ALVINGTON, (WEST) or West Allington, is a small scattered village, 1½ mile S.W. of Kingsbridge, but its parish extends four miles southward, and includes 998 souls, 4020 acres of land, part of Malborough village, and the hamlets of Woolston, Easton, Sorley, and Bawcombe, on the western side of the estuary and creeks, extending from the English Channel to Kingsbridge. The manors and owners are, Woolston and Oldaway, Duke of Cleveland; West Alvington, W. R. Ilbert, Esq.; and Woodhouse, Mr. J. Hingston; but a great part of this parish is freehold, belonging to the Bastard, Luscombe, Walker, and other families. Combe Royal, one mile N. of Kingsbridge, is the large and elegant seat of John Luscombe, Esq., whose family purchased it in 1736 of the Gilberts, who had long been seated there. Gerston, now occupied by a farmer, is the property, and was, till recently, the seat of the Bastards, of Kitley. Bowring’s-leigh, a large and ancient Tudor mansion, now a farm-house, was long a seat of the Bowrings, and afterwards of the Ilberts. It still belongs to the latter, and retains some beautiful ceilings, &c., but its chapel was burnt down a few years ago. The fragments of an urn were found in 1818, in a tumulus at Sorley. John de Besill, then lord of the manor of West Alvington, had a grant for a market and fair, in 1270, but they were obsolete some centuries ago. On the front of Addlehole farm-house is a large vine, which has produced a ton of grapes in a season. The Church (All Saints,) is an ancient structure, with a fine embattled tower, and some memorials of the Bastard and Holditch families. In the chancel is an elaborately carved Easter sepulchre. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £62. 16s. 10½d., and in 1831 at £685, with those of South Huish, Malborough, and South Milton annexed to it, is in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Salisbury, and incumbency of the Rev. O. Macdonald, who has a good residence. The tithes of this parish were commuted in 1839, – the vicarial for £330. 2s., and the rectorial for £555. 8s. 3d. W. R. Ilbert, Esq., is lessee of the latter under the patrons. Four cottages have long been vested for the repairs of the church. The poor have the dividends of £250, three per cent. consols, purchased in 1794, with money given by Cath. Ilbert, and other donors.
