Church of the Holy Cross
CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1038155
- Date first listed:
- 01-Feb-1967
- List Entry Name:
- Church of the Holy Cross
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1038155
- Date first listed:
- 01-Feb-1967
- List Entry Name:
- Church of the Holy Cross
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Staffordshire
- District:
- Staffordshire Moorlands (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Ilam
- National Park:
- Peak District
- National Grid Reference:
- SK 13269 50697
Details
SK 15 SW; 8/113
ILAM C.P.,
ILAM PARK
Church of the Holy Cross
01.02.67.
G.V.
I
Parish Church. The core is probably C11, partly rebuilt in C13 and extended
in 1618 and 1831; the church underwent major restoration in 1855-6 under the
direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott. Coursed and squared rubble with ashlar
quoins and dressings; clay tile roofs with bands of shaped tiles and coped
verges. West tower; 3-bay nave; Chancel; North aisle; NE and SE chapels.
West Tower: C13 lancet to ground floor on South side; restored West window of
two trefoil headed lights; two trefoiled belfry openings to each side Saddleback
roof. Nave: South side has one tall C13 lancet to the left and a restored C14
window of three trefoil-headed lights beneath a square head to right; this
encroaches on a blocked, probably Anglo-Saxon, roundheaded doorway; C19
gabled porch to left. Chancel: The East window of 1855-6 has three cusped, graded
lancets framed by nook shafts with naturalistic foliage to the capitals and
a continuous hood mould terminating in busts of a king and queen. North Aisle:
Late C13 style windows of two cusped lights with pointed trefoil above; door to
right; West window tracery incorporates a 6-lobed star. N E Chapel: 1831.
Octagonal plan; biggest feature of church and almost free-standing; windows
have 4-centred arches, cusped, intersecting tracery and hood moulds; each of
the four northernmost faces has a trefoiled head loop. Buttresses at the angles
terminate in small gables decorated with buses. S E Chapel: St Bertram's
Chapel. Date over south door presumably refers to restoration of former
Charity Chapel. "RM/RP1/NH/1618". Windows have square heads with ogee and
sunken spandrels; Tudor arch doorway with hood mould terminating in busts.
INTERIOR: North arcade by Scott: cylindrical columns with moulded bases and
capitals; roll moulding and roll and fillet moulding to pointed arches;
naturalistic foliage at springing point. Chancel arch by Scott, pointed with
three orders of moulding: roll, kell, and roll and fillet; engaged columns with
naturalistic foliage to capitals; hood mould terminating in busts of a queen
and a bishop. Tower arch: Pointed and chamfered arch springing from corbels.
Nave roof is of crown post construction with scissor bracing, bolted rather
than jointed. Chancel: Reredos by Scott; small aumbry on N side; wagon roof.
David Pike Watts Memorial Chapel: Moulded vaulting ribs springing from corbels
with angels carved on them; bosses along the ridge rib with armorial bearings
surrounded by naturalistic foliage; frieze around foot of walls consisting of
lozenge shapes containing quatrefoils. Fittings: Font Romanesque, probably
C12, circular bowl with figures carved on sides. Rood screen and screen on
South side of Chancel; designed by Scott and made by Skidmore of Coventry;
wrought iron with arrangements of flowers and foliage with arches and
quatrefoils in the squares. Monuments: Meverell Monument: Alabaster; two reclining
figures coats of arms to side and end of chest tomb. Inscribed: "HERE LYETH
Y BODIES / OF ROBERT MEVE / RELE ESQV. & ELIZ / HIS WIFE DAUGiiTER / TO S.
THO. FLEMING / KNI.T & LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF Y KINDS / BENCH BY WHO HE / HAD
ISSUE ONLY ONE / DAUGHT WHO MARRIED THO. LORD CROMWELL( VISCONTE LE GAILE /
WCH."ROBERT DIED THE 5TH OF FEBR . AN ° 1626 / & ELIZAB TH / DEPARTED 5TH OF
AVGVST 1626". Above is a wall monument depicting Meverell's daughter and her
three young children all kneeling within an aedicule of Corinthian columns
supporting a semi-circular arch; surmounted by a pedestal with upraised hand
brandishing a sword, shields to either side. Shrine of St Bertelin: probably
C14; open quatrefoils to sides and ends of chest. David Pike Watts Memorial
by Sir Francis Chantrey: Male figure sitting up to receive a kneeling
female figure. and 3 children; chest tomb below has panelled sides with
armorial bearings. A large and impressive piece of sculpture.
Listing NGR: SK1326850697
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 274471
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 30-Jun-2026 at 16:07:55.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.