Church of the Holy Cross, Ilam-Moor Lane, Ilam, Staffordshire. DE6 2AZ
Posted by: 
greysman
N 53° 03.197 W 001° 48.214
30U E 580192 N 5878867
An impressive C11th parish church remodeled in 1855-6 under Sir George Gilbert Scott.
Waymark Code: WMQPY1
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/15/2016
Views: 4
This Grade I listed parish Church of the Holy Cross is most likely C11th in origin as the earliest fabric is in the south wall of the nave, a blocked C11th doorway. It was partly rebuilt in the C13th and extended in 1618 and 1831, and subsequently underwent major restoration in 1855-6 under the direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott.
It is built of coursed and squared rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings, clay tile roofs with bands of shaped tiles and coped verges, and comprises a west tower with five bells, a three-bay nave, a chancel, a north aisle, and north-east and south-east chapels.
The west tower has a C13th lancet window to the ground floor on the south side, a restored west window of two trefoil headed lights, two trefoiled belfry openings to each side, on the east and west side are trefoiled openings under roll-head mouldings in the gable end above a stringcourse , and a Saddleback roof.
The bells are all the same age cast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough at the same time as the major restoration.
The following table is taken from Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers with amendments to the weights, now in metric units.
Bell Weight Note Casting Date Founder
1 258.55 C# 1856 John Taylor & Son
2 268.98 B 1856 John Taylor & Son
3 288.94 A# 1856 John Taylor & Son
4 366.96 G# 1856 John Taylor & Son
5 444.52 F# 1856 John Taylor & Son
John Taylor & Son was the foundry at Loughborough from 1849 until 1977, run by a succession of Taylors in the premises started in 1735 by Joseph Eayre. It is still casting bells today, both tower and hand bells for clients the world over.