to both its close proximity to the forest and river, and to Oxford.

The oldest surviving building in the village (with the exception of the church) is a house on High Street, which was formerly The King's Head Inn, a coaching station. This dates back to the mid to late 17th century, although much of it was rebuilt in 1950. The wooden beam over the old entrance to the Inn yard, however, was left in position.

A local farm known as Chipping Farm is said to have gotten its name from the Old English 'cippa-fen' (or perhaps 'chypfen'), meaning 'a fen where logs are found'.

It is also said that Islip eels, caught from the banks of the River Ray which runs through the village, were highly prized, being sold as far away as London!

The picture below shows a view of Islip from the south, published in a book written by renowned author and historian, John Dunkin, in 1823. It shows a four-arch bridge over the river, which was demolished in 1878, and subsequently replaced by the current bridge.