The Church
The earliest part of the building is a blocked 11th cent. door in the south wall of the nave, there are Anglo-Saxon cross shafts in the churchyard and a notable 12th cent. font. However most of the present building, including the south chapel, dates from 1618 , was restored in the 19th cent by Gilbert Scott and had an octagonal chapel added in 1831 in memory of David Watts, whose daughter is commemorated by the cross in Ilam village. The church also contains the 13th cent. shrine of St. Bertram - an Anglo-Saxon hermit who lived in the Manifold Valley. There are 17th cent. monuments to the Meverell and Cromwell families.
Parish Records
Historic records of Holy Cross, Ilam have been deposited at Staffordshire Record Office, where they are available for consultation by the public. These include the parish registers of baptisms 1651-1989, marriages 1651-1980 and burials 1651-1989.
A catalogue of these records is available in "Gateway to the Past" (http://www.archives.staffordshire.gov.uk) - the online catalogue of the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service. The Archive Service's website (http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/archives) provides further information on planning a visit to the office to consult records, should you wish to do so.