| HOME | DONATION FORM | HISTORY OF ILAM CROSS | JOHN MACDUFF DERICK, ARCHITECT |
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THE
MARY
WATTS-RUSSELL
MEMORIAL CROSS
ILAM, STAFFORDSHIRE
 MARY WATTS-RUSSELL (c.1792-1840 )  JESSE WATTS-RUSSELL (1786-1875) |
 ILAM CROSS 2004 |
IntroductionIn a dominant position in the centre of the village of Ilam in the Peak District National Park in Staffordshire, is a striking and beautiful Victorian monument, in the style of an Eleanor Cross. It is modelled on one of the crosses which Edward I had erected at each stopping place of the body of his queen, Eleanor of Castile, on its progress from Nottinghamshire, where she died, to its tomb in Westminster Abbey, in 1290. Jesse Watts-Russell and the Gothic RevivalIn the case of Ilam Cross, it was built as a memorial to Mary the wife of Jesse Watts-Russell, the squire of Ilam, when she died in 1840. A product of Gothic Revival architecture in the first half of the nineteenth century, its perfect proportions and graceful carved decoration have earned it great affection and admiration as well as the distinction of a Grade II* listing. It has been described as 'one of the finest Gothic Revival monuments in the country.' For more than a century and half it has become not only an iconic presence for the village community and visitors, but also a work of art of national importance, a status confirmed by its Grade II* listing and inclusion in the English Heritage, Buildings at Risk Register. |
When coming across it for the first time, the beauty of Ilam Cross is very striking, but even a cursory inspection makes it obvious that more than 160 years of neglect has caused serious damage and general deterioration. Damage to many features, ranging from large fragments coming loose and some falling off the monument and being lost, to the more insidious gradual erosion of much of the carved decoration, have gravely affected the Cross and are causing great concern. There is also considerable anxiety about possible hidden decay caused by penetration of water into the inner parts of the monument which, if not repaired and prevented, could lead to the structural integrity of the whole monument being compromised.
The Ilam Imp
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Fortunately, preserved amid the ruin of many parts of the cross is a small, quaint, carved creature. He peeps from behind the plinth of the allegorical female figure in the statue niche on the south face of the monument. Behind him, in the depths of the niche, he has a scaly, curled tail like an ammonite. Fanciful carved figures were a common feature of medieval buildings and monuments and also appear in illuminated manuscripts and on bench ends and misericords. Many were composed of parts of different creatures and were called chimeras and prominent powerful tails were a frequent feature. The sculptor, Richard Westmacott, probably included this amusing creature as an authentic medieval embellishment on this Gothic Revival monument. The Ilam Imp is the mascot for the Trust. |
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Tragedy in the '60sA major disaster in the early 1960s occurred when a particularly violent storm blew down the top stage - which had already been severely weakened by the previous gradual destruction of six elegant, slender reinforcing buttresses. At the time, Mr. Wendell Holmes was unable to trace any owners and eventually paid out of his own pocket for a sandstone re- placement stage in a highly simplified style, which clashes violently with the original design by the little known architect, John Macduff Derick. Fortunately there are several good photographs of the cross before the disaster. There is also an engraving, made in 1845, only a few years after the Cross was built. |
 Engraving 1845 |
 19th century Photograph |
 Temporary 1960s replacement |
As long ago as April 2000 a detailed survey of the state of the monument's structural condition and that of the carved stonework was carried out under the auspices of English Heritage, in preparation for deciding upon a programme of work for its repair, conservation and preservation. Unfortunately, the campaign to raise the necessary funds was blocked by the fact that, despite extensive research, it had not been possible to establish who owned the monument. Without ownership, or the agreement of the unknown 'owner', major grant-making authorities would not be ready to consider supporting the project
Fortunately, in September 2003, the Peak District National Park Authority (the local planning authority) came to the rescue and agreed that, provided we had formed a charitable trust and had raised the funds needed for the completion of the programme of work on the memorial, the Authority would then make a compulsory purchase order to acquire ownership of the Cross and would then convey it to the Ilam Cross Trust for repair, conservation and preservation. The Ilam Cross Trust Ltd. was incorporated in November 2003 and registered with the Charity Commission in January 2004. The compulsory purchase order has since been processed and the Trust took ownership of the Cross in March 2009.
During 2004,
the Trustees appointed
Brown Matthews Partnership in
The Consulting Architects, who are supervising the entire programme, originally invited tenders from eight conservation contractors in January 2005. Due to the unexpectedly long delays in transferral of ownership, the works are now being re-tendered to the same companies, with the expected appointment of a contractor by November 2009.
With the
consultants’ fees, contractor
costs and contingency and VAT included, the expected total cost of the
work on
the Cross and the associated project will be just over
£200,000 and more funds
will be needed to endow future guardianship.
The first phase
of the campaign was
started in November 2004, with the production of a public appeal
leaflet/donation form, which was distributed widely and raised several
thousands of pounds, valuable resources for mounting the appeal. A
special
brochure was produced and sent out to many grant-making trusts and
foundations
and met with great success, raising almost £40,000 of
promises. Grants have
also been secured from English Heritage, for over £38,000,
and from the
Heritage Lottery Fund, for just under £120,000.
The project is now a reality and we are hoping to complete
the work by
Autumn 2010. While the majority of the matching funds are now in place,
we
still need cash donations to fund the expenses of running the project,
the
Charity and establishing the Friends organisation to maintain the Cross
in the
future.We hope
that you may be willing to help our campaign with a donation.
If so, there are several ways of doing so:-
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You can
donate, using a secure web payment
and automatic currency conversion
with a credit card.
Just press the PayPal 'Donate' button.
CLICK HERE and Download a donation form. OR
Write
to theThe Ilam
Cross Trust, 99 BETHWIN ROAD, LONDON SE5 0YR, UK
and ask for a donation form. OR
Call the Trust at +44 (0)20 7701 0595 and ask for a donation form. OR
Email admin@ the-ilam-cross-trust.org.uk, including your Name and Address and request a donation form. OR
If you pay UK
Income Tax by Self Assessment
and are due repayment of Tax,
you can allocate some or all of the repayment
to the Trust using our unique code
JAR74YG.
[See Q.19A on
the Self Assessment form.]
The donation will be transferred directly
from the Inland Revenue
to our bank account.
If you tick box 19A.5
they will notify us of your
name and address
so we can thank you personally.
ALSO
For a complete history of Ilam Cross CLICK HERE.
For a biographical sketch of the little known architect, John Macduff Derick, who designed Ilam Cross CLICK HERE.
The Ilam
Cross Trust
A Company limited by guarantee No. 4978686, registered in England and
Wales.
Registered Charity No. 1101384.
© Copyright Phil Mottram 2004 Email: phil-mottram@the-ilam-cross-trust.org.uk
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