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The Orchards, 4 star farm cottage, Ilam, Ashbourne, DE6 2BA. - 
- tel 01538-308205 
 |
GenUKI - Ilam
historical page |
Click here to see a arial photo from MultiMap
Ilam is about 4 miles from
Ashbourne, at the entrance to the beautiful Manifold Valley. Ilam is extremely
picturesque, with its "Swiss chalet" style houses and matching school
house.
Ilam is also home to Ilam Hall - once a stately home, now a youth hostel owned by the National Trust. Ilam Hall is set in large parklands that are open
to visitors.
Ilam hall
A hall has been here since John Port had the
1st one built in 1546. Both William
Congreve and Dr Samual Johnson have
stayed at the hall when it was owned by the Port family. Congreve wrote his first
play, "The Old Bachelor" here and Paradise valley inspired Johnson to
write his novel "Rasselas".
In 1820 the estate was bought by Jesse
Watts-Russell, a wealthy industrialist. It was Watts-Russell who is responsible
for the Swiss look of Ilam, he found that the valley and surrounding hills reminded
him of the Alps. So he had some new cottages built in the Swiss style and rehoused
most of the villagers, (they were living in estate owned houses anyway). He also
built the school in 1857 and funded it, at a time when schooling was not compulsory.
He later moved to New Zealand built another Ilam Hal (see Links below). The farm/homestead that he created later grew and became the Ilam area of Christchurch. The site of the homestead was one of the main social centers of early Christchurch society.
The present homestead was built in 1914 after fire destroyed the first two buildings.
There is even an Ilam school there!
In 1934 Sir Robert McDougal bought the hall and gave it the the National Trust to become a Youth Hostel - which it is to this day. The grounds are open to the public, and are a starting point for one of the prettiest river walks in the area.
The Church of the
Holy Cross
Originally Saxon, the church is now mainly 17th and
19th century - the two occasions when it was restored.
Some of its Saxon origins
can be seen in its carved stone Saxon font, and two stone cross shafts in the
churchyard.
It is in the Chapel of St Bertram, built in 1618, that the remains
and shrine of the St Bertam (or Bertelin) can be found. St Bertam was a 8th Century
son of a Mercian king who renounced his royal heritage for prayer and meditation
after his wife and child were killed by wolves. He converted many to Christianity.
His shrine became a point of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages and is reputed to be
able to work miraculous cures.
Dovedale House
Splendid large old house near the entrance of Ilam Hall. It used to be the vicarage
and is now run as a residential Youth centre.
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The Orchards, 4 star farm cottage, Ilam, Ashbourne, DE6 2BA. - - tel 01538-308205
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GenUKI - Ilam
historical page |
to
villages menu