This church, which is dedicated to the Holy Cross (Latin "Santa Croce"), takes its patronage from the cross on which Jesus Christ died. The veneration of the Holy Cross goes back in large part to Saint Helena, who was the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great (who recognized Christianity as a religion after his victory at the "Milvian Bridge" in front of Rome and ended the long period of persecution with the "Edict of Toleration" of Milan in 312). In the early fourth century, she made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel / Palestine) and brought numerous relics back to Europe, including the "True Cross" on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Helena is therefore often depicted with a cross as an attribute.
The church celebrates the feast of the discovery, public presentation and veneration of the Holy Cross - called the "Exaltation of the Cross" - on September 14th.

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Ian Delve

May 30, 2022

The beautifully situated church of the Holy Cross stands in the grounds of Ilam Hall, a 19th century stately home built for Jesse Watts-Russell in 1821. That 19th-century house replaced a 16th-century hall, the home of the Port family for over 350 years.

Ilam was not recorded in the Domesday Book, though there was, without doubt, a church and settlement here at that time. The earliest written record comes from 1004 when King Aethelred confirmed the gift of Ilam to Burton Abbey in the will of a lord named Wulfric.

The south chapel was added in 1618 by the Meverell family of Throwley Hall, and houses a 13th-century altar tomb locally known as the Shrine of St Bertram.

Walk The Walk 🌳

June 7, 2023

Holy Cross is church is a delicious combination of Saxon crosses, Norman font and superb memorials, all set in the rich and dramatic landscape of Ilam Park with its Italienate gardens.

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Elevation 200 m

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Friday 31 October

13°C

9°C

100 %

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Max wind speed: 21.0 km/h

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Location: Ilam, Staffordshire Moorlands, Staffordshire, West Midlands Region, England, United Kingdom

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Church of the Holy Cross, Ilam

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